KRL - Overview

Overview

Established in 1955 under RCW 87.12 as a Rural Library District to provide county-wide library services. Today, the City of Port Orchard is the only area of the county not annexed into the Library District; a direct payment arrangement between the city and the District at the annual District property levy rate applied to assessed value of property within the city, extends Library services to city residents.

Kitsap Regional Library

Provides Library services for the current Kitsap County population of 240,400 people, forecast to be 326,076 by 2025.
Currently serves over 171,000 active Library card holders (71% of the population).

A separate “regular property tax levy” funds the Library District, which is 95% of its funding source. The Library’s levy authority is stated in RCW 84.52.063 and limits the amount to fifty cents per thousand dollars of assessed value. This authority is also restricted by a state law, established in 2002, that limits property tax increases on existing property to no more than 1% more than the amount collected the previous year.

The Library District owns and maintains only two of the nine Libraries in the system (Silverdale & Sylvan Way). Each of the remaining seven communities own, operate and maintain their Library facility under different arrangements. The Library District provides library services, staffing, materials, and technology.

KRL Mission Statement: Kitsap Regional Library serves the community as a center for lifelong learning and a steward of access to stories, information and knowledge

Board of Trustees: Althea Paulson, 2005/2006 Bainbridge Island Representative; Paul Drotz, 2005 South Kitsap Representaive;

Jackie Aitchison, 2005/2006North Kitsap Representative; Teresa McDermott, 2005/2006 Central Kitsap Representative;

Tim Quigley, 2005 Bremerton Representative; Anna Laurie, 2006 Bremerton Representative