Submitted by the San Juan Island Library.

The Board of Trustees and Director of the San Juan Island Library District welcomed 75 participants to its first community forum about the planned library building project at 660 Spring Street. The meeting, held at Brickworks on June 27, is the first in a series of meetings designed to answer questions and welcome feedback from the community. The Library heard and understood many questions and concerns that were raised about last year’s bond levy ballot, and is committed to addressing those and other questions in an open public process so everyone understands the reasons, the underlying facts, the major milestones, and the future plans for the project.

Attendees listened to a brief project overview from the Library’s Board of Trustees before engaging in a hearty discussion about the reasoning for a larger and updated library facility in Friday Harbor, its potential impact on property taxes, and the library’s plans for raising funds through donations and grant funding.

There was also discussion about how the 660 Spring Street property could perhaps help with affordable housing, a topic that weighs on the minds of the community as the housing shortage continues for local families. The Library District remains the owner of the 660 Spring Street property and has begun to accept proposals for a potential housing partnership as part of the plan for the property or for some of its existing structures.

During the funding update, Library Trustee Karen Vedder announced that the Library has just been awarded $2 million from the WA Department of Commerce to support the design and construction of the new library. The Library applied for funding in 2022 through the Department of Commerce’s Library Capital Improvement Program and is among 12 projects recently approved for funding out of 22 proposals submitted from around the state.

“We were so pleased to see a good turnout for our first public forum,” said Laurie Orton, the Library Director. “As we move forward, we know it’s absolutely critical to hear the voices of our patrons and community members directly, not only to answer questions and provide facts, but to really understand what they care about, what their concerns are, and to determine what community needs are going unmet. The Library will continue to listen as we work together to plan for a new Library facility that can further and better meet the needs of our entire community. We hope everyone will watch for future meeting announcements and will reach out with their questions.”

For more information about the building project, visit the San Juan Island Library website at https://www.sjlib.org/library-building-project/. You can also call the library at 360-378-2798, or visit at 1010 Guard Street.