News – Whatcom County Library System

Whatcom READS selects I Cheerfully Refuse by Leif Enger as its featured title for the 2026-2027 season

March 16, 2026 by Mary Vermillion

I Cheerfully Refuse by Leif Enger is Whatcom READS’ 2027 book selection. Javier Zamora, the author of the literary program’s 2026 featured title, Solito: A Memoir, made the announcement at the close of his March 13 Whatcom READS author event at the Mount Baker Theatre in Bellingham, Wash. As described on the author’s website, I Cheerfully Refuse is “set in a not-too-distant America and is the tale of a bereaved and pursued musician embarking under sail on … Read more

Annual publications spotlight teen artists and poets

February 10, 2026 by Mary Vermillion

Day in and day out, Whatcom County Library System (WCLS) staff help local teens explore new ideas and express their creativity. But WCLS’s Teen Services really shine during the Pacific Northwest’s darkest months. Each fall, teen artists submit original artwork to be considered for WCLS’s popular teen art anthology, Whatcomics. Submissions are accepted Sept. 1 … Read more

ILL service helps patron read around the world

February 23, 2026January 14, 2026 by Mary Vermillion

DID YOU KNOW: Our interlibrary loan (ILL) service connects you to a world of books. If you can’t find what you’re looking for in the Whatcom County Library System catalog, we will try to borrow it for you from another library. Simply fill out the form on wcls.org/can’t-find-it. We’ll do our best to track down the book and deliver it to your holds shelf. AN ILL STORY Scott Lambridis is a designer, an illustrator and a writer. He’s also a voracious reader. For the past decade, Lambridis has read at least … Read more

Whatcom READS announces 2026 programs

January 5, 2026December 9, 2025 by Mary Vermillion

Library staff and booksellers who organize and present Whatcom READS have announced the literary program’s 2026 schedule of community and author events, celebrating Solito: A Memoir by Javier Zamora. The book selection was announced in March 2025. The bestselling memoir, which recounts the author’s odyssey from El Salvador to Arizona as an unaccompanied 9-year-old, presents … Read more

Apply to serve on WCLS Board of Trustees

October 27, 2025 by Mary Vermillion

Whatcom County Library System (WCLS) seeks a Whatcom County resident who loves libraries to serve as a member of its Board of Trustees. This term will begin Feb. 1, 2026 and will expire Jan. 31, 2030. The application deadline is Friday, Nov. 21, 2025. Library trustees’ responsibilities include: Candidates should live in Whatcom County, outside the city … Read more

Deming Library unveils Coast Salish mural

August 13, 2025 by Mary Vermillion

The Deming community will celebrate the unveiling of a mural painted for the Deming Library building by celebrated Coast Salish artist Sienum Jason LaClair at a 5:30-7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 13 public event at the library, 5044 Mt. Baker Hwy. The mural was funded by The Norcliffe Foundation, Whatcom Educational Credit Union, Whatcom Community Foundation’s … Read more

Voters approve Prop. 2, the library levy measure

August 7, 2025 by Mary Vermillion

Thank you, Whatcom County voters! We are so pleased to share the news that Proposition 2 was approved by a majority of voters and funding for the library services that our community depends upon is secure for the foreseeable future. Having reliable, sustainable funding means WCLS staff can continue providing excellent, innovative library services across … Read more

WCLS announces free summer events, including popular Summer Reading program

May 14, 2025 by Mary Vermillion

Whatcom County Library System’s summer calendar (June-August) is loaded with free events for families, teens, kids and kids at heart. Headline events include the library system’s popular Summer Reading program and Whatcom Grooves, a series of summer concerts. See the full list of Whatcom County Library System (WCLS) summer programs, register for events and confirm … Read more

Golden Apple Awards honor local educators

April 6, 2025 by Mary Vermillion

As part of its April 6-12 National Library Week celebrations, Whatcom County Library System (WCLS) is proud to announce the recipients of its 2025 Golden Apple Educator Awards. The honorees are Natalia Burke, middle school librarian at Lynden Christian School; Tammy Immer, administrative assistant to the principal, Beach Elementary School, Ferndale School District; and Jordan … Read more

WCLS Board of Trustees approves levy lid lift resolution for Aug. 5 ballot

April 2, 2025April 2, 2025 by Mary Vermillion

On March 28, the Whatcom County Library System’s (WCLS) Board of Trustees approved a library levy lid lift resolution for the Aug. 5, 2025, primary election ballot. If approved by a simple majority of voters, this resolution would “lift the lid” on the current levy rate for properties within the library system’s service boundary, which … Read more