WCLS News and Podcast Episodes

Our interview with Erica Bauermeister, author of the Whatcom READS 2025 selection, No Two Persons and a recap of the ...

Solito: A Memoirby Javier Zamora is Whatcom READS’ 2026 book selection. Erica Bauermeister, the author of the literary event’s 2025 ...

A new Spanish-language phone line further expands Whatcom County Library System’s outreach to the local Hispanic community. When patrons call ...

Claire McElroy and Wes Weddell tell us about a new addition to the Whatcom READS author visit: MUSIC inspired by ...

Whatcom County Library System staff are hosting 11 public listening sessions in February and March at county library branches and ...

Whatcom County Library System (WCLS) seeks a Whatcom County resident who loves libraries to fill a partial term on the ...

Library staff and booksellers who organize and present Whatcom READS have announced the literary program’s 2025 schedule of community and ...

Sustainable Connections and Whatcom County Library System are thrilled to announce the opening of the Freedge at the North Fork ...

Open Book: Sunday, November 3, 2024, Ferndale Events Center Janie Chang's Family Stories Books by Janie Chang Janie's recommendations: The ...

Three Whatcom County educators who successfully advocate for reading and public libraries to further student success will be honored with ...

Readers and writers, rejoice! Open Book: A Festival for Readers returns noon-5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 3 at the Ferndale Events ...

We talked with Clara Jacobson, a volunteer for the Friends of the Ferndale Library, who celebrates her 100th birthday on ...

A Blaine nonprofit organization is transforming retired Whatcom County Library System totes into Bookworm Bins as a fundraiser for the ...

North Fork Library7506 Kendall RoadMaple Falls, WA 98266(360) 599-2020HoursTues 10:00 AM-8:00 PMWed10:00 AM-6:00 PMThurs10:00 AM-8:00 PMFri 10:00 AM-6:00 PMSat 10:00 ...

Catherine and Anthony stand before officiant, Maggie Mae at the Ferndale Library meeting room A Guest in the House by ...

An innovative Whatcom County partnership to address climate change and reduce food waste has been awarded a $27,500 Small Communities, ...

Whatcom County Library System’s summer calendar is loaded with free events for families, teens, kids and kids at heart. Headline ...

Whatcom County Library System’s annual Summer Reading program for kids, teens and adults begins June 1. The county library system ...

We discuss our free Mango Languages app with WCLS Learning Coordinator Maggie Mae Nase who is a world traveler and ...

Whatcom County Library System and Friends of Birch Bay Library will host a 6-7:30 p.m. Monday, June 10 community engagement ...

WCLS recently honored long-time Blaine resident and library advocate Joyce Vanderpol, whose generous gift funded a meeting pod and other ...

April is Autism Acceptance Month, and the Whatcom County Library System is taking part by rolling out sensory kits at ...

A Forest of Words webpageA Forest of Words Poetry Reading and Celebration, Friday May 10, 2024, at Ferndale Library Books ...

No Two Persons by Port Townsend, Wash.-based author Erica Bauermeister is the Whatcom READS 2025 book selection. Sasha taqʷšəblu Lapointe, ...

We feature an episode from the Young and Indigenous (YAI) Podcast from Children of the Setting Sun Productions. YAI hosts, ...

Whatcom County Library System (WCLS) is partnering with the Washington State Department of Health to provide free naloxone kits to ...

By WCLS Executive Director Christine Perkins I was talking to a library patron recently and asked how her week was ...

Transcript Christine and Tamar stop by to tell us about the Digital Literacy webpage (https://www.wcls.org/digital-literacy/) they have created in cooperation ...

Transcript Claire McElroy is our Adult Programming Coordinator, wrangling speakers, authors, events and workshops for WCLS and Whatcom READS. Is ...

Following successful outreach by Friends of the Birch Bay Library volunteers, the Whatcom County Council has allocated $315,000 to support ...

Transcript Mary Vermillion chats with Executive Director Christine Perkins about the eventful 12 months that were 2023 and the exciting ...

Transcript Our WCLS book selectors sit down and discuss several of the books in our Gift Guide publication, available at ...

Listen to folks at our Open Book Festival and get a glimpse at the man behind the microphone as we ...

Find out about the Open Book Festival happening on Sunday, November 5, 2023. WCLS Executive Director Christine Perkins and Village ...

We caught Jerry after his trio performed among the stacks in the Ferndale Library and we discussed jazz and kids ...

Transcript Summer Reading 2023 Whatcom Million Trees Project Stories and Popsicles / Cuentos y Paletas Enter the Body by Joy ...

Find out about our Summer Jazz Series with some Friends of South Whatcom Library. Transcript https://bit.ly/Summer_Reading_Kickoff-2023 https://whatcommilliontrees.org/ https://www.wecu.com/ https://www.wcls.org/library-foundation/ Whatcom ...

Sarah Lavender discusses our Summer Reading program and our partnership with Whatcom Million Trees Project and then we take a ...

Fourteen WCLS staff members visited the Washington Library Association Conference in Wenatchee this year. Find out why and what they ...

Thanks to successful advocacy efforts by Birch Bay residents and Whatcom County Library System (WCLS) staff, the Washington State Legislature ...

An interview with Jess Walter to kick off the Whatcom READS 2023 Season. Jess comes to town March 2-4 to ...

Ann McAllen, Linda Lambert, Chuck and Dee Robinson, Paul Hanson and Christine Perkins tell the origin story of Whatcom READS, ...

We talk to staff who are loading books onto the brand-new shelves of the newly remodeled Sumas Library after the ...

At its Jan. 17 meeting, the Whatcom County Library System’s Board of Trustees learned the Washington State Department of Commerce ...

So many people wanted to say thank you to former WCLS Executive Director Joan Airoldi, who passed away on December ...

WCLS’s former Executive Director Joan Airoldi passed away unexpectedly on Saturday, December 3, 2022. Joan was our leader from 2002 ...

An interview with WCLS Jail Services PSA, Barry MacHale about the services we provide our incarcerated patrons. Originally produced for ...

Collections Manager Lisa Gresham takes us on a tour of her departments that she calls “The Life Cycle of a ...

Sumas and Everson Library Manager Paul Fullner talks with long-time Sumas residents Carl Crouse and Penny Leenders about the devastating ...

We welcome new Ferndale branch manager Alix Prior and talk with Theresa and Sarah about the return to in-person Storytimes ...

Whatcom County Library Foundation Development Director Jenn Rick tells us all about the Foundation and the wonderful things they do ...

Bellingham author Clyde Ford talks to WCLS Collection Development Librarian Mary Kinser about his award-winning memoir and our 2022 Read & ...

Historical Photos from the Washington Rural Heritage website Historical photos and documents of the North Fork Library at the Washington ...

Sarah Lavender talks about our Summer Reading plans and programs. And we get a handful of book recommendations from Sarah, ...

Update on the Sumas Library with Cayla Samms, Jonathan Jakobitz talks about events at Blaine Library and Emma and Marie ...

Stories from the Public Library Association Conference in Portland OR and we ask What Does Amy Think About Poetry for ...

By Christine Perkins, Executive Director, Whatcom County Library System Note: This post was updated Sunday, April 3, 2022, in response ...

We get a look behind the scenes at Whatcom READS with Emma Radosevich who interviewed author Michael Christie in Deming, ...

The first week of March is the culmination of a season of WhatcomREADS events as Greenwood author Michael Christie comes to town ...

WCLS Teen Services Coordinator Tamar Clarke talks about Whatcomics and A Forest of Words, our annual teen art and poetry ...

In this first episode of 2022, Rose Momsen and Neil discuss our streaming music service, Freegal and Ann McAllen, Chair ...

You can’t make an omelette without breaking a few eggs. And we couldn’t make our podcast without breaking out in ...

11/14/2021 Whatcom News story: Whatcom County communities threatened by potential flooding take action 11/16/2021 Lynden Tribune article: Nooksack man photographs flooding ...

Interlibrary Loan Specialist Sarah Miller talks about how she borrows books from other libraries to loan to our patrons. And ...

WCLS Collection Development Librarian Mary Kinser returns to interview Blaine Library patron and supporter, Melanie May, who tells us all ...

WCLS Collection Development Librarian Mary Kinser interviews Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock, author of Everyone Dies Famous in a Small Town and The ...

Local author Clyde Ford stops in to talk about Think Black, Dr. Ford’s memoir of his father which recently won ...

We hear part two of my interview with Mary Vermillion about Library Card Sign-up Month and then we do a ...

American Library Association Movers & Shakers Award Article by Carmi Parker: Why We Choose to Boycott Macmillan eBooks Macmillan Abandons ...

Deming Library Manager Katrina Carabba takes us on a tour of the Deming Library and the Library Learning Garden and ...

Watch a video of the new Missoula MT library Read the latest Cascadia Weekly book reviews by Christine Perkins and ...

Mel Fell by Corey Tabor Five Early Literacy Practices Washington State Library Rural Heritage Foundation The Fireman by Joe Hill ...

Historical WCLS Bookmobile photos on Washington Rural Heritage website Photos and video of current WCLS Bookmobile Birch Bay Library Building ...

Say hello to Liz Andre on the South Whatcom Facebook page Read The Tubman Command by Elizabeth Cobbs Read Washington Black by Esi Edugyan ...

Visit our Summer Reading page here See photos and images from past Summer Reading seasons including Tammy LaPlante’s reading lists ...

In Episode 1, you'll meet your host Neil McKay and his boss Mary Vermillion as they talk about what's in ...