As 2024 comes to a close, Bellingham Public Library is grateful to reflect on the year and celebrate many special moments shared with our community. Here is a look back at Bellingham Public Library 2024 Highlights.
2024 Library Service Highlights
New Faces at the Library
It takes a hard-working crew of folks to do all the work behind the scenes and at the Library’s public service desks. These new staff members were welcomed between December 2023 and November 2024. From Library Assistants to Custodians, everyone plays an important role in the work at the Bellingham Public Library. See a new face at the Library? Take a moment to say hello!
HEART Specialists Embedded at the Central Library
Beginning in January 2024, behavioral health specialists with the Lake Whatcom Residential and Treatment Center are on site at the Central Library 7 days a week providing help to people in need of resources, and support to library staff.
The program is a collaborative effort by the Bellingham City Council, Whatcom County Council, Whatcom Health and Community Services Department and the Bellingham Public Library to provide critical resources and assistance.
Community Outreach Events
In 2024, BPL staff could be found out and about at all sorts of local events including Library Card Night with the Bellingham Bells, the Barkley Market, Bellingham Pride Parade, Bellingham Back to School Block Party, WWU, and more. Library Youth Services staff visit local schools and classrooms to share the library with students regularly. Library staff love connecting with the community and bringing library services directly to our friends and neighbors.
Library Programs Rock!
Every year the Library hosts a wide variety of popular events and library programs such as SkillShare programs for adults, the annual Children’s Craft Fair, Builders Club, regular Storytimes at the Library, author events, and new events like Middle Grade book club, and Library Explorers. In 2024, the Library also added a Youth Winter Craft Fair, indoors at the Bellis Fair Mall.
Youth Services (Children’s and Teen Services Staff) were busy presenting storytimes, book clubs, crafts, Lego programs, class visits (both in-library and in schools) and more! In 2024, total Youth Services storytimes, programs, book clubs and class visits (in-library locations and off-site at schools) was 740, with a total audience of 21,548.
Check out the online calendar to find out what’s happening at the Library throughout the year. Library programs are always free to attend.
Salmon at the Library!
Thanks to a partnership with the Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association (NSEA), the public was invited to watch chum salmon eggs transform into alevin and fry in a 55-gallon aquarium at the Bellingham Public Library Children’s Department in February and March 2024.
Over two months, the Children’s Library offered an opportunity to watch the salmon grow, attend salmon-themed events and do lots of reading about salmon life-cycles. Then the salmon were released into Whatcom Creek in a public event on March 30.
Whatcom Literacy Council Trivia Bee
While the Library’s team “Overdue for a Win” did not in fact win this year’s competition, the annual Trivia Bee is a great opportunity to represent the Library and raise money for the Whatcom Literacy Council‘s important work to increase literacy in our community.
Library Giving Day
Thank you, thank you to our incredible Library community for your tremendous generosity and support of Library Giving Day 2024 in April. Together we raised more than $22,000 including $5,000 from the Friends of the Library. Each gift of every size is valued and will be put to good use supporting the free services of our Bellingham Public Library.
Summer Reading 2024
Congratulations to all 2024 Library Summer Reading Superstars! Summer Reading participants of all ages enjoy reading challenges, special library events, prizes, and recognition of their reading achievements.
Collectively, 1,920 community members completed their summer reading challenge: 1,542 kids ages birth to 12 years, 114 teens, and 264 adults. An enormous thank you to our public services staff at all locations for keeping summer reading energy and congratulations high, and for matching readers with stories and information all summer long.
Additionally, thank you to our Summer Reading sponsor: The Friends of the Bellingham Public Library. And to our seventeen Summer Reading Prize Partners who provided unique community prizes for youth: The Bagelry, Boomer’s Drive-In, Colophon Café, Great Harvest Bread Company, It’s the Sweet Things, Mallard Ice Cream, Mammoth Mini Golf at Bellis Fair Mall, Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt, Mindport Exhibits, Pizza Time, Playdate BLI, Pure Bliss Desserts, Robeks, Ruckus Room, Shirlee Bird Café, SPARK Museum, Yeager’s Toyland.
Bellingham Symphony Orchestra Literary Connections
Bellingham Public Library and Bellingham Symphony Orchestra partnered for the 2024-25 concert season to pair book selections with the concert themes. Titles for adults and picture book pairings for children correspond to each concert theme. Some titles are available in multiple formats, including print, digital or audiobook.
New Software for Room Reservations, Book Club Kits, and Online Events Calendar
In September 2024, BPL upgraded the software for the online events calendar, meeting room and study room reservations, and will migrate the book kit reservations to the new software in December 2024 for a fresh start in January. Click HERE to visit the online events calendar and see the new look.
New and Updated Collections to Check Out
HERE & NOW Collection
For the past 10 years, Bellingham Public Library has provided popular and well-reviewed book titles for quick check-out with the Happy GO Lucky collection. In September2024, the Library renamed the collection HERE & NOW, with a green sticker, which cleverly references that the books are popular, engaging titles that are available whenever you visit the library.
Light Therapy Lamps
Bellingham Public Library has created a circulating collection of light therapy lamps, thanks to a library patron’s thoughtful suggestion and generous funding from the Friends of the Bellingham Public Library. Those bright panels are designed to (safely) pump light into your eyes to help ward off Seasonal Affective Disorder. Patrons can check out a lamp for 3 weeks to use at home.
The lights come in a soft case and are easy to use. Simply plug it in, turn it on, adjust the brightness to your liking, and begin basking in the light! Reserve a BPL Light Therapy Lamp HERE.
Makeup Donations Collected for Northwest Youth Services
Thank you to everyone who generously answered the call and donated unused beauty supplies to Bellingham Public Library in August and September of 2024. The Library’s Teen Advisory Board used the products to fill 35 beauty pouches that were donated to two programs at Northwest Youth Services: the Queer Youth Project’s Q Center and the Ground Floor drop in center for unhoused youth.
Staff Learning Day 2024
On October 9, 2024 all Bellingham Public Library Staff came together for a Staff Learning Day at the Port of Bellingham’s Cruise Terminal. All locations of the Library were closed to allow every employee to attend and learn together. It was a fantastic opportunity to connect and grow in order to serve our community better.
Fairhaven Branch Library Celebrates 120 Years
The Fairhaven Branch of the Bellingham Public Library turns 120 in 2024. Located at 1117 12th St., the building was dedicated on Dec. 20, 1904. When constructed, it was heralded as a “magnificent monument to culture and education” by the Bellingham Reveille. Click HERE for more information.
To honor the 120th anniversary and take a peek back in time, Bellingham Public Library presents photo displays at the Fairhaven Branch Library and at the Central Library in December 2024.
Best of 2024 Staff Picks Lists!
Each year, Library staff share their favorite Bellingham Public Library items that they read, listened to, or watched that year and explain why they loved them. Enjoy browsing these great lists and reading the accompanying reviews of our most loved items of 2024.
Then visit any Bellingham Public Library location during the month of December to find Best of the Library 2024 Staff Picks on the display shelves and get a free bookmark while supplies last.
Click these links to see the lists:
Notable Staff Recommendations
“Zadie Smith’s newest book is captivating in its exploration of truth’s complexities, drawing readers into a world where identity and narrative collide. Smith writes with both sharpness and warmth, recreating Victorian England with vivid, immersive detail. Her characters are flawed, fascinating, and full of contradictions, breathing with a humanity that feels strikingly modern. Smith resists easy answers, instead inviting us to question whose stories get told and why. This novel lingers long after the final page, offering a thought-provoking and beautifully crafted meditation on the stories we choose to believe.”
– Rebecca Judd, Library Director
No Two Persons by Erica Bauermeister (Whatcom READS 2025)
“This is the Whatcom READS selection for 2025 and I’m so excited about it! Through this novel, we step into the shoes of folks from many different walks of life and learn about the interconnecting threads that entwine us all. I’m also thrilled about the lineup of events that we have coming up in early 2025 to celebrate this selection and illuminate how we’re all connected. Stay tuned!”
– Miranda, Library Events Coordinator
Homelessness is a Housing Problem by Gregg Colburn
“Myth-busters rejoice! This book cracks open a curious American mystery: why do some of the wealthiest cities have the highest rates of homelessness, while cities with higher poverty rates don’t even come close? I appreciated reading about these issues through the lens of structural causes, rather than only individual. See also: cool graphs!”
– Kate, Staff Development Coordinator
Un-addiction by Nzinga Harrison, MD
Finding this book was a revelation! I truly appreciated the author’s knowledge and non-judgmental tone, making a complex issue easily understandable and relatable. I learned so much about this topic.
– Annette, Head of Community Relations
Special Events and Programs in 2024
Whatcom READS 2024 in March
Whatcom READS 2024 featured the book Red Paint by Sasha taqʷšəblu LaPointe. In early March of 2024 the author visited Bellingham for several in-person presentations and events, including a free lecture at the Mt. Baker Theatre on March 15.
Sasha taqwšəblu LaPointe is from the Upper Skagit and Nooksack Indian Tribes. Native to the Pacific Northwest, she draws inspiration from her coastal heritage as well as her life in the city. She writes with a focus on trauma and resilience, ranging topics from PTSD, sexual violence, the work her great grandmother did for the Lushootseed language revitalization, to loud basement punk shows and what it means to grow up mixed heritage. With obsessions revolving around Twin Peaks, the Seattle music scene, and Coast Salish Salmon Ceremonies, Sasha explores her own truth of indigenous identity in the Coast Salish territory. Her collection of essays Thunder Song: Essays was released on March 5, 2024. (author biography from author’s website)
Author Visit from Parisa Akhbari in April
Author Parisa Akhbari visited the Bellingham Public Library on Saturday, April 6 to talk about her debut novel, Just Another Epic Love Poem, followed by a Q&A session, and book signing. The event was co-sponsored by the Bellingham Public Library, Queer Youth Project, Northwest Youth Services, and Whatcom Youth Pride.
Taylor Swift Party in April
On Friday, April 19, the Library threw a party for kids age 8 – 18 to celebrate all things Taylor Swift! There was music and dancing, photo ops, poetry writing, and beaded jewelry making. It was so much fun!
Learning Together Forums in Spring and Fall
Bellingham Public Library partnered with WWU’s Sustainability Engagement Institute and the Center for Community Learning to bring a series of Learning Together Forums to the community. These programs bring our community together to talk about a range of topics related to sustainability. More Learning Together Forums are coming in 2025 – click HERE for more information.
What is Addiction? Plain Talk for Our Community in September
Addiction touches the lives of millions of people every year. We hear about it, we experience it, but we don’t openly talk about it. In the Fall of 2024, Bellingham Public Library and multiple partner organizations hosted “What Is Addiction? Plain Talk for Our Community,” on Thursday, Sept. 12 at the Bellingham High School Performing Arts Center.
Local expert Dr. Shannon Boustead gave a fascinating presentation on the basics of addiction science and the audience heard from community members about their lived experience with addiction. The conversation with the panel was especially impactful and it was an honor to be trusted with the sharing of such personal experiences.
The Library is grateful to everyone involved with this important event, and to our community for showing up to learn more.
Art of Community Series in the Fall
In September and October 2024, the Library partnered with the Whatcom Dispute Resolution Center and the League of Women Voters of Bellingham and Whatcom County to offer a 3-part discussion series encouraging conversation around difficult topics. Thank you to the partners and the audience for their participation.
Virtual Author Visit with Rex Ogle in November
On November 13, the Library’s Let’s Read: Middle Grade Book Group hosted a virtual visit with author Rex Ogle. The lucky participants, youth in 5th – 8th grade, listened to Rex speak and then had the chance to ask questions. Click HERE for information about the next Middle Grade Book Group meetup.
Book Groups Celebrate 2024 Highlights
Bellingham is home to many book groups, including the Library’s own Bellingham Reads group, led by Adult Services Librarian Suzanne Carlson-Prandini. Many local book groups utilize the library’s book club kits to ensure that each member of their group is able to read the same book within a month. Click HERE for the 2025 Bellingham Reads selections.
A BPL Book Club Kit contains 10 copies of the same book and a reading guide to facilitate book group discussion, and they check out for 32 days. Book groups can choose from among many fantastic titles. Click HERE for more information about book kits.
In 2024, BPL filled over 820 book club kit reservations. The top 6 most popular BPL kits were:
- No Two Persons by Erica Bauermeister (Whatcom READS 2025 title)
- Red Paint by Sasha taqʷšəblu LaPointe (Whatcom READS 2024 title)
- A Fever in the Heartland by Timothy Egan
- Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
- The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict
- The Wager by David Grann
The Friends of the Bellingham Public Library 2024 Highlights
The Library is also grateful for the Friends of the Bellingham Public Library. The Friends are an all-volunteer nonprofit charitable organization which raises money to benefit the Library each year through sales of donated books. Thank you to all of the patrons who also support the library through donating materials to the Friends. In 2024 the Friends of the Library held book sales in January, May and September, raising almost $54,000 to fund a wide variety of library programs, staff development opportunities, book club kits, and more. A HUGE thank you to the Friends for all of their hard work.
BPL Staff in 2024
From everyone at the Bellingham Public Library, thank you for another great year. We look forward to serving you in 2025 and beyond!
