Support Skagit Libraries for All

Approximately 40 percent of Skagit County residents have no guaranteed access to library service. Soon those of us living in the unserved areas of Skagit County will have the opportunity to vote for a proposal to establish Skagit Libraries for All when we return our ballots for the April 26 special election.

This proposal is not for new library facilities. The newly formed partial county library district will provide library service through agreements with existing Skagit County libraries. In the proposed budget, 84 percent of the funds raised through taxes will be used for operating expenses such as contracts with existing libraries, office space for library district support staff, a courier vehicle to deliver materials, and the costs of a shared computer system and reference databases. The balance of the funds will cover the cost of library staff and technical support to coordinate services between libraries. In cooperation with the existing county libraries, the new partial county library district will provide a vast amount of library resources to all the residents of Skagit County, at an average of $10 per month per household.

The city councils and library boards of Burlington, Mount Vernon and Sedro-Woolley all support the proposed plan, as well as the Upper Skagit Library Board. Please join them in support of Skagit Libraries for All and vote yes when you return your ballot. For more information go to www.skagitlibraries.org.

Janice Burwash, Burlington

Letters to the Editor - Skagit Valley Herald