On Friday things looked traditional enough at the Weston Public Library.

Library Director Heather Culley sat criss-cross applesauce as youngsters listened to weekly storytime, shouting out their delight for stories like “Wild Boars Cook” and “Brenda Is a Sheep.”

It’s not the usual library fare that brings me to Heather’s domain, though. It’s the cooking.

This winter recipes started popping up on the library’s Facebook page. I’ve seen many creative things from libraries all over the world but not this.

Heather isn’t posting just recipes, mind you. She takes stock of what’s on Weston’s food bank shelves, then finds simple recipes to match. Many of her dishes can be cooked in a microwave with few kitchen tools. Recently she posted meals and a dessert to be made in a mug.

I’m delighted with other entries, including “The Fanciest Tuna Noodle” and “Classy Green Beans.”

Heather grew up in Weston. After working here and there in libraries, she became the town’s library director early in 2024. The job opened with the retirement of Kathleen Schmidtgal after 30 years; she was only the second director for nearly 70 years.

The little library has a history of taking on enormous projects. Kathleen devoted herself to preserving and restoring many of the area’s historic photos. Her work helped the Oregon State Library, which included Weston’s and Athena’s photographs on its Northwest Digital Heritage Site.

Now it’s Heather’s turn.

This farm girl, with a master’s degree in library science and information, understands the fight to stave off food insecurity.

Too many Weston folks don’t have a way to otherwise get the groceries they need without the food bank, she noted. They might have aged out of driving to grocery stores miles away. Maybe they have no transportation at all.

The food that comes from Pendleton-based CAPECO, Grocery Outlet and Safeway donations is vital.

“We’ve got to have it,” Heather said.

She’s helped with the twice-monthly food distribution at times, using her natural gift of small talk to put people at ease and encourage trying new things.

“I was thinking of all the things I could do with that food … It got me thinking that there are people at the food pantry who don’t have a kitchen setup,” she said. “I thought about how they might not know how to prepare the food they are getting. Or maybe it’s a kid at home cooking, so I’m thinking of things that you can make in a microwave. That safety is really important to me.”

She looked at the simplest cookbooks, such as “The ‘I Hate to Cook’ Book” and “The New Basics Cookbook.”

Heather considered her experience in the kitchen, recalling ways she’s taken simple dishes and fancied them up.

Putting those on social media works well in Weston, which Heather calls “a strangely digital-friendly town.”

She knows giving help to users of the food bank might garner criticism — there’s always the possibility of pushback these days.

“We say the library is for information. It’s not just picture books for kids and novels for old ladies — we’re here to get information to people.”

Weston Mayor Mike Dowd agrees.

Librarians are courageous, “amazing people,” Mike said. “Weston has a history of supporting its library.”

Heather, he added, deserves all the credit for continuing to address community issues with credibility and grit.

“I think she’s trying to reach the low-income, the fixed income folks,” mike said. “Which is the majority of us. She’s determined to get things out there.”

Our state librarian is not shy about boasting of Weston’s librarian, either.

“Heather is incredibly dynamic and doing such wonderful work,” said Wendy Cornelisen, head of the State Library of Oregon. “I am impressed at the way she’s able to really strengthen community engagement and, at the core, promote social well-being.”

Across Oregon, Wendy sees librarians doing the same, no matter where they’re working.

When that’s a tiny building in a tiny town, the magic is huge.

Heather isn’t stopping with culinary help. She’s started a gardening club — “It’s time to grow our own food,” she said.

There’s the cemetery tour Heather initiated last year, where actors portray past residents to present a bit of the town’s rich history.

Next is creating a place inside the library for telehealth visits. As digital as people here are, there are spots in Weston’s hills that don’t get adequate internet reception, Heather explained. Definitely not strong enough for a virtual visit with a medical provider.

The program expands access to healthcare in areas that struggle to have providers. It’s another way for the library, a safe space, to open a door to information.

Finding privacy in the little library will be a challenge, but Heather’s willing to give up her work space for those visits.

Because Heather is a librarian. This is what they do, have always done, and — if we’re willing to fight for and support them — will do forever.

More Information

To learn more about “A Life Driven: The Improbable Journey of Brent Oliver,” including future local screenings, visit The Film Factory’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/filmfactoryinc.