SULTAN — The Sultan library has a lot of reasons to celebrate.

This week is National Library Week, said Jackie Personeus, Sultan branch manager for the Sno-Isle Regional Library System. The library is about to start the countdown to its 100th birthday in 2010.

And the library is set to continue for a long time, thanks to the support from Sultan residents. In March, voters overwhelmingly approved the annexation of the library into the library system. That means that Sultan residents will pay additional property taxes to keep the library running.

“The Sultan community, as we saw in the election, is very supportive of the library,” said Mary Kelly, community relations manager of Sno-Isle Libraries.

Everyone is encouraged to attend “Thank You Sultan” on Thursday. The event is to celebrate the library and thank people for using its service.

The library had faced a possible shutdown. If the annexation failed, the library could’ve shut down at the end of this year, city officials said.

The city proposed the annexation after facing a budget shortfall in 2007. The city has paid for the library’s operation out of its own budget.

The annexation will let city residents pay directly to the library system, starting next year. That will save the city $90,000 to $100,000 a year.

Most cities in Snohomish and Island counties have their libraries annexed into the library system.

Whether to celebrate the Sultan library or to just enjoy cake and punch, everyone is welcome to the event on Thursday, Kelly said.

“The library service is a very integral part of the community,” she said.

Join the celebration

The Sultan library is set to have an event called “Thank You Sultan” from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Thursday at 319 Main St.

The event is to celebrate National Library Week this week and to start the countdown to the Sultan Library’s 100th birthday in 2010. Refreshments will be served.

More info: Call the library at 360-793-1695.

Reporter Yoshiaki Nohara: 425-339-3029 or ynohara@heraldnet.com.