ShelfNotes From the Leaburg Library

Every once in a while, when I am least expecting it, a piece of writing captures my heart. When that happens, it reinforces my belief in the serendipitous, delightful surprises that float in and out of our lives from time to time.

Such is the case with the following story. It was written by Leah Helfrich, a McKenzie River Guide, who happened by the library a few weeks ago, and stepped into Angler’s Roost, a room in the library which houses a world-class collection of books on fishing. She was obviously impressed!! Which moved her to write this lovely piece for the Guides’ website.

Enjoy!

A Quiet Treasure

on the McKenzie: The Angler’s Roost at Leaburg Library

Tucked beside McKenzie Fire and Rescue in the small community of Leaburg sits a building with a long history. Built in 1923 as the local schoolhouse, the Leaburg Library has spent more than a century serving as a place of learning, gathering, and shared stories. Today, that tradition continues-most notably in one remarkable room that drew me there: the Angler’s Roost.

The library itself is made up of four main rooms, each with its own sense of purpose and history. But the Angler’s Roost feels different the moment you step inside. It is quiet, intentional, and reverent-less like a library room and more like a sanctuary for anglers.

The Roost exists thanks to the generosity and lifelong passion of Tom Ripp, a long-time McKenzie River Guides Association associate member. Over decades, Tom assembled a nearly 500-volume, world-class collection of fly-fishing literature-rare, collectible, and deeply significant to the sport. In 2022, he donated the entire collection to the Leaburg Library, where it officially opened to the public on Saturday, December 10th.

Additional volumes have been contributed by the McKenzie Flyfishers Club, and the collection is thoughtfully managed by Marty Mealey. Together, these efforts have shaped what is expected to become one of the finest fly-fishing book collections in the country.

Inside the Angler’s Roost, the details matter. A leather chair and ottoman invite visitors to sit and stay awhile. A reading lamp offers warm, focused light; a heater keeps the room comfortable through colder months. Two miniature model drift boats rest quietly, while a beautiful outdoor quilt hangs on the wall. A Lynda Edwards mural adds depth and artistry to the space, grounding the room in both place and time.

There’s also a notebook-simple but meaningful-where visitors can leave notes and summaries, sharing what they’ve learned or what moved them. It’s a subtle reminder that this collection isn’t just about preservation, but participation.

The books themselves span nearly every angling subject imaginable. From fishing basics and pocket guides to detailed identification manuals and entomology texts. From gear fishing to fly fishing, spey, float tubes, and saltwater. There are journals, fly pattern collections, fly tying manuals, rare and collectible editions, and oversized coffee table books celebrating drift boats and watersheds. Whether you’re just starting out or decades deep into the craft, there is something here that will stop you in your tracks.

Because of the rarity of the collection, access is intentionally careful. To enter the Roost, visitors sign in and have the room unlocked by library staff. Selected volumes may be checked out for a two-week period, following the same sign-in process-an honor system built on respect and accountability, just as Tom intended.

Visiting the Angler’s Roost felt less like stepping into a room and more like encountering a living archive, rooted in generosity, stewardship, and a shared passion for angling. In a former schoolhouse turned community library, this quiet corner continues the tradition of learning, now through the lens of rivers, flies, fish, and the stories we tell about them.

If you find yourself along the McKenzie, the Angler’s Roost is well worth the stop. Sit down. Open a book. Add a note. Let the room do what it was built to do.

This is something that only an enchanted library patron could write, someone who loves the river, loves fishing, and is gifted enough to express that love through perfectly chosen words.

Leah writes with emotion, clarity and grace, and she has captured the ambience of Angler’s Roost so completely that you could swear you were sitting in that leather chair.

I hope, however, that you are now inspired enough, or curious enough, to come to the library and experience the Roost yourself. As Leah said, come and sit a while, “open a book . . . and let the room do what it was built to do.”

I’ll see you at the library.

Marty Mealey, Director