Cook Memorial director outlines library services to retired educators

Carrie Bushman, director of Cook Memorial Library in La Grande, visited the Union County Retired Educators Club on April 8, 2026, and told attendees, "everything in the library is free," while walking through resources that range from state-provided talking books to in‑house 3D printing. Bushman highlighted homebound delivery, noting staff member Wyatt Christensen assists with bringing materials to residents who cannot visit the building at 2006 Fourth Street.

The presentation listed core collections and program services that may be unfamiliar to many Union County residents: audiobooks and DVDs, daily newspapers and magazines, early-learning kits and homeschool collections, family workstations and art and educational supplies, Great Courses streaming, genealogy programming, and local-author support. Bushman framed those offerings as part of the library’s role as a community hub, not just a circulation desk, and noted after-hours programming has drawn positive responses from club members.

Cook Memorial’s scale in a small city setting puts those services in context. The library’s directory listing shows a collection of about 57,972 volumes and annual circulation near 305,734 items, figures that translate to roughly 23 items borrowed per resident in the La Grande service area of about 13,200 people. La Grande’s population is roughly 13,026 and Union County’s population sits in the mid-26,000s, which helps explain why a single institution’s public computers and free Wi‑Fi are important access points for many households.

Bushman also described the library’s regional connections: Cook Memorial serves as the Sage Library System representative for public libraries serving populations over 15,000, with her council term running through July 1, 2026, enabling interlibrary loans through the SageCat catalog shared across more than 70 member libraries. She emphasized the library’s ability to request free "talking books" from the State Library’s Talking Book & Braille program for eligible patrons and organizations.

That service mix matters amid state and federal digital‑equity initiatives. National and Oregon policy guidance, including materials from the American Library Association and the Oregon Broadband Office, position public libraries as local partners in BEAD and other digital-equity funding streams; Bushman framed Cook Memorial’s public computers, Wi‑Fi and outreach partnerships with La Grande School District 1 and local nonprofits as practical elements for accessing that funding and closing local broadband gaps.

Club members such as Ann Rodriguez praised specific classes, noting an after-hours session where attendees learned to make syrup, and photo captions show Doyle Slater and Connie Slater seated near Bushman during the talk. The Union County Retired Educators Club has an existing service footprint, recently donating $175 to supplement about 238 Union County Friday Backpack program packs, making volunteer tutoring and literacy support a natural next step for collaboration.

Practical follow-up steps are already available: Cook Memorial posts program calendars and staff contacts on its public pages and can be reached by phone at 541-962-1339. With Bushman in a Sage leadership role through July 1, 2026, the library is positioned to expand interlibrary borrowing and to scale digital-equity and volunteer-driven literacy efforts across La Grande and Union County.