New library building updates

Published 1:30 am Tuesday, June 23, 2026

By Anthony Morris

Library assistant director

It has been a quiet few months in terms of new building announcements, and people are asking me where the project is at. Happily, the quiet is a sign of a great deal of work being done in the background. A few things that have kept us busy:

The library and the Steering Committee continue collecting feedback from community members. More than 250 pieces of feedback have been submitted so far! This vital step ensures the library planning continues to reflect the community’s needs and values. The presentation materials are available on the library’s website (www.sjlib.org/aboutus/library-building-project/), and posters of design ideas are on display in the library at the start of Adult Nonfiction. A feedback form is available on the library’s website, https://www.sjlib.org/, and in printed form at the library.

The design teams are expanding their work on the two design ideas originally shared in our February open house to move the library project forward. They are developing additional interior and exterior details and incorporating input from a new topographic survey and utility-locating work. Civil and structural engineers are also providing input.

This expansion of the plans provides the necessary information for a general contractor familiar with local building practices to develop reliable estimates, helping define the size and budget of the library project.

The San Juan Island Community Foundation has initiated a private fundraising effort to support the new building project.

The library plans to hire its own fundraiser to coordinate with the foundation on the project and to work on sustainable funding for the library’s ongoing operations, reinforcing fiscal responsibility and sustainability in our library development.

These projects are happening throughout the summer, and we hope to have updates for you around September. Please stay tuned for more to come!