The Bainbridge Public Library is a unique public/private partnership. The library building and grounds are funded solely by private donations and are owned by the people of Bainbridge Island, and managed by a volunteer Board of Directors of a non-profit organization (Bainbridge Public Library). Kitsap Regional Library provides library services including books, materials, technology, programs, staff and administration with property tax dollars.

Bainbridge Public Library is:

• A branch of Kitsap Regional Library
• Open to all residents of Kitsap County.
• Open seven days a week, 58 hours per week.
• Accessible through the Kitsap Regional Library website (/) 24 hours per day

Bainbridge Public Library has:

• Over 30 computers for public use all with internet connections
• Wireless internet connection
• Meeting rooms for public use
• Study and reading areas for individuals and groups
• Over 100,000 items for loan including books, magazines, newspapers, videos and DVDs, music CDs, books on tape and CD, and online research sources
• 340,000 user visits per year
• Over 500,000 items circulated each year
• A Young People's library and staff dedicated to children's services
• A Teen Scene study and gathering area, with a special library collection for teens
• Storytimes, summer activities and other programs for children and families
• Writer's programs, lecture series, book discussion groups, travel and other programs for adults
• Game nights and other programs for teens
• Award winning gardens maintained by volunteers
  

Meeting Room

Two meeting rooms are available for rent by both business and non-profit organizations. Rental fee is $35.00 per hour, with a minimum of two (2) hours use. There is a refundable key deposit of $35.00 for use when the library is closed. Both meeting rooms have kitchenettes. The larger room seats 90 in chairs or 30 at tables and has a piano, white board, screen, overhead projector and TV/DVD player. The smaller room seats 20. It is not ADA accessible. For more information or to reserve meeting rooms call 206-866-1250 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Bainbridge Island Friends of the Library

The Friends of the Library is a non-profit organization which helps support the library through monthly book sales. The sales are held downstairs at the library. Profits contribute to the maintenance and improvement of the library building and gardens.

Book Sales

Book sales are held at the Bainbridge Library on the second Saturday, fourth Tuesday and first Thursday of each month (Saturday and Tuesday: 10am-3pm Thursday: 1-4pm). Check with the library at 206-842-4162 to confirm dates and times of these sales. Sales feature a wide variety of books that are donated or library discards. Most are priced between $.25 and $5.00 but there are some higher value special books for sale. You are welcome to donate books for the book sales at any time at the library. The Friends thank you for your donations and your support of the book sales.

Field's End

Field’s End, a Writer’s Community, was established as an affiliate of Bainbridge Public Library several years ago by a group of local writers. Its mission is “to inspire writers and nurture the written word through lectures, courses and programs in the art and craft of writing. Its founders – writers themselves – believe that through instruction and practice, writers can significantly improve their art.” In addition to classes taught by respected writing instructors, Field’s End also offers free Roundtables at Bainbridge Library on the third Tuesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. led by guest authors. Writers who want to work with other writers can sign up for the Writers’ Connection, another free program that assists writers in finding working partners in the writing arts. For more information see http://www.fieldsend.org/

Volunteer Opportunities back to top

• The Bainbridge Island Friends of the Library hold three book sales each month. There is also an ongoing sale of books and magazines in the library lobby. All profits from sales of donated books are used to maintain the library facility and grounds. The Friends’ group enthusiastically welcomes volunteers who assist with sorting, display and cashiering for the sales.
• The “Friday Tidy” garden group meets every Friday morning at 9:30 to tend the library gardens. Under the guidance of Ann Lovejoy, this group uses the Haiku, perennial and fern gardens as a working classroom for learning about soil preparation, pruning, plant division and other garden skills – as well as good companionship.
• Volunteers assist the staff by preparing donated books for addition to the collection. These volunteers enjoy learning basic mending and book covering skills. This volunteer team has prepared as many as 4,000 books and audio-visual items for library use during a year.
• Kitsap Regional Library’s Click! program trains volunteers to assist library users with computers. These volunteers enjoy helping people learn about the library catalog, email and Internet access.
• The Bainbridge Public Library Communications Committee works on fund-raising for the library as well as preparation of the quarterly newspaper: The Bainbridge Island Library News.
• The Library offers many cultural programs including a Speakers Forum lecture series, travel programs, opera previews, Humanities Washington Inquiring Mind presentations, etc. Volunteers are needed to help with planning, publicity and set-up for these events.
• Field’s End, a Writers’ Community, is managed completely by volunteers, other than the course instructors. For more information about Field’s End, email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
• Reading Friends age eight and up go through an orientation with parents and other volunteers to learn how a Read In @ the Library works. Reading Friends signup for specific dates to participate and come to the library ready to read aloud to young children. We look for volunteers who enjoy being around and engaging younger children in the magic of a good story well told.
• Student Community Service Volunteers age 13 to 18 perform a range of library and program support tasks at the library. Student volunteers might sort items on a cart or shelf, help process items in the collection, setup the reader board, prepare materials and set up tables and chairs for a program as well as welcome young children, families and adults to the library. Student volunteers may assist with an ongoing program such as the Read to a Dog program or with a special event such as the Teen Mystery Night. Each volunteer must submit an application online and go through an initial interview and orientation before scheduling hours for community service perfomance.
• Library Support Volunteers age 13 and up are often student community service volunteers who decide they want to continue to volunteer at the library after their community service hours requirement has been met. These volunteers may continue many of the tasks listed as well as special assignments that might include locating materials in collections throughout the building and adopting a shelf in a preferred subject area to keep in order and attractively displayed.

For more information about volunteering for the library, contact Branch Manager, Rebecca Judd.

Library History

A small library above the Island’s Port Madison mill store in 1863 was the second community public library on Puget Sound. Ladies’ society “silver teas” supported small libraries on the Island during the first half of the twentieth century. Since 1947, Kitsap Regional Library has supplied books and other materials as well as staff and administrative support for the Bainbridge Library.

As the Island population grew, citizens realized that the community needed a larger library. The first Rotary Auction, a community-wide garage sale that is now an Island institution, was held to raise money for the new library. Many other civic groups including the Kiwanis Club, Island businesses and countless individuals contributed toward the library building. Island architect, John Rudolph drew up the plans for the building that was completed in 1962. Thanks to the generosity of Dr. and Mrs. James Hodges, a children’s library was created in 1968 on the lower floor of the library.

The library facility continues to be maintained by donations from generous Islanders. An addition completed in 1982 expanded the library’s capacity but this building did not meet the needs of a growing community by the 1990s. An enormous effort by the Board and Building Campaign Committee raised almost 2 million dollars to expand and totally remodel the facility.

After the current library opened, Junkoh Harui and the Bainbridge Island Japanese American Community donated a magnificent garden to the library. This Northwest-Japanese garden, “Haiku no Niwa” was dedicated to the Issei generation of Japanese Americans. A remarkable team of volunteers led by nationally recognized garden writer, Ann Lovejoy, maintains the Bainbridge Public Library gardens. In 2000, the American Library Association awarded the Bainbridge Library Gardens its Best Library Garden award.