80th Anniversary Mission Moment
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
In 2025, Kitsap Regional Library celebrated its 80th anniversary. Since its formation in 1945, the Library has played a vital role in our community. To commemorate this momentous achievement, the communications team at the Library planned a year-long campaign to celebrate, appreciate, and explore each of the nine branches and the impact they’ve had over the decades.
“We began brainstorming in earnest as to what the celebration of our 80 years would look like, over many, many months in collaboration with each other, as well as with input and feedback from our staff and the community,” said Victoria Gingrey, Marketing and Communications Manager at the Library.
The idea was to invite the community to learn about the Library’s history while engaging with the Library in new, hands-on, and innovative ways. Ultimately, the small team crafted the Passport to Explore, a program where patrons picked up a physical passport booklet and were encouraged to visit all nine branches to collect stamps, complete side quests, and win prizes. The Library also offered a limited-edition library card unique to each branch, as well as themed mugs and a Mug Hunt to find them all.
To make plans come to life, the team knew they needed artwork that captured the spirit of Kitsap County.
“We wanted to instill a sense of personal pride in the branches and in the community,” said Ayanna Jones, Marketing and Communications Coordinator. “And since one of the many goals of our passport was to encourage travel throughout the county, I chose an art style that was reminiscent of WPA National Parks travel posters.”
Ayanna worked on sketches, digital illustrations, and collected input from the community. During the drawing phase, Ayanna faced an unexpected challenge when considering which species of salmon are native to the Manchester area. So, she connected with Jacqueline and Nell of the Manchester branch, who put her in touch with Louis, the authority on salmon in the area. They met at the Sylvan branch, and Louis offered insights, diagrams, and information about all the fish in the region to help inspire the artwork to come. This is one of the many ways this project was informed, supported, and made possible by the community.
Meanwhile, graphic designer Terra Tapia developed the stamps for each location that patrons would collect in their passports.
After months of behind-the-scenes work, Kitsap Regional Library launched the Passport to Explore campaign on Valentine's Day 2025, with the Mug Hunt following in April over the course of two weeks to coincide with spring breaks across Kitsap.
The special edition mugs were met with frenzied enthusiasm and an uptick in visitors to the Library.
“Patrons would line up before the branches open and they would move with vigor throughout the library and a lot of excitement trying to find those mugs,” said Kaitlyn Nicholas, Content Specialist.
During the Mug Hunt, the Little Boston branch alone saw a 58% increase in visitors. Plus, more than 200 people came to the anniversary celebration at the Silverdale branch, with overwhelmingly positive feedback from staff and patrons.
While most of the special-edition items were only available for a short time during the 80th celebration, the library cards have delightfully become a permanent addition.
Earlier in the year, the Library also cultivated a partnership with Kitsap Historical Museum to build an exhibit to demonstrate the historical significance of the Library. The team spent months researching archives; sorting, scanning, and retouching historical photos; recording audio; designing physical space and graphics; and installing their exhibit.
The exhibit, called 80 Years on Display, was featured at the Kitsap History Museum in Bremerton through March 2026, and opened with a History Uncorked event moderated by Josh Farley, celebrating the stories of past and present library employees.
“Our story is intertwined with that of Kitsap County, the location, the people, and the community,” said Terra Tapia.
During the year, MLK branch staff coordinated several 80th Anniversary-themed events, including a Story Night at the Roxy Theater, a library-themed trivia night at Manette Saloon, a First Friday Art Walk promoting the museum exhibit, and two library-themed movie screenings with partners at Olympic College and the Roxy.
They also partnered with Silver City Brewery to support these events with a special Biblio Brew benefiting the Library through the Foundation.
To learn more about the work that went into the Library’s 80th Anniversary, watch the video here:
About the Contributors:
Jeannie Allen, Director of Strategy and Communications
Victoria Gingrey, Marketing and Communications Manager
Ayanna Jones, Marketing and Communications Coordinator
Kaitlyn Nicholas, Content Specialist
Terra Tapia, Graphic Designer
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