Washington State Gov. Jay Inslee has announced a three-week extension of the state’s current COVID-19 restrictions which will now be in place until January 4, 2021. Inslee also announced additional economic supports for workers and businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The three-week extension of statewide restrictions come as the state’s healthcare system nears dangerous … Read more

UPDATE August 2021: The links below that point to the US Census website have all been redirected to https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census/decade/2020/2020-census-main.html It is still not too late to complete your 2020 Census Questionnaire today!  Here is the latest news from the Census Bureau: To complete your 2020 Census Questionnaire online: To complete your 2020 Census Questionnaire by … Read more

For more information, see our coronavirus (COVID-19) information page. All Bellingham Public Library locations will be closed to the public, starting Monday, March 16 until further notice, in an effort to help prevent the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19). This closure follows Whatcom County Health Department recommendations and direction from the City of Bellingham. “The health … Read more

Community partners throughout Bellingham and Whatcom County – including the library – are unified in preparing for and addressing coronavirus (COVID-19). When it comes to protecting the public’s health, we are all in this together. The Whatcom County Health Department is the lead response agency for all of Whatcom County, including Bellingham. Although this is … Read more

Public libraries in Bellingham and throughout Whatcom County are saying farewell to overdue fines. On January 2, Bellingham Public Library (BPL) and Whatcom County Library System (WCLS) joined libraries across the country that have eliminated the practice of charging people for returning library materials after the due date. This change is designed to help make … Read more

Read The Bellingham Herald online, in full-page format, the same day it is published, free-of-charge with your library card. We are pleased to provide free, timely, full-image online access to several Washington newspapers – including The Bellingham Herald – thanks to the Washington State Library. The Washington State Library has a trial underway for public … Read more

Public libraries in Bellingham and throughout Whatcom County are saying farewell to overdue fines. On January 2, Bellingham Public Library (BPL) and Whatcom County Library System (WCLS) will join libraries across the country that have eliminated the practice of charging people for returning library materials after the due date. This change is designed to help … Read more

In response to business practices that create access barriers for library patrons, the Washington Digital Library Consortium — of which Bellingham Public Library is a member — has chosen to boycott purchases of Macmillan Publishers’ eBooks and eAudiobooks now through the end of 2020. Troubling limits imposed by publishers on public library purchases of digital … Read more

People say they want to be connected, safe, valued, respected, and accepted by others, with opportunities to be engaged and ever-learning together. But they are concerned that our community could be more inclusive, safe, and sustainable, with resources and opportunities more equitable and prevalent for all. That’s a sample of the perspectives people shared during … Read more