Kake rebuilds community library, one book at a time

Kake’s library was reopened in October 2015 after a 16-year hiatus. Renamed the Shirly Jackson Library, after a local teacher, the facility is operated by the school district, but open to the public. (Photo by Emily Kwong/KCAW)
For over a decade, there was no place to check out a book in Kake, Alaska.
Tucked into a pocket on Kupreanof Island, the Kake School District closed the library in 1999 because of funding loss.
Through outside partnerships and the hard labor of volunteers, the