Ed.: This article was originally published in the Skagit Valley Herald on Dec. 6.
Community members have rapidly begun to explore and use the large, brand-new Mount Vernon Library Commons in the weeks since its opening.
The Library Commons began to open to the public in October as construction was completed in each area.
Library director Isaac Huffman said the feedback from the public has been “overwhelmingly positive.”
The library expanded from 12,500 square feet to more than 30,000 square feet, not counting the three floors of parking, including 76 EV chargers, located above.
The Library Commons was largely funded with federal and state money.
The building now contains study rooms, a new teen room with a makerspace, a conference room and commercial kitchen, though collections have essentially remained the same.
The conference room will open next week, and already has many bookings.
The commercial kitchen is waiting on a few more appliances, but will open at the beginning of 2025, Huffman said.
The kitchen, complete with a walk-in fridge and freezer, is designed to be used for conferences and food programs, and can be used by food entrepreneurs.
In general, community members’ use of the facility and collections has substantially increased since the opening of the new building.
Youth Services librarian Rachel Beckman said the rate at which residents sign up for library cards has exploded since the library’s reopening.
“We’re guessing three to four times as many,” said Beckman.
The library has a partnership with the Mount Vernon school district. Every district student can receive a free student library card.
“We are seeing way more kids than ever come in and actually want to use that account, want to get their library card,” said Beckman.
The library is beginning to restart its programming.
Youth Services will resume its pajama storytime program at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday [Dec. 10].
General checkout of materials has also increased.
Those are still preliminary numbers. The adult fiction and nonfiction collections were briefly closed due to additional construction.
The library does not yet have a way to count how many residents pass through the doors of the building.
And growing sign-up numbers are only part of the library’s mission.
“Our goal is for sustainable, meaningful connection,” said Beckman. “As far as people that come in and get new library cards — that’s great, but we want them to come back and connect with resources that we have, or engage with programming.”
Visitor Esme Merino previously used the library regularly as a kid, but her use lessened over the years.
Merino said she appreciates the new study rooms, which she uses to do homework.
Jenna Burnett and her daughter come to the library regularly.
“I think it’s beautiful,” said Burnett of the new building. “I was so excited to see such a huge space for kids.”
It serves as a meeting space for 7-year-old Quinn Burnett and her best friend. Quinn particularly likes the designated Lego table in the children’s section.
The children’s section has doubled in size from the old space.
“I love it!” said Quinn about the library.
Jenna Burnett said she saw the building and parking structure as a good use of funds.
As for the new teen room — “kids are using that like crazy,” said Beckman.
The room’s two 3D printers, laser cutter, laser engraver and poster printer were added in an effort to let teens access technology that could guide them into careers within Skagit County.
“We’re seeing kids come back and they have a safe and welcoming environment to play video games, and then also (to) 3D print Shrek ear croc charms,” said Beckman.
Faith Ford and Theo Hearon visited the library on Thursday.
Ford and Hearon used to work in Mount Vernon, but now live in Bellingham and Sedro-Woolley, respectively.
Thursday was the first time they had entered the finished building.
“This is awesome,” said Ford. “It’s open to the public and there’s lots of resources here.”
Hearon and Ford were particularly interested in the meeting rooms and 3D printers.
“The fact that they have (the printers) here and it’s available for children to use? … I think that’s a great resource for the future,” said Ford.
Ron Frederick, a Mount Vernon resident, hospice worker and nonfiction fan, typically visits the library for a quiet place to exist. Thursday was his first visit to the new building.
Frederick said he appreciated there were “comfortable places to pop down.”
Frederick said he would consider suggesting that his monthly discussion group now meet at the library.
Beckman said she sees the community’s positive response as an indication of its excitement about the new resources and space.
“Our meeting rooms have been pretty much booked solid since we’ve opened,” said Beckman.
Huffman said he thinks the new library has been serving its purpose as a community meeting place.
“There’s less and less free and available spaces for families to use (in general),” said Huffman. “And we think one of the roles of a library is being the de facto community forum — the place that people come and gather and just get to know each other. … Seeing all the people come and meet each other here, as a meeting place, is really exciting to us.”
The idea for the Library Commons came from a community feedback session about five or six years ago, said Huffman.
“They said ‘this is what we want, this is what we should build’,” said Huffman. “And then we built it, and it turned out — it is what they want, and it is what they use.”
For information on programs and more at the Commons, visit mountvernonwa.gov/175/Library.
— By Emma Fletcher-Frazer, Skagit Publishing
Skagit Publishing, headquartered in Mount Vernon, Washington, strives to provide credible and compelling information and services and a forum for debate for the community. Learn more at goskagit.com.
Also read in Salish Current:
• “The vision of Mount Vernon’s Library Commons become reality,” Sept. 24, 2024
• “Library … plus: today’s version provides much more than books,” Feb. 27, 2024