Whatcom County Library System and Friends of Birch Bay Library will host a 6-7:30 p.m. Monday, June 10 community engagement session at the site of the future Birch Bay Vogt Library Express, 7948 Birch Bay Drive. At the meeting, the design team from Osborn Architecture and Planning will share the floor plan and color schemes for the library. Guests will be invited to offer their feedback. Light refreshments will be served.
The library system and community members have been working on the library project for more than a decade. The design team will create a 1,700-square-foot library within the existing structure of the former Vogt home. Planning and permitting work are underway. Construction will begin in 2025 with a projected opening in the same year.
When the Birch Bay Vogt Library Express opens, community members will be able to browse a small collection of library materials and pick up holds reserved online, enjoy free access to computers and the internet, print documents, host meetings of up to 40 people, attend storytimes and other library programs inside or on the lawn, and relax on the outside reading porch with a view of the water.
Learn more at wcls.org/birch-bay.
ABOUT WHATCOM COUNTY LIBRARY SYSTEM
Whatcom County Library System (WCLS) will operate the library by providing staff, library materials, events, technology and infrastructure. The Birch Bay Vogt Library Express will be one of 11 WCLS branches serving residents who live outside the city limits of Bellingham. WCLS branches are in Blaine, Deming, Everson, Ferndale, Kendall (North Fork Library) Lummi Island (Island Library), Lynden, Point Roberts, Sudden Valley (South Whatcom Library) and Sumas. The WCLS bookmobile currently serves Birch Bay, Glenhaven, Lake Samish and Wickersham. There are also WCLS Library Express locations on Northwest Drive in Bellingham and in the communities of Point Roberts and Sumas. The county library system is independent of Bellingham Public Library.
WCLS circulates more than 2 million items annually. Residents have access to WCLS’s rich collection, including books in print and digital formats, music and movies and online digital services. Library system staff plan and host inspiring events for every age. Experience “The Power of Sharing” by visiting in person or online at wcls.org.
ABOUT FRIENDS OF BIRCH BAY LIBRARY
Friends of Birch Bay Library is a nonprofit organization of residents advocating and raising funds for a branch library of the Whatcom County Library System. Learn more at wcls.org/friends-birchbay.