How the Weiser Public Library Became an Essential “Third Space”

When Timbra Long took over as director of the Weiser Public Library five years ago, the longtime teacher arrived with a notebook in hand. Within it were pages of ideas—programs she wanted to host, residents she wanted to reach, gaps she wanted to fill. Her ideas included free computer classes, a monthly teen night, and other programs like book clubs where residents could come together and learn. They all added up to one goal: “I wanted the library to be the heart of the community,” Long says.

Long’s goal was a product of simply listening. For years, Weiser locals had been clamoring for a central gathering place outside of their homes and work—something known as a “third space.” With no community center and few other free venues, residents of all ages were limited to youth sports games, parades, and other community events. At the library, local seniors would show up asking for help with their smartphones and computers, seeking conversation as much as assistance. And each week parents would inquire about activities or classes for their kids—classes that didn’t exist.

Director Timbra Long arrived at the Weiser Public Library with a notebook of ideas. Her vision has transformed the library, bringing more people through the door. (Photo by Sarah Miller)

Long knew that she could create the space the community was craving, but from the beginning she and her staff encountered headwinds. Her annual budget was shrinking, while simultaneously books for the library were becoming more expensive. Rarely was much money left over for hosting events and engaging the community. Shortly after the LOR Foundation opened a Weiser office at the end of 2023, Long began bringing her ideas forward hoping to turn the contents of her notebook into solutions that would transform the town.

One of the first projects Long and the library launched with funding from LOR was a series of free year-round programs that answered the requests of residents: STEM and art classes, a summer reading program, and community movie nights—activities that brought more people through the door. LOR also helped the library purchase laptops and desktop computers, funding a digital literacy teacher who works with residents struggling to navigate technology. Those classes—which aren’t just for seniors—have become hugely popular over the past year, helping Weiser residents acquire the tools and training they need to thrive in the digital age and even improve their job prospects.

Thanks to these opportunities and others, Long has seen the library become an irreplaceable gathering space. In 2023, the library saw about 37,000 total visits; in 2025, Long estimates the number grew to more than 42,000, allowing more residents to connect, laugh, and learn alongside their neighbors. “We hear a lot that libraries are just places that have books, but they’re really community hubs,” she says. And more and more residents are starting to take notice. Linda McLaughling, a longtime library board member who has lived in Weiser for twenty years, says the new programming has brought in people who have never visited before. “It’s been amazing to see the change,” she says. “We’re not really close to anything else. We don’t have many other community spaces, so we need something like this that keeps everybody connected.”

Members of the library’s adult book club pose during their monthly conversation on March 24, 2026. (Photo by Sarah Miller)

The sense of connection and belonging is key. A recent national poll by LOR and Gallup found that rural Americans who feel a strong sense of community connection and cohesiveness are 3.5 times more likely to want to lead projects that benefit their community. That has already proved to be the case in Weiser, where Long’s work has inspired other community members to use the library as a launchpad for their own ideas—like a kid’s movement class that began last year at the suggestion of a Weiser local. Which means Long isn’t putting her notebook down just yet. “I’ve now pretty much crossed everything off that initial list,” she says. “But there are new ideas in there.”