Library agreement okayed

The agreement approved by the City Council Monday night will allow patrons in good standing at all 3 libraries to check books and materials out of the other 2 libraries. To participate, the library patrons must reside inside their local library district. In other words, if you live outside the city of Anacortes and pay for an Anacortes Library card, you won't be able to participate.

This agreement goes a bit further than inter-library borrowing that has existed for decades. Under this plan, an Anacortes patron, for instance, could be issued a library card for the Burlington or La Conner libraries and be able to check materials out there. The patron would be required to return the items to the same library.

Harrison’s memo says that Burlington and Mount Vernon libraries conducted a year-long project and that “Neither library reported a significant impact on the total operation.”

The agreement is for a one-year pilot program which would start later this year. Harrison said the Mount Vernon library might join the new pilot program at a later date.