Our Mission
The La Conner Library Foundation’s mission is to encourage community support for the La Conner Swinomish Library, its staff and services. The Foundation solicits, manages and disburses individual and corporate gifts and grants for the enhancement of the library’s facilities, materials, programs and services.
Through outreach and fundraising, the Foundation strengthens the Library’s commitment to create a safe, supportive, and welcoming place for everyone, with a focus on:
- Lifelong learning, discovery, and personal growth
- Connection with others in the community
- Cultural literacy programs to promote cross-cultural understanding and appreciation
- Access to innovative ways of learning
La Conner Library History
In 1927 the Civic Improvement Club of La Conner and the American Legion Post and Auxiliary, with help from every organization in town, established the La Conner Library. Furnished with salvage and donations from private citizens, and supplied with donated books until 1935, the library then began to receive financial support from the La Conner Town Council. Over the years the library grew to be an important community resource with the help of its active Friends of the Library group.
By 1990 it was clear that the library needed a stable source of income to continue to grow and serve community needs. Under state law it would have to become a countywide library to have taxing power of its own. That was not an option, so the mayor and other citizens of La Conner decided to ask for help to change the law.
In 1993 State Senator Mary Margaret Haugen successfully sponsored legislation to allow the creation of a rural partial-county library district, with its own taxing ability. The bill was signed into law, followed by a vote of La Conner citizens to form the first such library district in Washington state. On November 26, 1993, the La Conner Regional Library opened its doors in the old Hallmark store at 614 Morris Street. A
10-year dream, lots of hard work, commitment and energy culminated in a successful capital campaign to build a new library one block west at 520 Morris Street. The La Conner Swinomish Library opened its doors in October 2022. We are grateful to the many individuals, foundations, service organizations, the Friends of La Conner Library, the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, Town of La Conner, Skagit County and the State of Washington who helped the “little library that could” achieve this dream.
The library serves residents within the boundaries of the La Conner School District. That’s about 5,000 people from diverse communities such as La Conner, Shelter Bay, Swinomish Indian Tribal Community and beyond.
Board of Directors
Kathy Willins, President
Corey Stout, Vice President
Richard Wisniewski, Secretary
Serena Campbell, Treasurer
B.J. Carol
Judy Menish
Jean Markert, Library Director, Ex Officio
Staff
Susan Macek, Foundation Director
The La Conner Library Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization registered in the State of Washington.
Your gift is tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. The Foundation’s federal tax ID number is 80-0830829.
For more information about the library, visit the La Conner Library website.