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New Lake Hills Library
Opening Celebration

Saturday, September 11, 10am
15590 Lake Hills Blvd.
Bellevue, WA
Question, call 425.369.3275

Celebrate the next chapter for your library as the new 10,000 square foot Lake Hills Library opens for the first time!
Bring your friends, family and neighbors to celebrate your new community library.
More information about the new Lake Hills Library.

Renton Residents Tour New Outreach Vehicles!

To celebrate the five new outreach vehicles that start outreach services in August, a kick-off event was held at Renton Library on Friday, July 23. More than 100 people stopped by to tour the new vehicles and enjoy refreshments and giveaways that were, appropriately enough, license plate frames!

Four of the vehicles, called Library2Go!, are outfitted as mini-bookmobiles and will stop at childcare centers, low-income housing and senior centers each week in KCLS’ service area. The fifth van, the Digital Discovery Zone, is equipped with computers and software for outreach to teens and people of all ages, allowing them to create computer graphics, games and animations. The Digital Discovery Zone will stop at schools, community centers, after-school programs and senior centers. The vehicles will rotate between KCLS’ 46 libraries, with different library staff using the vehicles each week for outreach in their community.

The vehicles are funded by the $172 million library capital bond strongly supported by voters in September 2004. They are being implemented as part of KCLS’ Future Services Strategy, which calls for expanding services outside library buildings.
More information about the Digital Discovery Zone and Library2GO!

Kenmore Library Groundbreaking Draws a Crowd!

More than 150 people gathered at the site of the new Kenmore Library to celebrate the start of construction on the afternoon of Tuesday, June 8, 2010. As community members took seats, the Brass Ensemble from the Romanian Pentecostal Church entertained the crowd.

KCLS Director Bill Ptacek facilitated the program and several dignitaries addressed the crowd, including Deputy Mayor Milton Curtis, King County Councilmember Bob Ferguson, KCLS Board Member Jessica Bonebright and City Councilmember Laurie Sperry. More information.

Expanded Federal Way Library Reopens!

Even the sun made an appearance at the Federal Way Library opening celebration on Saturday, June 5, which was attended by more than 600 people.

As community members gathered for the celebration, the Todd Beamer High School Jazz Band entertained the crowd. KCLS Director Bill Ptacek then welcomed everyone to the ribbon cutting and open house.  

“The previous building had a lot of walls,” Ptacek said. “When you go into the library, notice how we brought the outside inside.”

The Federal Way Library was expanded by 9,500 square feet, bringing it to a total of 34,500 square feet. It is now the second largest KCLS Library. Read more

New Sammamish Library Opens!

Even the sun came out to celebrate the opening of the new Sammamish Library on the morning of Saturday, January 9.

As more than 750 people gathered for the celebration, the music group Corey Dansereau and His Hot Four entertained the crowd with several songs. Bill Ptacek, KCLS Director, welcomed the community members to the new library.

“This library is a wonderful expression of the community coming together,” Ptacek said. “This library has the best of what the King County Library System has to offer.”

The new 19,500 square foot library was constructed in a new development adjacent to the Sammamish City Hall, called Sammamish Commons.
“This has been a great Odyssey,” said Sammamish Mayor Don Gerend. “We have a beautiful facility here today.” Read More

Expanded Kirkland Library Opens!

Although it was a cold and icy morning, more than 350 people attended the expanded Kirkland Library opening celebration on Saturday, December 5.

The Kirkland Library was expanded by 4,500 square feet. The additional square footage extends the roof from the original building and culminates in a glass pavilion overlooking the city’s Peter Kirk Park.

Read more.