Challenge offers passport to reading

George Nevler was one stamp away from completing his "library passport," a challenge offered by Seattle Public Library to celebrate completion of the 27 new and remodeled branches of the library.

Nevler, 50, needed just the NewHolly stamp. On Wednesday, Nevler, who died in December, received it.

His wife, Sue, and sons Aden and Miles were honored at a special celebration for the 356 people who completed the passport competition and were entered into a drawing for lunch with the new city librarian and a gift package.

Sue Nevler said her husband was an avid reader who died suddenly last month. She said his home branch library, Broadview, put up a display of his favorite books. "This is a sad but nice story," she said.

The library created the "library passport," which visitors could take to each branch and get stamps unique to the individual library. While the competition has ended, visitors can still receive library stamps.

Wednesday's celebration honored all 356 passport holders, as well members of the Seattle Mountaineers who walked to each library, and ultramarathoner Sam Thompson, who tried to run to each branch the first day of last month's snowstorm and only hit 19. He said he will run them all again on Jan. 22.

The library held a drawing for four prize packages, and the winners were Huiling Xiong of Capitol Hill; Robert Monsen of Lake City; Laila Barr of Wedgwood; and Thomas Koepsell of Phinney Ridge.

The passport idea came from two library patrons, Marsha Donaldson and her husband, Bill Ferris, who traveled to each library and thought it would be nice to have a stamp commemorating the completion of the Libraries for All project.

Donaldson, who was at Wednesday's celebration, said she was amazed at how popular the passport program became.

Susan Gilmore: 206-464-2054 or sgilmore@seattletimes.com