Vote YES for North Olympic Library System

05/02/2026

Thank you, voters! The latest ballot count shows a 51.05% YES vote - enough for the library levy lid lift to be approved and certified on May 8. Voter turnout is at 42%. We are so thankful for our community's support of libraries!

05/01/2026

Thanks to the hundreds of you who displayed a Vote Yes! sign during the library's levy campaign! The signs helped show our neighbors that we stand behind strong library services for our community and helped make this campaign a success.

The signs will be collected so they can possibly be reused in any future campaign. Buttons can be kept - an easy way to continue to show your support for libraries!

Where to return your signs:

⦿ In the Clallam Bay area, place your sign against the Clallam Bay Friends of the Library book shelves inside the Clallam Bay Library lobby.

⦿ In the Forks area, place your sign against the Friends of the Forks Library book shelves inside the entrance to the Forks Library.

⦿ In the Port Angeles area, hand your sign to the volunteer in the Port Angeles Friends of Library store within the Port Angeles Library's lobby.

⦿ In the Sequim area, go to the temporary library location (next to the old JC Penney), and set your sign outside of the old temporary library's front door.

Campaign volunteers will also be grabbing signs when they see them out in the community. If you need help returning your sign or would like keep your sign for any reason, please let us know.

Thanks again for helping us complete this important goal and supporting our community!

04/29/2026

The YES vote is currently ahead with 51.21% of the vote. We're optimistic this lead will hold when a new ballot count is released at 5pm Wednesday.

While we wait for the final tally and whatever the result may be, we'd like to express our thanks to everyone who weighed the library levy proposition carefully. The thoughtful conversations we've had with so many of you reflect a community that cares!

04/28/2026

It's election day! Here are three things you can do to support the Library's levy lid lift:

1.) Return your ballot to the nearest drop box by 8pm on April 28. At this time, we don't recommend mailing ballots.

2.) Text or call five friends or family members in Clallam County and remind them to vote YES!

3.) Check the status of your ballot at VoteWA.gov to make sure it's been received and accepted. There have been a lot of ballots returned without signatures!

04/26/2026

It's been great to see the West End support for the library!

Rural communities need their libraries — and our library needs us right now.

Ballots are due Tuesday, April 28. 🗳️ Vote YES for your library to maintain branch hours, diverse collections, technology access, engaging programs, and bookmobile visits.

This is the library's first levy ask in 16 years! The lid lift restores the levy rate to 45¢—a $4.25 increase per month on a home with a $300,000 assessed value.

Comparing rural libraries against their more urban counterparts in a contest of numbers that will almost always result in defeat for rural communities. Unfortunately, many of the metrics that critics or other decision-makers use to justify a rural library's existence only focus on the bottom line; they don’t necessarily realize the life-changing impact a library can provide. They might see that only a handful of teens used an after-school program, but fail to realize that the program provided one of those teens with a much-needed safe space or the resources to apply for college. Alternatively, they may ask if delivering books to a homebound patron who lives miles from the library is worthwhile, unaware that the senior is medically unable to leave their home, financially unable to purchase multiple books or digital subscription services every month, and that the library interaction provides a much-needed social interaction for the isolated individual.

Whether it’s the town living room or the heart of the community, rural libraries have one thing in common: Though they may be small in size, their impact on their community is invaluable.

04/25/2026

Librarians don’t tell people what they 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 read. Instead, they create diverse collections that serve the needs of the entire community.

Let’s protect this critical resource. Let’s keep libraries open, vibrant, and thriving—now and for future generations. Vote YES for your Library!

04/25/2026

Three things you can do to support the library:
1) Vote Yes! and return your ballot now!
2) Text five friends and remind them to vote Yes!
3) Go to VoteWA.gov and check to see if your ballot has been accepted.

04/22/2026

Ballots are due Tuesday, April 28 by 8pm! At this time, we recommend using your local ballot drop box instead of mailing your ballot.

04/21/2026

Libraries build strong communities. Walk into any public library, and you’ll find more than books—you’ll find people. Kids finishing homework at a study table. Parents and toddlers gathered for storytime. Job seekers fine-tuning their resumes on public computers. Neighbors swapping gardening tips at a community workshop. Libraries are centers for learning, connection, and opportunity, adapting to meet the needs of their communities by filling gaps in education, access to technology, and essential resources.

04/19/2026

Our community is speaking up for your library. Look at all these recent letters to the editor!