SEQUIM — The North Olympic Library System’s Board of Trustees have recognized three significant donations to the new Sequim Library.
All three were approved during the library’s regular meeting on March 27.
The first acknowledged a $165,509 bequest from James and Agnes Williams and authorized naming the new 10-person conference room in the Sequim Library the “Williams Conference Room.”
The second acknowledged a $50,000 donation from Brad and Janet Littlefield and authorized naming a study room in the Sequim Library in honor of Janet Littlefield.
The third acknowledged a $50,000 donation from Mark and Sherry Meythaler and authorized a study room in the Sequim Library to be named in their honor.
“We have lived in the Sequim area for over 20 years and wanted to give back to something in the community that has brought us so much enjoyment,” Mark and Sherry Meythaler said.
The conference room will be available for public reservations, catering to smaller groups that do not require the library’s larger meeting space. It will feature a TV screen and connectivity for digital presentations. Both study rooms will provide quiet space for focused work such as studying, telehealth appointments or online job interviews.
These donations contribute to a larger effort to transform the Sequim Library into a modern space that will better serve the community.
The previous 6,000-square-foot Sequim Library was built in 1983, when the community’s population was less than half its current size. A study in 2014 determined the building was 150 percent smaller than regional library standards for space per capita. With annual library use soaring to 100,000 visits and a quarter-million items checked out in 2023, the need for a larger, modern facility became urgent.
Along with overcrowded shelves, a small meeting room and limited work space, the facility had outdated infrastructure, including inaccessible bathrooms for people with mobility challenges and no fire sprinkler system.
Construction began last spring and is expected to be completed this summer.
The Sequim Library Project adds 4,000 square feet of flexible space and the building will be LEED Silver Certified, using an estimated 93 percent less energy.
The building will include:
• Larger and more accessible collections;
• Twice as much meeting space, with study and conference rooms;
• Separate children’s area and an enclosed outdoor space for children;
• Quiet reading spaces with comfortable furniture;
• Free broadband, computer and printing access;
• Natural light with windows providing views of the Olympic Mountains.
NOLS is building the new library without bond funding and is instead utilizing a combination of grants, donations and state financing. In addition to nearly $2.5 million in grants, the Sequim Library has received nearly $1.5 million in donations toward the project from hundreds of community supporters, with individual gifts ranging from $10 to $100,000.
Donations totaling $250 or more that were made before the end of 2024 will be recognized on a donor wall in the new Sequim Library. Although names can no longer be added to the donor wall, NOLS is still accepting donations for the Sequim Library Project.
Additionally, naming opportunities are available for the large meeting room, outdoor stage and reading area. Those interested in contributing to the project can learn more at NOLS.org/sequim.
