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Kristy Van Ness Joins Bellingham Public Library Board of Trustees

Kristy Van Ness
Board of Trustees Member Kristy Van Ness

Bellingham Public Library Board of Trustees welcomes new member Kristy Van Ness, who begins her first term Jan. 19, 2021 through Dec. 2025.

Van Ness is a resident of the Sunnyland neighborhood of Bellingham and a retired public involvement consultant. She’s active with Sunnyland Elementary School, volunteering at the school library and working with the Parent Teacher Association. She holds a bachelor’s degree in strategic communication from Washington State University.

Van Ness’s background includes 11 years of community relations and public outreach experience, managing communications teams for large-scale transportation projects in the Seattle area, working directly with city departments, and translating technical information for the public.

Her regular workouts include lifting large bags of library books for her family, which includes two elementary school–aged children. Van Ness’s love for the library, as well as her family’s frequent book checkouts, participation in library events and summer reading programs, and use of online library resources, motivated her to give back to the community as part of the Board of Trustees.

“Our library has proven to be a vital part of our community, especially during COVID. I want to ensure that it thrives and grows so that it can be utilized and loved by community members for years to come,” she said. “Ensuring its resources can be accessed by all and encouraging our youth to become active users is important for our next generation of local citizens.”

The Bellingham Public Library serves the residents of Bellingham and Whatcom County, circulating over 1.6 million items annually to almost 60,000 active cardholders. Our library is known throughout the state and nation for its high use among community members. In state-wide data, Bellingham Public Library consistently ranks among the highest circulation per capita and among the most-visited.

Library operations are governed by the Library Board of Trustees, composed of five volunteer members appointed by the Mayor of Bellingham with the approval of the Bellingham City Council.

Media Contacts:

Rebecca Judd, Bellingham Public Library Director, 360-778-7221 or rejudd@cob.org

Annette Bagley, Head of Community Relations, ambagley@cob.org