South Whatcom Library

Thank you library supporters!

You did it! Thank you to the 189 donors who raised more than $19,000 (and counting...) during Library Giving Day! Every gift matters and you surpassed the $15,000 goal, strengthening the community with your gifts.

Because of you, newborns will receive their first books, local kids in the Summer Reading program get to keep a "forever book", community members will enjoy free concerts across the county and people of all ages will attend the Open Book book fair on November 8.

Thank you for your support of key library programs and events that improve the lives of people of all ages across Whatcom County!

It's Library Giving Day! The Whatcom County Library Foundation is closing in a $15,000 one-day goal. Sudden Valley patrons receive benefits from the Foundation, including summer concerts, books for kids, author events and so much more. Your gifts help all county libraries thrive. Give online: wcls.org/give or join Friends of the South Whatcom Library's special Library Giving Day celebration at the branch. The fun continues until 6 p.m. Wednesday, April 1. Drop by. We'd love to see you. Thank you!

Thank you to our amazing community of donors who are giving during Library Giving Day today! 121 of you have raised $12,125 toward our $15,000 goal...and counting.

Every gift of every amount matters! Your gifts have unlocked $1,000 in matching gifts. When we reach 150 donors total we'll unlock another $750 by the end of the day.

Give now at wcls.org/give

We are thrilled to be part of the West Coast's largest book club. Learn how to get involved with One Book, One Coast here: https://bit.ly/4tkPQv4

This spring, WCLS and our friends at Bellingham Public Library invite you to participate in One Book, One Coast, a shared reading initiative connecting more than 190 West Coast library systems in celebration of literacy, learning, community and civil discourse. All participating libraries will read and discuss They Called Us Enemy by actor/author/activist George Takei. Find all the details here: https://bit.ly/4tkPQv4

Physical copies of the book are available to borrow now and unlimited digital copies of the eBook in English and Spanish will be available April 1 through June 6 on the Libby app by Overdrive. The library systems will also offer community programs inspired by Takei's bestselling graphic memoir. One Book, One Coast will host a livestream event with the author on May 31. Watch at home or attend a watch party at Ferndale Library.

They Called Us Enemy recounts Takei’s childhood as a Japanese American imprisoned within American incarceration camps during World War II. It reflects on civil liberties, democracy, and what it means to be American — both historically and today. By connecting readers across three states through one shared title, One Book, One Coast highlights the power of libraries and stories in bringing people together for conversation and reflection, exploring a complex chapter of our nation’s history together through thoughtful and respectful dialogue.