La Center Library 20th Anniversary Celebration

La Center Community Library is celebrating its 20th anniversary with live music, llamas and cake from 3 to 5 p.m. May 14. In 2001, the 1905 building was destined to be burned as a firefighting exercise, but Margaret Colf Hepola envisioned something more. In August of that year, the former hospital building was moved a half-mile to its present location. After three years of fundraising by the Friends of La Center Community Library, and with contributions from the Colf Family Foundation, Fort Vancouver Regional Libraries, multiple grants and donations, the refurbished 3,380 square-foot building began its new life as La Center Community Library. In 2023, the library welcomed more than 29,000 visitors and checked out or renewed approximately 40,000 library items.