Today was Pam Huyck and my first full day in Barrow. Yesterday was a travel day, as has been duly noted. The sun failed to shine today; although at noon the sky was lighter. This morning at 7:00 a.m. the sky was a dark as it was at 7 p.m. last night. The streetlights were on, and the building directly across from Itinerant Housing was decked out with multi-colored lights. Festive.

Pamella Simpson, the Principal of the Kiita Alternative School, picked the other Pam and me up promptly at 8:30 a.m. this morning. She called on her phone. I could see her vehicle, in the parking lot. I called her back, and Pam and I went outside, via the corridor route, and met up with her.

Kids checking out suitcase books

It was a five minute drive to the Kiita School, which is located on Karluck Street. The school interior, brightly lit, and with a holiday tree in the window, looked festive. All the buildings in town have metal ramps and steps. The Kiita School was no exception.

Pamella introduced us to office and school staff, then took us over to a hallway room, the size of a broom closet. I noticed that the library shelving we sent to Kiita a year ago was in place and filled with books that we also sent to Kiita a year ago.

The room was small, hot, and cramped. Pam and I pulled kids’ books off the shelves and put them in boxes. These boxes of books along with our six suitcases full of books, were going to the Fred Ipalook Elementary School.

Pam enlisted the help of some of the more burley male students, who assisted us in moving boxes and suitcases to the elementary school.

We pulled suitcases down yet another long hallway. We entered the library and noticed that the front portion of the room was filled with Scholastic Books. Some were on tables, some were on chairs, some were in bright red Scholastic display cases.

Pam spent most of her afternoon putting free stickers on books. I opened the suitcases and passed books on to Pam, who put free stickers on them. I put the books that Pam had stickered in the designated display racks and as well, back in the suitcases.

The teachers brought the kids into the room – they entered via one hallway and then exited via another. While in the room, they selected and paid for Scholastic books and related bling.

It felt odd, our passing out free books while the other books were being sold, especially since the book sales funding was going into the school’s coffers.

According to Pamella, Scholastic isn’t going to pay for return shipping to the Lower 48. And so the school is going to have to purchase the books. I told her this didn’t seem right to me, and that I’d contact Scholastic and let them know about this.

Next: 330. 12/1/23: Change is a Constant