CAMANO ISLAND — The new library branch has become a fixture on the island, but people must still vote to decide if it will stay.
The three-year pilot project on Camano Island started in June 2007 and has been successful, said Becky Bolte, district manager for Sno-Isle Libraries. “A lot of people are finding out about it and using it.”
The project is a branch of Sno-Isle Libraries set to run at least until June 2010.
When the time comes, the decision on whether to keep the branch will likely go to the voters, Bolte said. The community already began looking at ways to fund the branch permanently.
Many people who come to the new library on Camano Island had been using the nearby Stanwood branch, Bolte said. They wanted one right in their community. “We heard pretty loud and clear that they want their own library,” Bolte said.
The island branch is set up more like a bookstore than a traditional library, Bolte said. Displays by subject allow visitors to quickly browse collections, many featuring best-sellers and other popular titles. “It’s more appealing to people,” Bolte said.
“Securing the funding is our biggest challenge right now,” said Angela Davis, a technical liaison at the library.
As people are looking for ways to save money, many have taken interest in the branch, Davis said. That’s especially true about the library’s DVD collection. “People are actually willing to wait on the hold list and save that money,” she said.
Many people are already working on getting the library to stay, but more support is needed for the project to really move forward. “We do need to educate more people about this,” Davis said.
Katya Yefimova: 425-339-3452, kyefimova@heraldnet.com.
Browse the isle’s library aisles
The Camano Island Library, 848 N. Sunrise Blvd., is open each Tuesday through Saturday. Call the branch at 360-387-5150 or go to its Web site at www. sno-isle.org/page/?ID=2858.
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