Pierce County Library Board To Mull New Lakewood, Sumner Branches

LAKEWOOD, WA — The Pierce County Library System Board of Trustees will discuss the Library System’s 2020 work plan and budget, potential new library buildings in the cities of Lakewood and Sumner, national spotlight on the Library’s career services, and other issues at the board’s monthly meeting at the Library’s Administrative Center and Library, 3005 112th St. E., Tacoma, on Wednesday, Sept. 11, at 3:30 p.m.

At the September meeting, the Board of Trustees will conduct the following business.

2020 Work plan and budget. The board will discuss budget drivers for planning the work and budget to operate the Library System in 2020. In 2020, the Library plans to continue to set aside monies from the reauthorized levy voters approved in 2018, to sustain operations for the coming years. In addition to open hours at 20 locations and online library resources; 1.5 million books, e-books, movies and other materials; staff to support learning; computers, Wi-Fi and technology; and community spaces, in 2020 the Library plans to fund capital projects. Those projects include technology to support the public and staff as well as maintenance and improvements of buildings. In recent years, with a gap in revenues and operation costs, the Library System invested little in technology and building maintenance.

Potential new libraries in Lakewood and Sumner. Thousands of people are continuing to give their ideas and opinions about potential expanded libraries in new locations in Lakewood and Sumner. The Library System is hearing from people at community events, in the libraries and online. All three of the libraries have been well loved and well used. The Sumner Library is on land owned by the City of Sumner in a building co-owned by the city and the Library System. The building is aging and will close because it is in need of costly repairs. The Lakewood Library is dated, hard to maintain, and would require millions of dollars in upgrades. The Tillicum Library is an aging shared facility in poor physical condition. The public engagement activities continue through September, with a plan to provide recommendations for next steps to the Library’s Board of Trustees in October.

Local and national spotlight on Library’s career services. KBTC and PBS selected the Pierce County Library System’s Job + Business Center service to be featured in an upcoming story and series called “Journey to Jobs.” The story of the Library System’s help and remarkable services for job seekers and small business owners/want-to-be owners will be featured in the nationally distributed PBS program “Journey to Jobs” in October. The week of Sept. 16, KBTC will begin airing the five-minute Pierce County Library spot as a stand-alone leading into the “Journey to Jobs” hour-long program. On Oct. 8 at 9 p.m., KBTC will air the nationally produced “Journey to Jobs” program, featuring a spotlight on the services offered in Pierce County. Check out the five-minute feature: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdpZV-z5eLM&feature=youtu.be

Information from a Pierce County Library System press release