by Amy Frost, Lopez Historical Museum

Darren Hoerner, Lopez Library

Brady Smith, Lopez School District

Exciting news! The Lopez Island Historical Society & Museum, Lopez Island Library and Lopez Island School District are joining forces on a new digitization project to celebrate the 85th anniversary of the consolidation of the island’s public school system. Thanks to a Washington Digital Heritage grant funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, this project will preserve and share the history of our island’s school for generations to come.

Our first focus? Digitizing the school’s entire collection of yearbooks. These fragile and irreplaceable records will be carefully scanned and made accessible on the Washington Rural Heritage website, https://www.washingtonruralheritage.org/, where students, alumni, families and researchers can explore them anytime. But this is just the beginning! The project will lay the groundwork for an ongoing effort to preserve and showcase the island’s history through digitization.

This project is more than just scanning old books — it’s about strengthening our community’s connection to its history. Lopez students will work with members of the community to digitize school history and contribute to the 85th-anniversary celebration planned for Memorial Day weekend of 2026.

We’re excited to see this partnership take shape and grow.