We serve as safe havens and as trusted community resources for all.
Libraries can be places of comfort and support during sad and challenging times, and serve as powerful forces for change by promoting equity, diversity and inclusion.
We are in a unique and special position to promote these values and take a strong stand against hate and intolerance. We serve as safe havens and as trusted community resources for all.
At the Bellingham Public Library, we regularly affirm these values and our commitment to providing services that are free of charge and welcoming to all. We celebrate inclusion and opportunity for everyone, we encourage an environment where diverse ideas flourish, and we oppose discrimination in all its forms.
We affirmed our commitment to these values in a June 2016 statement made after the tragic loss of life in Orlando, Florida. We reiterated these commitments in a November 2016 statement, made after one of the most contentious election seasons in recent memory.
But most importantly, we affirm these values every day when we open our doors and welcome everyone. We welcome you regardless of what you look like, what faith you choose, what disabilities you may have, who you love, where you come from, what languages you speak, how much money you have or where you live.
Too often we mourn loss of freedom, dignity and human life. Tragic deaths across the country, painful incidents of hate and disrespect, closer to home and even in Bellingham; these circumstances and others underscore the need for our communities to rally against discrimination and intolerance.
Our commitment to promoting equity, diversity and inclusion for all is unwavering. At the Bellingham Public Library, these responsibilities shape everything we do and form the core of our mission: Connecting our community with each other and the world to read, learn, meet and discover.