Open Book. A Festival for Readers

Mark your calendars for Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024, to join us for Open Book Festival 2024.
Ferndale Events Center, 5715 Barrett Road, Ferndale, WA

Generously sponsored by the Whatcom County Library Foundation
and enthusiastically presented by Whatcom County Library System and Village Books.

View Open Book 2024 Schedule!
Or Download Open Book Schedule (PDF)

  • Storytelling with Brian Flowers
  • Lightning book talks with local authors
  • Experience music and films from our streaming collections
  • Discover how to gather and digitize your family stories and artifacts
  • Find out more about our digital resources
  • Check out American Girl Dolls, ukuleles, board games and puzzles from our Library of Things
  • Visit the Book Hospital where we repair damaged books
  • Your Right to Read: How Libraries Protect Intellectual Freedom
  • Step inside the Bookmobile and see how we serve patrons on the road.

And so much more!

Brian Flowers

Storyteller
Brian Flowers
12:45 p.m.

Robert Lashley

Poet/Author
Robert Lashley
1:45 p.m.

Golden Apple Award

Golden Apple Award
for Educators
2:00 p.m.

Janie Chang

Author
Janie Chang
2:30 p.m.

Rain Fordyce
Rain Fordyce
Motoko Lewis
Motoko Lewis
Brooke Pederson
Brooke Pederson
Nala-Henkel-Aislinn
Nala-Henkel-Aislinn
Kerry Mitchell
Kerry Mitchell
Janet Oakley
Janet Oakley
Rob Slater
Rob Slater
LOCAL AUTHORS APPEARING AT OPEN BOOK
Susan Colleen BrowneRain FordyceNala Henkel-AislinnBarbara Hicks
Robert LashleyMotoko Lewis (Illustrator)Kerry Claire MitchellÖgn Magnusson
Becky MandelbaumJanet OakleyBrooke PedersonCarol Reed-Jones
Rob Slater

Janie Chang is a Canadian bestselling author of historical fiction. Inspired by family stories and tales of ancestors who encountered dragons, ghosts and immortals, her novels include: The Porcelain Moon, The Library of Legends, Dragon Springs Road, Three Souls and The Phoenix Crown (co-authored with Kate Quinn).

Janie will present “Inspiration, Research and Serendipity” with a special focus on her bestselling book The Library of Legends.


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Photos from our 2023 Open Book Festival. Click on images to see larger versions.

image from Open Book Festival
Open Book. A Festival for Readers
image from Open Book Festival
image from Open Book Festival
Open Book. A Festival for Readers
Thor Hanson speaking at Open Book Festival
Open Book. A Festival for Readers
image from Open Book Festival
Golden Apple Award winners with Youth Services Staff at Open Book Festival


Listen to our two 2023 Open Book podcast episodes below