Events begin with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10 a.m.
Cross the border (twice!) and head on over to the grand opening of the new Point Roberts Library this Saturday, August 11. Whatcom County Library System (WCLS) invites everyone to join in the celebration at 1431 Gulf Road, starting with a ribbon cutting at 10 a.m., followed by refreshments, music by the Point Roberts Winds, storytime, a scavenger hunt, teen poetry writing, facility tours, and more.
“Any day you open a new library is a great day,” said Christine Perkins, executive director of the Whatcom County Library System (WCLS). “We are excited to celebrate the culmination of 10 years of work that led to this beautiful new facility.”
The 2,500 square foot library, designed by Architect David King and built by HBHansen Construction, is located right next door to the library’s original home in a room of the Point Roberts Community Center. There’s three times more space and all the amenities that make for a great library: a beautiful reading area, dedicated spaces for youth, plenty of books and materials, public Internet, and a meeting room that seats thirty.
One new feature is proof that your library card opens doors! Patrons can use their library card to access the Point Roberts Library Express, located in the entrance way of the building, to pick up and check out reserved library materials. The Point Roberts Library Express is available daily; see the schedule at the library or on our website at https://www.wcls.org/locations-hours.
Purchased by the Point Roberts Park and Recreation District #1 in 2010, and originally the home of the Julius Fire Hall, about one third of the building is original structure; the rest of the library is completely new construction. The two large bay doors that accommodated fire trucks have been transformed into windows that provide plenty of natural light, matched by large windows in the back wall of the building. The facility is crowned with the original fire alarm housing (sans the actual whistle mechanism) that was refurbished and given a bright coat of fire engine red paint.
The Friends of the Point Roberts Library, who raised the majority of the funds to pay for construction, consider the building to be their “miracle library.” After facing and overcoming a number of challenges, the never-say-die Friends met and exceeded their fundraising goals. WCLS contributed funds for extensions of the children’s area and meeting room, a heating and cooling system, and the furnishings, shelving, materials, and staff that make the building a library.
“The new Point Roberts Library is the heart of its community,” said Perkins. “We are delighted to celebrate and share the love of books and the joy of reading with the Friends of the Library, the Park District, and the people of Point Roberts.”
