10-year plan looks at ‘big picture’ for Sno-Isle libraries

MARYSVILLE — Some local libraries could get new buildings or major overhauls in the next decade.

Sno-Isle Libraries officials aim to round up suggestions, observations and concerns from library patrons this fall and come up with a plan by March.

The document is needed to help the library district handle population growth, fix outdated buildings and adjust to shifting demands on the types of services libraries provide over the next decade.

Sno-Isle Libraries are supported by property taxes and serve nearly 700,000 people at 21 different branches, including 15 in Snohomish County. A third of the libraries are too small for the number of people who use them.

Newer libraries like Camano Island, Monroe and Snohomish likely won’t need any major upgrades in the next decade. However, discussions have been underway for years in Lake Stevens and Mill Creek about possibly building new libraries. Other locations also may need to be remodeled or expanded, Sno-Isle communications director Ken Harvey said.

Sno-Isle hired consulting firm Margaret Sullivan Studio of New York for $12,500 to take a “big picture, futuristic look” at library services and buildings, with a report due in September, he said. Another contractor, Enviroissues of Seattle, plans to home in on drafting the actual plan for $124,550. That work includes gathering public comments, demographic and geographic data, and development requirements for areas where libraries may be built or expanded.

In 2007, the library district drafted an 18-year plan that, like the one they’re working on now, looked ahead to 2025. The plan proposed renovating, expanding or rebuilding all Sno-Isle branches, but the recession slowed or halted most projects, Harvey said. As the economy recovers and technology changes the way people use libraries, district managers decided to update the plan and work off of a 10-year timeline.

“We didn’t want to overly invest in a document that would go out of date too quickly,” Harvey said. “This will give us a much clearer sense of what communities we need to focus on.”

Lake Stevens and Mill Creek are the two areas where people have been most vocal about wanting new libraries, he said.

In Lake Stevens, the demand mostly seems to be based on the limited space and seating in the current building, library manager Sonia Gustafson said. She’s seen people come in with children during story time, take a look at the tiny, crowded children’s area and “turn right back around.”

On on recent morning, several adults stood around the self-checkout counter so they could prop their laptops on corners. There was nowhere else to set up their computers.

“Our three little tables are full all the time,” Gustafson said. “We’re pretty hopping for 2,500 square feet.”

More flexibility is needed in new library buildings, she said. They aren’t just in-and-out stops for people to check out books. Visitors are looking for meeting rooms, children’s activities and quiet, comfortable corners with a good wireless internet connection and outlets for laptops and tablets.

“Libraries have changed so much since I became a librarian nine years ago,” she said.

Sno-Isle administrators plan to host public meetings around Snohomish and Island counties along with accepting comments online this fall.

After the plan is finished, library staff can turn their attention toward the communities where people are most interested in new or updated libraries, Harvey said.

People can check for updates about the plan and public meetings online at sno-isle.org/facplan.

Kari Bray: 425-339-3439; kbray@heraldnet.com

Sno-Isle Libraries in Snohomish County

LibraryYear builtSize (square feet)Population of service area

Arlington19815,05526,063

Brier 1996 2,8408,547

Darrington 2009*5,0008,626

Edmonds1982 20,000 40,706

Granite Falls2001 6,53417,193

Lake Stevens19852,50035,653

Lynnwood1971; 1999* 25,920 87,331

Marysville199523,000 70,204

Mill Creek19877,400159,769

Monroe2002 20,000 35,715

Mountlake Terrace1988 12,842 25,269

Mukilteo 198815,000 25,228

Snohomish2003 23,00051,494

Stanwood1971;1986*5,40028,899

Sultan 20004,40014,330

*Library had major remodel or expansion

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Local News

Trader Joe’s customers walk in and out of the store on Monday, Nov. 20, 2023 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
New Trader Joe’s opens this week at Everett Mall

It’s a short move from a longtime location, essentially across the street, where parking was often an adventure.

Ian Bramel-Allen enters a guilty plea to second-degree murder during a plea and sentencing hearing on Wednesday, March 6, 2024, at Snohomish County Superior Court in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
‘Deep remorse’: Man gets 17 years for friend’s fatal stabbing in Edmonds

Ian Bramel-Allen, 44, pleaded guilty Wednesday to second-degree murder for killing Bret Northcutt last year at a WinCo.

Firefighters respond to a small RV and a motorhome fire on Tuesday afternoon in Marysville. (Provided by Snohomish County Fire Distrct 22)
1 injured after RV fire, explosion near Marysville

The cause of the fire in the 11600 block of 81st Avenue NE had not been determined, fire officials said.

Ashton Dedmon appears in court during his sentencing hearing on Tuesday, March 5, 2024, at Snohomish County Superior Court in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Everett Navy sailor sentenced to 90 days for fatal hit and run

Ashton Dedmon crashed into Joshua Kollman and drove away. Dedmon, a petty officer on the USS Kidd, reported he had a panic attack.

A kindergarten student works on a computer at Emerson Elementary School on Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024, in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
‘¡Una erupción!’: Dual language programs expanding to 10 local schools

A new bill aims to support 10 new programs each year statewide. In Snohomish County, most follow a 90-10 model of Spanish and English.

Logo for news use featuring the Tulalip Indian Reservation in Snohomish County, Washington. 220118
Woman drives off cliff, dies on Tulalip Reservation

The woman fell 70 to 80 feet after driving off Priest Point Drive NW on Sunday afternoon.

Everett
Boy, 4, survives fall from Everett fourth-story apartment window

The child was being treated at Seattle Children’s. The city has a limited supply of window stops for low-income residents.

People head out to the water at low tide during an unseasonably warm day on Saturday, March 16, 2024, at Lighthouse Park in Mukilteo, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Everett shatters record high temperature by 11 degrees

On Saturday, it hit 73 degrees, breaking the previous record of 62 set in 2007.

Snohomish County Fire District #4 and Snohomish Regional Fire & Rescue respond to a motor vehicle collision for a car and pole. The driver was pronounced dead at the scene, near Triangle Bait & Tackle in Snohomish. (Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office)
Police: Troopers tried to stop driver before deadly crash in Snohomish

The man, 31, was driving at “a high rate of speed” when he crashed into a traffic light pole and died, investigators said.

Alan Dean, who is accused of the 1993 strangulation murder of 15-year-old Bothell girl Melissa Lee, appears in court during opening statements of his trial on Monday, March 18, 2024, at Snohomish County Superior Court in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
31 years later, trial opens in Bothell teen’s brutal killing

In April 1993, Melissa Lee’s body was found below Edgewater Creek Bridge. It would take 27 years to arrest Alan Dean in her death.

Logo for news use featuring the municipality of Snohomish in Snohomish County, Washington. 220118
Man dies after crashing into pole in Snohomish

Just before 1 a.m., the driver crashed into a traffic light pole at the intersection of 2nd Street and Maple Avenue.

Bodies of two men recovered after falling into Eagle Falls near Index

Two men fell into the falls and did not resurface Saturday, authorities said. After a recovery effort, two bodies were found.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.