Islanders provide input toward new library

By Heather Spaulding • December 2, 2025 1:30 am

Islanders delved deep into their imaginations Nov. 19, as they were asked to design a new library. Approximately 50 attended the noon meeting at Brickworks, and a slightly smaller crowd attended the evening meeting, making the total attendance around 100. Even children came to provide input.

“Integration of the building itself with the environment is really important, and use of outdoor spaces was particularly noted,” Boyd Pratt, library board member, told the crowd as he highlighted some of the wishes and dreams community members brought up during the Oct. 22 meetings. The need for more meeting space, areas for tweens and teens and young children to learn and be noisy while not disrupting readers and other library patrons, expanding the book collections and computer space were all top priorities for attendees of the October meetings.

Architects from DOT, a Seattle company hired by the library, went through some of the baseline needs — the building would have to be a minimum of 12,000 square feet to allow for the expansions being discussed.

The site is two acres, the architects told the crowd, and they do not believe the entire site will be needed. If that is correct, there is potential for a partner development or sale. The library has been reaching out to affordable housing stakeholders to see if a portion of the property could potentially be used to alleviate the housing shortage.

Attendees were grouped together by their tables, where they were given a map with markers for things like parking, ADU parking, meeting rooms of various sizes, children, preteen, teen and adult book collections, a computer room, music room, arts and crafts, staff areas, a cafe, or kitchen demo area and cafe, playgrounds and gardens. The task was to prioritize and arrange the items in a way that flowed.

Brickworks buzzed with voices as attendees worked to put the pieces together. After approximately half an hour to an hour, each table presented what they came up with and why.

Where one table had prioritized the meeting rooms and areas for classes and speakers, another focused on gardens and outdoor areas, even a playground. Some loved the idea of a cafe associated with the library and a gift shop; others went with music rooms and digital space.

“I was pleased by the attendees’ excitement to shape the new library to meet our community’s needs. They identified others’ needs, not just their own. They showed genuine community spirit,” Library Director Laurie Orton said.

The architects will use this community input and return Feb. 12 to present a conceptual design and solicit feedback. The library will utilize these created materials for fundraising and outreach. A projected timeline for the project, from start to finish, will also be presented.