PRESS RELEASE - City of Port Townsend Celebrates 110th Carnegie Library and is Ranked the #1 Circulating Library per Capita in the State of Washington

PORT TOWNSEND - The City of Port Townsend Public Library has the highest circulation of books per capita in the State of Washington according to an annual data report published by the Washington State Library. This is a significant accomplishment for the City’s Public Library as the announcement coincides with the Library’s 110th Birthday for the original Carnegie building this week. The Port Townsend Public Library has served our community for 125 years.

The Port Townsend Public Library was established in 1898 by a group of "leading community ladies." By 1913, they had acquired the land, secured City funding, and received a grant from the Carnegie Library Foundation to construct a new building in keeping with Carnegie architectural design standards of the period. The Library served its community so well that a 4,500 sq. ft. addition was added in 1990 to accommodate the high volume of use that continues to increase significantly each year. In 2014, a major renovation was completed.

Library Director, Melody Sky Weaver states, “The release of the Washington State Library Annual Public Library Statistics shows that we are the top circulating library in the state. This is a wonderful indicator of how well used and beloved our library is. Port Townsend is a community of voracious readers, and our library is proud to offer something for everyone. Local youth warm up to the library with storytimes and by reading to dogs in our Read to Rover program. Adult readers can find books at all levels and can participate in our annual Community Read program along with many other free public programs.”

Everyone from the community is invited to attend a birthday party at the library on Friday, October 13, from 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. Enjoy live music, library themed crafts, and cupcakes from a local baker. The party will be held in the Carnegie Reading Room and a quorum of Council may be present.

Special thanks to the Friends of the Port Townsend Public Library who generously support the library’s programs and special projects throughout the year.

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For more information on the Washington Secretary of State’s 2022 Public Library Statistical Report: https://www2.sos.wa.gov/_assets/library/libraries/libdev/2022stats.pdf

For more information on the Port Townsend Public Library’s programs and events:
https://ptpubliclibrary.org/library