When Maia moved to town, one of her first stops was the Darrington Library.
Her two young children were eager to explore. “We were just sort of walking around pulling books off the shelves,” Maia said, “which felt really bad!”
She was relieved that the staff didn’t mind. Library Associate Ellen jumped in to help her son find a book, while Maia held her daughter and took a breath. “We got to have a quiet moment in public, which never happens.”
Now, Maia’s days often revolve around the library. It’s an office space, a social hub, and a resource for her kids’ “endless questions.”
“Every time they have a question at home that I can’t answer,” Maia said, “I’m like, ‘Let’s ask the library!” Even at five and three, her children confidently approach the help desk with questions like, “How far away is the sky?”
Maia recalls how the children’s edition of “Moby Dick” sparked her son’s passion for researching whales. “We finish the book and then we come here — and we leave with ten books on hold,” she said. “It’s like Christmas every time.”
As a library regular, Maia has built strong relationships with staff. “My kids invite them to their birthday parties.” The library’s involvement in the school district has been especially impactful. When her son felt shy about attending his first back-to-school barbeque, Maia had one main selling point: “Miss Tamra is going to read to you!” Knowing that a librarian he loved would be there calmed his nerves.
The library also plays a pivotal role in Maia’s professional life. She takes calls in library study rooms, prints with her weekly $7 printing credit, and uses library resources to grow her small business.
In April 2025, Maia participated in the GSBA Business Accelerator Program through Sno-Isle Libraries. This free five-week program helps students transform ideas into actionable business plans. Since completing the program, Maia is on track to open her own bakery. “I wouldn’t be able to be where I am with the small business if it wasn’t for that class,” she said.
When asked what the rest of her day looked like, Maia shared that she was off to pick up her son from school — and bring him straight to the library. “I actually cannot articulate what would happen to me and my children if the library wasn’t here,” she said.
Want to share your library story? Contact Marketing@sno-isle.org.