Orcas Island Public Library secures state funding for renovation

||| FROM INGRID MATTSON for ORCAS ISLAND LIBRARY |||

Orcas Island Public Library has secured funding of $294,000 in the 2025-2027 Washington State budget for capital improvements via a Library Capital Improvement Program (LCIP) grant administered by the Washington State Department of Commerce.

“We are incredibly grateful to our local legislators for their assistance in advocating for these critical dollars,” said Library Director, Ingrid Mattson. “This includes 40th district legislators Representative Alex Ramel, Representative Debra Lekanoff, and Senator Liz Lovelett.”

Funds will serve two primary purposes: replacing aging systems and materials (e.g., HVAC and windows) in the original portion of the building and accommodating growth in our community’s population and consequent growth in library usage since the building was first constructed over 30 years ago. The state funds will be matched with funding from the Friends of Orcas Island Library and a generous private donation of $175,000.  

“We are grateful for this funding, which will help us support all islanders. We offer an indoor space anyone in the community can access without question or spending a dime seven days a week, and now we can ensure the space will be dry, warm (or cool) and functional for many years to come,” said Mattson. The grant will also capitalize on alterations to the existing space by swapping fixed shelving with mobile shelving, creating larger spaces for programs and events, and adding two additional two-person meeting rooms.

The Orcas Island Public Library hosted 107,760 patron visits in 2024 and delivered 417 programs to 11,916 attendees. The circulation desk is open 51 hours a week; with Knit Night, Game Night, Friday Night Writes, and other programs, the library is open to the public 60+ hours per week. Its staff are dedicated to stewarding this community resource for all islanders. For more information on your public library, check out our newsletter.