The richness of Umatilla County can be found in its soil, its people and in its assorted array of historic towns scattered across the breadth and width of the county.

In each of the 12 incorporated towns, you will find a library. Each of these libraries is as unique as the city it serves, and each serves its citizens with a wide and impressive set of services.

The smallest libraries in the county, serving the smallest communities, are no exception. In fact, they often fill some of the biggest needs in their small towns.

Nowhere is that truer than in Adams.

In 1986 when the Umatilla County Special Library District was formed, Adams didn’t have a library. It was served only by a book drop in the center of town. The first UCSLD Board of Directors voted to fund the Adams library in 1988 and the town has had a thriving city library ever since.

Today, you will find Adams Library Director Amanda Hespel serving upward of 40 kids every day in the library. The bus drops the kids in town off across the street and they make a beeline for the library.

In a town the size of Adams — population just under 400 — the library is literally the heart of the community.

Without the library, there would be no safe gathering place, and no planned activities that happen on a regular basis year-round. Hespel has created a welcoming space for kids of all ages to feel a part of.

She had this same experience in the Adams library as a child. It was a safe place for her to go where she was valued and challenged to learn and grow and try new things.

Now she’s giving back in the same way to the children (and adults) in Adams. She thrives on planning creative and engaging activities and loves nothing more than when school is on a break so she can interact with and plan activities for her small town.

She is working hard to make the Adams Public Library the hub of the community. A place of belonging, a place to come to for information needs of any kind, and a place to pass on her love of reading. One step inside her library is a testament to how well she is doing just that, day in and day out.

A stop at your local library is always a time well spent. Make a point to get to your nearest one. And the next time you are near Adams, stop by and see Hespel (and her library full of kids) — it will bring a smile to your face.

Find out more at the Adams library page via cityofadamsoregon.com or www.ucsld.org.