It’s the 1-Year Anniversary of Spokane Valley Library! There’s A Lot to Share!
Posted on June 17, 2024 at 6:00 am
It is hard to believe that it has been a year since the new Spokane Valley Library opened! The new facility is popular. It has had double the number of monthly visitors compared to the previous location, averaging around 15,000 per month.
Number of Visitors
Old Facility in April 2023: 8,050 visitors
New Library in April 2024: 15,184 visitors
Lending Numbers
Over 287,000 items have been borrowed since the 2023 opening!
The conference and meeting rooms, including the large Diane E. Zahand Community Room, show the demand for gathering spaces with over 3,000 reservations since opening. These spaces have hosted Summer Reading programs, the Annual Spokane Writers Conference, and more.
“I’m grateful for the children’s area. I bring my children. My youngest and I have good experiences while waiting during my other child’s tutoring session.” – Library customer
Financing for the library was made possible through a unique combination of funding sources that allowed for construction of a new Spokane Valley Library without the need to raise taxes through a ballot measure. Donations from individuals, businesses, and community groups helped make this possible. Thank you!
Paver Sponsorships Available
Engrave your message on a paver in the plaza on the north side of Spokane Valley Library. Paver sponsorships are $500 each and a great way to honor a loved one, express civic pride, and make a lasting gift.
For more information, visit the Spokane Valley Library Campaign web page or email foundation@scld.org.
“The new library is beautiful! I’m here with my grandchildren today, but years ago I used to take my children to the old building. My kids racked up about $200 in late fees, but it was well worth it as one went to Stanford and the other to MIT. They both still love the library, and now my grandchildren love it as well.”
– Library customer
National Recognition
In January 2024, Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers presented a Certificate of Appreciation from the Library of Congress Veterans History Project to Technical Instruction Specialist Jeremy Mullin. Jeremy provided support and skill in The STCU Studio at Spokane Valley Library to veterans and gold-star families who recorded their stories for the Fallen Heroes Project.
The STCU Studio at Spokane Valley Library has provided more than 125 individual sessions and 50 specialized programs to date.
LEED certification
Spokane Valley Library has been awarded Silver LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) certification, scoring high in protecting or restoring habitat, water-use reduction, optimal energy performance, and indoor environmental quality. LEED certification is an official recognition and globally recognized symbol of sustainability achievement.
The native plants meadow that helped achieve the LEED status has led to some wonderful conversations about the outdoor environment. Many customers have asked for information about the meadow so that they can replicate it in their own gardens. Spokane Valley Library offers a Seed Library, and staff have created seed packets with the meadow mix. In the fall, the library will offer a seed saving program to demonstrate how to save seeds utilizing the library’s meadow plants.
“This new building is awesome. I love it!” – Library customer
Improvements to Balfour Park
With Balfour Park expanding and the library’s own outdoor space ready for use, there’s room to grow services and programming to incorporate the park and outside activities. The previous facility had no place to host outdoor events, or even to simply take the storytime kids outside. With this additional area, the library can include the surrounding nature in events and programs.
The City of Spokane Valley is improving Balfour Park in multiple phases with Phase 1 nearly complete. This project is separate from the library, and more information can be found on the City of Spokane Valley’s website.
Tags: anniversary, community, Spokane Valley
