237:
system passed in 1966, 1977, 1980, 1988, 2002, 2004, and 2010. Property taxes account for 94% of revenue today. The KCLS budget for 2017 was $ 120 million. The name of the organization was changed from the King County Rural
Library District to the present-day King County Library System in 1978, although the previous name of "Rural Library District" is still part of the organization's legal name. The system received a $ 172 million capital bond in 2004 to rebuild, renovate, and expand most of its existing libraries, as well as building new libraries.
31:
40:
224:, KCLS was the busiest library system in the United States as of 2010, circulating 22.4 million items. It consists of 50 libraries, a Traveling Library Center, a mobile TechLab, and the ABC Express children’s library van. KCLS offers a collection of more than 4.1 million items, including books, periodicals, newspapers, audio and videotapes, films, CDs, DVDs and extensive online resources. All KCLS libraries offer free
236:
The library system began in 1942 when voters in King County established the King County Rural
Library District in order to provide library services to people in rural areas with no easy access to city libraries. Funding for the library system is provided from property taxes. Funding measures for the
252:– are allowed access to KCLS collections under reciprocal borrowing agreements between KCLS and Seattle's libraries. KCLS also extends reciprocal borrowing privileges to residents of many other library systems in Western and North Central Washington. KCLS annexed
275:
that houses the library's administrative offices. A program to build 17 new libraries and renovate or expand 26 other libraries was completed in 2019 with the opening of the
Panther Lake Library in
1464:
240:
KCLS extends access privileges to residents of its service area, which includes all unincorporated areas of King County as well as residents of every city in the county except
1469:
899:, and magazine checkouts for library patrons. In 2023, the library system had 8.8 million digital checkouts—the third most of any system in OverDrive worldwide.
993:
Among the benchmarks was circulating 22.4 million items—more than any other library system in the United States—to the 1,318,745 people who live in King County.
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in 2023 after finding it discouraged borrowing and cost more to collect and process. Replacement fees were instead levied for lost items.
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KCLS consists of 50 branches, the
Traveling Library Center, ABC Express Vans, a mobile TechLab, and a service center located in
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In 2011, KCLS won the Gale/Library
Journal "Library of the Year" award. The library eliminated its
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248:, which do not offer any library service at all. Residents of Seattle – which maintains its
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8:
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1198:"KCLS Opens its 50th Library at the Kent Panther Lake Library Grand Opening Celebration"
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In 2016, KCLS circulated 20.8 million items, the third-most in the United States.
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connections. Patrons can check out 100 items at once and hold up to 50 items.
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256:'s public library system in 2010 following a vote by the city's residents.
1046:
1248:"Library Statistics and Figures: The Nation's Largest Public Libraries"
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260:
111:
Residence in King County except the city of
Seattle and the towns of
1274:"King County Library ranks third in the world for digital checkouts"
39:
205:
892:
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References: Washington Public
Library Statistical Report, 2016
225:
1019:
1200:(Press release). King County Library System. March 13, 2019
1070:. King County Library System. July 16, 2012. Archived from
978:"Library of the Year 2011: King County Library System, WA"
1173:"King County libraries become latest to slash late fees"
945:"2016 Washington Public Library Statistical Report"
47:
Regional
Library, the largest library in the system
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180:
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975:
1360:Washington Talking Book & Braille Library
1326:
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1120:"KCLS-SPL Reciprocal Use Borrowing Agreement"
1517:County library systems in Washington (state)
1147:"Group tries to reverse Renton library vote"
1122:. King County Library System. Archived from
1096:. King County Library System. Archived from
1004:: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (
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1532:Organizations based in Issaquah, Washington
1221:"Golden milestone: KCLS opens 50th library"
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600:Library Express at Redmond Ridge (Redmond)
1537:1942 establishments in Washington (state)
1094:"Borrowing Outside of KCLS Service Areas"
966:
909:
1144:
937:
891:, an online service that offers digital
16:Public library in Washington state, U.S.
1527:Government agencies established in 1942
1272:Blatchford, Taylor (January 19, 2024).
1171:Zavala Magaña, Daisy (April 28, 2023).
1509:
1040:
1314:
1218:
1145:Krishnan, Sonia (February 28, 2010).
1522:Education in King County, Washington
1043:"King County Library System, Part 1"
1465:Walla Walla County Library District
13:
976:Berry, John, III (June 15, 2011).
834:
14:
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1374:Fort Vancouver Regional Libraries
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208:system serving most residents of
38:
29:
1414:Spokane County Library District
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1219:Klaas, Mark (March 24, 2019).
1138:
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1041:Becker, Paula (June 6, 2011).
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649:Newport Way Library (Bellevue)
1:
1475:Whatcom County Library System
902:
568:Lake Hills Library (Bellevue)
266:
1445:North Olympic Library System
1399:Pierce County Library System
1252:American Library Association
1022:. King County Library System
925:. King County Library System
630:Muckleshoot Library (Auburn)
538:Kingsgate Library (Kirkland)
7:
1419:Timberland Regional Library
879:
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10:
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1470:Walla Walla Public Library
1379:King County Library System
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859:
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334:Regional Library (largest)
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198:King County Library System
24:King County Library System
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1435:Bellingham Public Library
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474:Federal Way 320th Library
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952:Washington State Library
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853:Traveling Library Center
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698:Richmond Beach Library (
690:Renton Highlands Library
1480:Yakima Valley Libraries
1450:Puyallup Public Library
1384:Kitsap Regional Library
920:"2017 Operating Budget"
57:King County, Washington
1455:Spokane Public Library
1440:Everett Public Library
1404:Seattle Public Library
1389:Mid-Columbia Libraries
1068:"Areas Served by KCLS"
887:KCLS is subscribed to
588:Library Connection at
576:Library Connection at
1496:Renton Public Library
1460:Tacoma Public Library
776:Valley View Library (
482:Greenbridge Library (
530:Panther Lake Library
289:Map of KCLS branches
222:Issaquah, Washington
155:$ 120 million (2017)
1074:on February 1, 2013
220:. Headquartered in
108:Access requirements
1409:Sno-Isle Libraries
821:Woodmont Library (
250:own library system
1504:
1503:
1428:Mid-sized systems
1278:The Seattle Times
1177:The Seattle Times
1151:The Seattle Times
877:
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147:Other information
131:Population served
98:3.4 million items
1544:
1343:Washington state
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1304:Official website
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671:Regional Library
558:Lake Forest Park
519:Regional Library
466:Regional Library
356:Regional Library
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1100:on May 10, 2012
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982:Library Journal
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835:Mobile services
300:Square Footage
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954:. October 2017
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365:Boulevard Park
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1226:Kent Reporter
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620:Mercer Island
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343:Black Diamond
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1281:. Retrieved
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1255:. Retrieved
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1224:
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1202:. Retrieved
1192:
1180:. Retrieved
1176:
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1154:. Retrieved
1150:
1140:
1128:. Retrieved
1124:the original
1114:
1102:. Retrieved
1098:the original
1088:
1076:. Retrieved
1072:the original
1062:
1050:. Retrieved
1036:
1024:. Retrieved
1014:
992:
985:. Retrieved
981:
958:December 25,
956:. Retrieved
939:
929:December 25,
927:. Retrieved
886:
883:
800:White Center
609:Maple Valley
484:White Center
297:Branch Name
270:
258:
246:Yarrow Point
239:
235:
201:
197:
195:
163:Heidi Daniel
126:20.8 million
117:Yarrow Point
18:
1283:January 21,
1257:January 21,
1182:January 21,
1047:HistoryLink
844:ABC Express
811:Woodinville
590:Southcenter
464:Federal Way
242:Hunts Point
210:King County
134:1.4 million
123:Circulation
113:Hunts Point
74:Established
1511:Categories
1130:January 5,
1104:January 5,
1078:January 5,
1052:January 5,
1026:January 5,
903:References
871:Library2Go
823:Des Moines
755:Snoqualmie
658:North Bend
580:(Bellevue)
578:Crossroads
409:Des Moines
267:Facilities
261:late fines
214:Washington
90:Collection
1232:March 25,
1204:March 25,
1020:"History"
1000:cite news
897:audiobook
889:OverDrive
733:Skykomish
722:Shoreline
711:Sammamish
700:Shoreline
639:Newcastle
592:(Tukwila)
453:Fall City
398:Covington
387:Carnation
168:Employees
1156:March 1,
987:June 18,
880:Services
547:Kirkland
495:Issaquah
442:Enumclaw
431:Fairwood
332:Bellevue
283:Branches
273:Issaquah
160:Director
82:Branches
53:Location
45:Bellevue
862:Techlab
816:15,000
813:Library
805:10,000
802:Library
794:10,000
791:Library
771:10,000
768:Library
766:Tukwila
757:Library
746:Library
735:Library
727:20,954
724:Library
716:19,500
713:Library
693:15,000
685:19,500
682:Library
674:30,000
669:Redmond
660:Library
644:11,000
641:Library
625:14,886
622:Library
614:10,000
611:Library
571:10,000
560:Library
552:19,500
549:Library
541:10,235
522:22,600
511:10,000
508:Library
506:Kenmore
500:15,000
497:Library
477:15,000
469:34,500
455:Library
447:20,000
444:Library
436:10,541
433:Library
422:Library
414:10,320
411:Library
403:23,000
400:Library
389:Library
381:32,000
378:Library
367:Library
359:22,500
354:Bothell
345:Library
337:80,000
326:20,000
323:Library
312:Library
310:Pacific
232:History
206:library
204:) is a
176:Website
142:703,987
139:Members
1358:
1356:·
1354:
893:e-book
828:9,850
789:Vashon
783:6,558
778:SeaTac
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1108:.
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