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The library is a beehive of activity, with children, students and adults checking out books and logging on to find information and answers to life’s everyday questions.
Our Sno-Isle Libraries offer an impressive array of resources for information and inspiration, and, yes, a good book to read. It is so important that our libraries are open to serve our community: for answers, for collections, for gathering and connections, and for filling that space within us that yearns for learning and creating.
As our community considers Proposition 1, which will restore the levy and ensure funding for the next decade, it is worth asking: “What do we receive on return?
The library a cornerstone public institution and the only one that serves us at every age and stage of life. Now more than ever, our libraries are critical to the strength of our communities, welcoming everyone and supporting literacy, lifelong learning, civic engagement, and access to trusted information at a time of increasing misinformation and social isolation. The library offers a place to access collections, to gather and make connections, to hear inspirational speakers and authors, and to dream and create.
These are challenging times, no doubt about it. Every week, families throughout our community make choices on what to spend on groceries, household repairs, subscriptions, and more. We all want to make every dollar stretch further.
One answer: The library. The return on our investment in libraries is remarkable.
Last year, Sno-Isle Libraries welcomed more than 2.6 million visits, circulated nearly 11 million books and materials, hosted more than 6,000 community programs, and provided 2.8 million Wi-Fi connections. These impressive numbers represent parents saving on buying books, students using online databases, job seekers submitting applications, entrepreneurs researching new ideas, adults learning new technologies, people engaging in medical tele-health sessions, and neighbors attending programs and making connections.
The library is one of those rare places where a modest public investment creates extraordinary public value and opportunity. Toddlers giggle at Storytime sessions while gaining early learning skills, job seekers research postings and apply online, remote workers log on with WI-FI, childcare providers attend certification sessions, and families carry home stacks of books.
As our counties grow, more people rely on the library through Sno-Isle’s 23 branches, mobile services, and online access. Since 2018, the population has increased by 15%, and it is expected to continue to grow by another 15% in the next decade.
State law caps the library’s revenue at 1% growth each year. The rising cost of books, digital materials, insurance, and building maintenance have significantly increased beyond that cap.
Proposition 1 restores an existing, voter approved levy. In addition to ensuring open hours and collections, the measure will improve safety and maintenance at 23 libraries throughout Snohomish and Island counties. Based on median home value, the cost is an additional $10 a month in Snohomish County. There are exemptions for seniors and people with disabilities.
The library is frugal with its budget, stretching dollars and leveraging resources to meet growing demand for open hours, Storytimes, programs, collections, technology, spaces to gather and learn, and online resources for all.
Vote Yes on Proposition 1 on August 4 and invest in our children, our families, our community, and our future.
Jeanne Thorsen is a retired librarian and chair of Yes for Libraries.
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