Turning the (e-)page

In 1999, sociologist Ray Oldenberg wrote about a “third place,” a term he created to describe a gathering place separate from the home and workplace. That now describes your local library. We’ll get to that in a bit. Libraries still stock books, of course. But smart libraries know change is needed to meet a world where digital everything is the dominant form of information and entertainment consumption. Artificial intelligence has only accelerated that consumption, while providing a two-way dialogue to learn and create.

One way libraries help meet consumer expectations is through metrics – in other words, becoming smarter in measuring and identifying what people are interested in. “The online world helps us with that a lot,” Sno-Isle Libraries Executive Director Eric Howard said. Sno-Isle has 23 libraries in Snohomish and Island counties, including in Mukilteo, Edmonds, and Mill Creek. For example, demand for e-books has exploded. They can be accessed through Libby, a mobile app, which uses a user’s library card number to connect to a library account. The app serves as an e-book reader.

“Using metrics allows us to track preferences on a different level than before,” Howard said. “Public libraries have always claimed they’re for the public. But it hasn’t always been done well; that’s something that’s always at the forefront of our minds. How do we welcome everyone in and make this a space for you and everybody in the community?”

Back to the third-place idea. Having noted the importance of digital offerings – including streaming movies through Kanopy and Hoopla – libraries realize they must do more than offer everything digital. After all, what good is a library’s physical space when downloads and consumption can be ordered from your phone, tablet, or computer from the comfort of your home?

Howard said what is echoed nationwide is the need for public space. When the Edmonds Library saw the opportunity for a reimaged space after a devastating water leak three years ago, it jazzed up the children’s area, added meeting areas, and reduced the size of bookshelves to offer pleasing views of Puget Sound. In Mukilteo, Edmonds, and Mill Creek – the latter also recently remodeled – the call has been for three types of meeting rooms: study rooms, conference rooms, and program rooms that bring the community together for presentations and musical performances. Yes, music. With all this community going on – including in the children’s area – it can get a bit louder in your local library these days.

And AI? How does that help the third-place concept? “We like to take the space of being kind of information specialists,” Howard said. “We’ve told staff to use it. That’s the best way to know what’s working and what’s not working, so we can take that space of being the experts on how to handle this new technology and better understand it. It’s still too early for us to really say how we are going to be playing in that space. But it’s safe to say we are going to become more and more of the experts in the community to help our businesses utilize it better, to help our patrons make sense of it better in whatever area that they apply to in their lives.”

Two counties strong

Sno-Isle Libraries’ 2024 Community Report backs up the public’s desire for digital offerings. It saw 3.36 million physical items checked out from its 23 libraries; that number was 5.24 million for digital items.

More numbers from last year: 9.4 million website visitors; 1.69 million Wi-Fi connections; 313.5K public computer sessions; 4,120 laptop and Wi-Fi hotspot checkouts; 20,007 visits to the Bookmobile; and 1.1 million printing jobs. And 149,265 people attended 5,867 in-person and online library events. 

The libraries are overwhelmingly supported by property taxes, to the tune of 87.3%. Grants account for 9.5%, with donations, board-approved bonds, and other avenues contributing 3.2%. The report notes that Sno-Isle had $80.6 million in expenditures and $77.8 million in revenue.

So what’s popular at your local library? One offering that Howard particularly wants parents and guardians to know about is Brainfuse, which offers free one-on-one tutoring. “I love to make more parents aware of it,” he said. “It’s phenomenal.”

Here’s more information on how you can take advantage of your library.

MUKILTEO

People love the Mukilteo Library. It has the third-highest number of visitors among Sno-Isle’s 23 libraries.

“Every table and seat can be filled on weekday afternoons,” Mukilteo Library Manager Jane Crawford said, “with many students from the nearby middle and high schools using the welcoming spaces to gather after school. Families, tutors, teachers, people working remotely, and many more utilize the library.”

It can be even busier on Sundays and Mondays, when City of Everett libraries are closed. There are times when every public computer and in-library-use laptop are in use.

Like many libraries in the Sno-Isle system, taking advantage of computers and printing capabilities is among their most popular services. There is a $7 weekly printing credit for library customers; Chromebooks, laptops, and Wi-Fi hotspots to take home; and free 24/7 Wi-Fi inside the library and in the parking lot. 

Reservable rooms are another popular feature, Crawford said. Many Sno-Isle Libraries have multiple meeting room spaces. At Mukilteo Library, you can reserve the study space or the meeting room with a capacity of up to 80 people.

Not all learning and discovery takes place inside the library. Those with a library card can borrow a Discover Pass from Sno-Isle Libraries and visit Washington’s state parks or wildlife areas. Crawford said the passes are extremely popular. They can be checked out at the customer service desk or placed on hold through the library catalog.  Passes can be checked out for two weeks and can be renewed if there are no holds.

In addition, Crawford pointed to programs that highlight the variety of interactive programs at Sno-Isle Libraries. A local environmental group, Sound Salmon Solutions, recently partnered with the Mukilteo Library and Mukilteo School District for a hands-on conservation project to restore coho salmon populations in Big Gulch Creek. The creek runs adjacent to the Mukilteo Library, which also features a wildlife habitat educational garden.

Sound Salmon used the library grounds and garden as an outdoor classroom to teach local elementary students about the salmon’s life cycle while identifying native plants and understanding the importance of healthy ecosystems.

“The highlight came when students, teachers, and community members gathered at the creek to release the salmon fry (young salmon that can feed on their own), celebrating their contribution to local wildlife preservation and fostering a deeper connection to their environment,” Crawford said. At the children’s library program Salmon Tales in February, 52 people heard salmon stories, did salmon yoga, and created salmon art. The program repeats in July.

EDMONDS LIBRARY

The Edmonds Library’s remodeled space has proved to be a hit with residents. Erin Peterson, Edmonds Library assistant manager, said 9,500 new cards were issued to customers in 2024, and the library’s busiest days are Tuesdays and Saturdays.

“With our newly remodeled space and large meeting room, the Edmonds Library is a popular community meeting and co-working space. Our various nooks with comfy chairs and tables equipped with device chargers are popular with both students and people looking for a remote work destination. Our free, bookable public meeting room and study room are available to library cardholders and can be booked on our website.” 

Children’s services are also popular in Edmonds. There are books, of course, but also a play structure for climbing and soft, kid-level seating. Kids and their caregivers are regular customers. Storytime sessions can be packed – they include baby, preschool, and toddler versions.

Like Mukilteo, Edmonds’ copy machines and business center with computers and free Wi-Fi are well-used. “Since Edmonds is a Creative District, there are many artists in town,” Peterson said. “Library staff had fun helping a local artist use our copy machine to create a scan of their oversized artwork so they could submit it to an art show.”

MILL CREEK LIBRARY

The Mill Creek Library recently underwent a repair project and focused on reopening with more space to be more of a third place in the Mill Creek community. “In the bright and open flex space, children’s programming continues to bring our community into the library, and we can also host more adult and teen programs,” librarian Christa Werle said.  “Intergenerational art and writing programs balance financial literacy and free legal services for adults. Drop-in chess and teen lounge time are growing in popularity, and our amazing Friends of the Mill Creek Library support all these programs.”

The community uses the library for tutoring, group homework on evenings and weekends, occupational therapy sessions for babies and young children, supervised custody visits, and more, along with more seating, more tables, and more charging stations. “Sensory kits, available in this space, provide items designed and curated with children on the autism spectrum or youth with sensory processing difficulties in mind. These kits have been inclusive and beneficial for everyone.”

The Mill Creek Library processes many holds for online books and physical books. “Our local collection is curated based on our community’s interest, but Sno-Isle has a floating collection, so our community can find what they need. Our print and copy services are well used, and multiple library staff members are on hand to help with library equipment and software.”

Werle offered a few customer stories:

• “An international doctorate student wrote his dissertation and printed the many copies necessary in the Mill Creek Library and named our staff in the acknowledgement.”
• “We are seeing an increase in people using the public computers for job applications and skills retraining. Recently, a library staff member ran into a customer at Lowe’s, where the customer had gotten the job that our staff member helped them use library resources to get.”
• “A couple visited the library as a family to thank us for helping them use the computers, equipment, and government websites to get the necessary visas so they could be together again.”

Mill Creek library page Arica shared a “discovery” story that brought her and a customer joy:

“One day, a patron hesitantly asked me if we had any books about music, as she was unsure if that was something we had. I took her to the adult nonfiction section and showed her what we had. She then exclaimed: ‘Wait, you guys have sheet music? Wow, that’s really cool!’ She then chose some books of sheet music to check out.

“As someone who comes from a musical background, I was pleasantly surprised as well when I first started working as a page to see that Sno-Isle Libraries has some sheet music. It’s not an item people typically think of libraries carrying, but it can be an incredibly valuable resource for music teachers, students, and amateur and professional musicians.”