It’s time for Page Two: News that might not make the front page for Monday, December 22, 2025.
You won’t find a city hall or a recreation center in Sutton. But you will find a library.
Over more than four decades, the Sutton Public Library has grown into something bigger than a place to borrow books. It’s a library, a museum, and a community hub all in one.
The Sutton Library is the town’s youth center, meeting hall, event venue, community garden, and gathering space. It borders the Alpine Historical Park.
Librarian Juli Buzby has been part of that transformation since 2018.
Buzby said it’s a job where you get paid doing what you love.
The library calendar is filled with activities, especially on Thursdays. About half of the town’s elementary school students arrive by bus for the after-school program.This space was built with them in mind. Kids Kupboard partners with the library to serve afternoon snacks to the children.
Another after-school program created a thriving youth group. A dozen middle and high school students gather weekly for a two-hour session. They participate in games and service projects. The group hosts one community event a month. They also partner monthly with Thrive Mat-Su.
A community garden has become another focal point for the library. Some of the raised garden beds are maintained by adults and families. Others are cared for by the youth program. The youth group also hosts a harvest potluck in the fall. It brings at least 100 people into the library’s community room.
The community room transforms throughout the week. One day it’s a presentation hall, the next it’s a birthday party venue.
Buzby’s work doesn’t stop at the library. She partners with the school, too. She teaches a monthly book and art lesson at Sutton Elementary School. The lessons promote literacy while giving teachers a short break.
The numbers show how active the library is. It holds a collection of about 20,000 items. Patrons checked out more than 4,600 books between July and September. This does not include nearly 1100 DVDs, puzzles, and educational kits.
The Sutton Library is one of five borough-funded libraries, alongside Big Lake, Talkeetna, Trapper Creek and Willow libraries . It runs with two full-time and two part-time borough employee positions. A roughly $450,000 budget supports it.
The new library opened in 2012 after years of planning and perseverance by a dedicated group of volunteers. They worked for over a decade to raise the funds through grants, local fundraising, state support, and borough funding to turn their vision into reality. The former library operated in a small space tucked behind the town’s general store.
The Sutton Library stands as the only public facility in the town.
Buzby said her goal is simple. She wants people to feel welcome and excited to be at the library.
She doesn’t have to worry. For Sutton residents and visitors alike, the library feels like a second home, just like a trip to Grandma’s house.
Telsche Overby and Rachel Christensen talk about Mat-Su Health Foundation and its community partnerships and community engagement stories on Community Health Connections 8 a.m., repeating at 5 p.m.
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This Page Two article was written by Emily Forstner and read by Lee Henrikson. If you have an idea for a Page 2 topic, please email us at page2@radiofreepalmer.org.
That’s it for today and the news on Page Two on Monday, December 22, 2025.
There is a Special Palmer City Council meeting at 6 p.m. tonight in the Council Chambers. The council will interview two candidates for general counsel legal services and may select general counsel after the interviews. Tune in to the live stream at bigcabbageradio.org