Shrouded in silence and full of books, libraries are not often thought of as the ideal location for a concert series.

Libraries are centers of activity for communities like Pullman, a reputation which Sarah Morrison, an adult services librarian, said she hopes to cultivate for Pullman’s Neill Public Library.

Although it’s situated only a short walk from campus, Morrison said few WSU students have library cards, and most who do live off-campus and choose to use the library more for its printing and Wi-Fi services than its entertainment value.

This fall, Morrison said she hopes to show both WSU students and the Pullman community the library’s potential as a hub for community programs through a three-concert series.

“It is a good way to highlight some of our other goals,” Morrison said. “I’m hoping it might attract some people who don’t think of the library in that way.”

Morrison said the library has hosted musical events in the past, but this is the first time they have grouped a string of concerts into an event series.

“I started planning the series because we were contacted by guitar player Peter Fletcher, who is promoting his album and asked if he would be able to do a small concert at the library,” Morrison said. “I thought it would be interesting to do a series.”

All three concerts feature artists native to the Pullman community, a feature Morrison tried to highlight as she planned the event. While a lot of Pullman’s culture is focused on the WSU campus, Morrison said she wanted to recognize the people who reside primarily in the town.

“I wanted to pick community members, not necessarily faculty from the college,” Morrison said. “I really wanted to find a couple of people who were in the community. I like to try to involve the town.”

Morrison selected classical guitarist Peter Fletcher; classically trained pianist Juliana Witt, accompanied by WSU School of Music professor Brian Carter; and the bluesy country-jazz-rock group Borderline Blue.

“I wanted to try to choose different types of music that would be played. I just tried to pick music styles that might appeal to a broader range of audiences,” she said.

Borderline Blue will perform today as the first in the series. Morrison said she is excited not only for the kickoff of the concert series but for Borderline Blue’s debut as a musical group.

“The ‘Borderline’ is because we are really not locked-in to one musical genre; we are on the border with some jazz, country, rock and roll, ballads, and R&B. The ‘Blue’ is because we favor the blues a bit,” Scheer said.

Scheer said the group enjoys playing together because its members enjoy similar musical genres.

“When we collaborate on an arrangement it generally comes together pretty quickly for us, and we all enjoy the way it sounds,” Scheer said.

Playing together is also a change of pace for the artists, who previously played in bands featuring louder sounds.

“These songs are more appropriate for smaller sit-down venues, coffee houses, or dinner background,” Scheer said. “There is still a lot of energy there; with a small trio it just doesn’t have to have the volume and driving dance beats that the larger venues require.”

Of the show, Scheer said the group hopes to showcase their interpretation of well-known songs. He said fans of Nora Jones, Willie Nelson and others will recognize some of the pieces they perform.

“Expect to hear a different twist on some familiar songs and be exposed to some by artists you might not be acquainted with,” Scheer said. “We enjoy making our music and hope that our performance brings a smile to everyone listening.”

Morrison said, “I would hope the supporter of the band member’s other groups would come out to support them and make it a good program.”

The library’s programs are funded by Pullman-based nonprofit organization Friends of Neill Library. Morrison said the organization will provide snacks and cover performance fees and other program-related expenses.

“We couldn’t do the program without them,” Morrison said. “This year we haven’t received any money for programming, so (Friends of Neill Library) have been very supportive in our role of programming for the community.”

All of the library’s events are free to the public, including each of the three concerts included in the Neill Concert Series, which begins todayat 5:30 p.m. in Neill Public Library’s Hecht Meeting Room.

The series will continue on Oct. 17 with pianist Juliana Witt and culminate on Oct. 25 with a performance by classical guitarist Peter Fletcher.