She claims to be “strictly an amateur” but after 23 years as librarian at Sons of Norway Leif Erikson Lodge #1, Margaret Anderson should qualify for an honorary degree. Her domain is a small room in the basement of the lodge, accessible only by taking the elevator to its lowest point. This is where Margaret holds court from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Tuesdays.

Margaret’s reign as librarian began soon after the Sons of Norway built the Leif Erikson Lodge on N.W. 58th street, relocating from Boren Avenue. Some 700 books had been randomly packed and put into storage. Margaret was curious so she unpacked them, but still couldn’t find what she wanted. There was no order to them. That was in 1987. Now the library has at least 3,600 books; Margaret is pretty sure she could put a hand on each one of them. She keeps them in perfect order based on her own system.

A handwritten sign on an otherwise ordinary door reads, “PLEASE, Any books removed from this library, must be checked out by the librarian.” In small letters on the bottom it’s signed, Margaret Anderson, Librarian.

Maps of Norway, genealogy books, newspapers in Norwegian…The 3600 volume library is a destination for first, second and third generation Norwegians who journey from Bothell, Bremerton, Shoreline or the Kaffe Stua upstairs on any given Tuesday. Margaret sets out candy and newspapers in the middle of the table and recommends books to a steady stream of visitors; none of them a stranger.

As with all libraries the patrons have special requests from locating the Ivory Coast on a map to the latest Norwegian mysteries. Margaret also stocks English language books, mostly paperbacks. “People love mysteries,” she said, “And do you know they’re still writing books about Norway during World War II?” She pointed out another bookshelf close to the door. “I call this the sin, sex and violence section,” she said. “It’s hot stuff.”

Reading has been one of Margaret’s passions since she was a girl and would chug up the stairs of the old Carnegie Library, her arms full of books. Outside of the library she has numerous other hobbies and enjoys cooking for her son and grandson. In the summer though, “Gardening is my passion.”

The Anderson family has been part of the history of Ballard since before it became part of Seattle. Margaret’s late husband Carl was raised on a boathouse near the Ballard Bridge; he was a salmon trawler. Their sons Norm and Craig worked on the fishing boats in the summer, which sealed their desire to go to college. Norm died from early onset Alzheimer's. Their other son Craig is a longtime Ballard dentist who clearly had a hand (and the right tools), in creating what’s known as Margaret’s Norwegian tooth.

Raised across the street from West Woodland School, Margaret is not only a Golden Beaver (parlance for 50+ year graduates of Ballard High School) but her class of 1936 founded the Golden Beavers. Ever curious Margaret wishes she had a way to track how many Sons of Norway members are Ballard graduates.
Sometimes she’ll notice four to five of them at a table together in the Kaffe Stua. Given that so many of her generation stayed in Ballard, and stayed in contact, she wonders, “How will the Class of, say 2008, stay in touch?”

She still lives in the Ballard house that she and her husband purchased brand new (72 years ago) and can remember all the original businesses on Ballard Avenue and Market Street. Her personal system for dating Ballard is based on street parking on Market Street - whether or not it was still angle parking. At 91 she lives alone, except when her daughter-in-law is in town, and drives herself anyplace that she needs to go. “Everything I need is in Ballard,” she says.

Except for the rare moments when Margaret is alone in the library it is not a place meant for quiet. The regulars all know one another, as well as Margaret’s assistants Georg and John. “How does anyone know you’re down here?” I asked Margaret, referring to her and the library itself.

“I think everybody knows we’re here,” she said.

Just in case you didn’t know…there is a social gathering every Tuesday on Margaret’s terms, in the basement of the Sons of Norway, where the books need to be signed out, donations are always welcome, the M & M’s will almost never contain peanuts and Margaret Haines Anderson sparkles as a subterranean gem and amateur librarian extraordinaire.

Peggy can be reached atlargeinballard@yahoo.com.