Redmond Library Board has a vacancy - is busiest library in the KCLS system.

Redmond Library

Jamie Weber, Chair of the Redmond Library Board of Trustees, announced a board vacancy at the last Redmond City Council business meeting. The five member board meets on the first Wednesday of every month at 7PM at the the library.  The public is invited to observe. 

Jamie gave some excellent background information on the success of King County Library System (KCLS) of which Redmond Library is the busiest branch.  Redmond library had 45,000 visitors last year checking out 124,000 items.

KCLS is composed of 48 community libraries and services 1.3 million patrons.  In 2010, KCLS overtook New York City's Queens library system to be the busiest in circulation in the nation.  In 2011, "Library Journal" honored KCLS as "Library of the Year."  

Three areas of work make Redmond Library unique from any other library:

• The library has versions of all available E-Readers; and the Kindle format can be downloaded
• Non Profit and Philanthropy Resource Center (NPRC) offers non profits a data base to 2.4 million grants and 100,000 corporate giving programs
• Friends of Redmond Library volunteers contribute 400-500 hours raising $20,000 in book sales to support plant maintenance, summer reading programs, and Centennial events.  Donate your used books to the Friends at the library. 

KCLS is funded by state property taxes and "is facing a second year of declining revenues" according to Ms. Weber.  She said costs of staying relevant in the digital age are pressing, as well.  An opportunity for Redmond Library is their Redmond Library Blog where they post regularly.  

Reported by Bob Yoder