Services
WCLS offers library services to multiple communities throughout Whatcom County. At the system's branches and Bookmobile, the library hosts a wide variety of events, including storytime, author appearances, youth and family events, game nights, literacy programs and community-building events. The Outreach Program offers delivery of items to care centers, assisted living facilities and correctional institutions, as well as homebound patrons. [6] WCLS also maintains an active inter-library loan program for patrons.
In 2010, WCLS became part of the Ask-WA online service, offered in conjunction with the Washington State Library. This program provides residents of Washington State access to a reference librarian 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Patrons can submit their questions via the internet and conduct a live chat with a librarian. [7] WCLS also maintains an online presence through social networks such as Facebook and Twitter, as well as the WCLS online catalog. [8]
Facebook, Inc. is an American online social media and social networking service company based in Menlo Park, California. It was founded by Mark Zuckerberg, along with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin Moskovitz and Chris Hughes. It is considered one of the Big Four technology companies along with Amazon, Apple, and Google.
Twitter is a microblogging and social networking service on which users post and interact with messages known as "tweets". Tweets were originally restricted to 140 characters, but on November 7, 2017, this limit was doubled to 280 for all languages except Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. Registered users can post, like, and retweet tweets, but unregistered users can only read them. Users access Twitter through its website interface, through Short Message Service (SMS) or its mobile-device application software ("app"). Twitter, Inc. is based in San Francisco, California, and has more than 25 offices around the world.
Bellingham is the county seat and most populous city of Whatcom County in the U.S. state of Washington. Located 52 miles (84 km)) southeast of Vancouver, 90 miles (140 km) north of Seattle, and 21 miles (34 km) south of the Canada-US border, Bellingham is in between two major metropolitan areas, Seattle and Vancouver, British Columbia. The city's population was 80,885 at the 2010 United States Census. With an April 1, 2019 population estimate of 91,800 per the Washington State Office of Financial Management, Bellingham is the twelfth-most populous city in the state of Washington.
Whatcom County is located in the U.S. state of Washington. As of the 2010 census, the population was 201,140. It is bordered by Canada on the north, Okanogan County on the east, Skagit County on the south, and the Strait of Georgia on the west. The county seat and largest city is Bellingham.
The Nooksack River is a river in the northwest part of the U.S. state of Washington. It drains an area of the Cascade Range around Mount Baker, near the Canada–US border. The lower river flows through a fertile agricultural area before emptying into Bellingham Bay and, via the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Strait of Georgia, the Pacific Ocean. The river begins in three main forks, the North Fork, Middle Fork, and South Fork. The North Fork is sometimes considered the main river. Including the North Fork, the Nooksack is approximately 75 miles (121 km) long. All three forks originate in the Mount Baker Wilderness.
State Route 539 is a north–south state highway in the U.S. state of Washington. The highway travels through northwestern Whatcom County and connects Interstate 5 (I-5) in Bellingham with Lynden and the Canadian border near Langley, British Columbia. Its name, the Guide Meridian, is derived from the Guide meridian that it follows while traveling due north–south.
The Whatcom Transportation Authority (WTA) is the public transit authority of Whatcom County in northwestern Washington, based in the city of Bellingham. It provides bus service on 31 fixed routes, including branded "GO Lines" with 15-minute frequencies on weekdays, to cities in its service area. In addition to bus service, the WTA offers paratransit service and a vanpool programs.
Loudoun County Public Library (LCPL), with more than 200 employees, both professional and paraprofessional, serves the citizens of Loudoun County, Virginia. There are currently eight physical branches, plus Outreach Services, which offers services to the disabled, elderly, and homebound.
The Kitsap Regional Library is a public library system in Kitsap County, Washington. Founded in 1944, the library system serves over 260,000 Kitsap residents with nine locations across the county, and through a variety of outreach services, including a bookmobile.
The Bellingham Public Library is a public library system serving Bellingham, Washington, US. It maintains three libraries, one in the Civic Center of downtown Bellingham, one in Fairhaven, and one in Barkley Village. The system is independent of the Whatcom County Library System, serving the entire county, but has a reciprocal borrowing agreement.
State Route 544 is a state highway in northern Whatcom County, Washington, United States. It runs east–west for 9 miles (14 km) near the Canadian border, connecting SR 539 near Lynden to Everson and a junction with SR 9 in Nooksack.
State Route 546 (SR 546) is a state highway in Whatcom County, Washington, United States. It runs east–west for 8 miles (13 km) near the Canadian border, connecting SR 539 near Lynden to SR 9 near Nooksack and Sumas. The highway is a major freight corridor and serves as an alternate route between Bellingham and the Sumas border crossing.
KPUG is a sports radio station located and licensed in Bellingham, Washington, transmitting from an antenna located off Sunset Drive. KPUG is operated by the Cascade Radio Group, owned by Saga Communications. The majority of local sports taking place in and around Whatcom County are broadcast on KPUG.
Whatcom Community College (WCC), known as Whatcom, is a community college located in Bellingham, Washington, United States, in Whatcom County. Established in 1967, Whatcom has been accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities since 1976.
Laurel is an unincorporated community in Whatcom County, Washington, United States. It lies between the cities of Bellingham and Lynden on State Route 539.
The Nooksack Valley is the valley formed by the Nooksack River in Washington State, roughly covering the western half of Whatcom County. It is in the larger valley of Skagit.
Bellingham Bay and British Columbia Railroad was built in the northwestern part of Washington, between the town of Whatcom, now Bellingham, then to the town of Sumas, to connect with the Canadian Pacific Railway for a continental connection.
Jefferson County Public Library (JCPL) serves Jefferson County, Colorado, United States, and is the third largest public library in the state. Its service area spans from the foothills of Colorado's Rocky Mountains to the edge of the metro Denver area. It serves a diverse set of Colorado communities, from Lakewood, to Morrison, to unincorporated areas of the county. The demographics of the populations served are equally diverse, ranging from the very wealthy to the poor and underserved.
Monroe County Public Library (MCPL) serves the 138,000 citizens of Monroe County, Indiana, through the Main Library in downtown Bloomington, the Ellettsville Branch, and the Bookmobile. The library’s special services include the Learn and Play Space, a preschool discovery center; VITAL, an adult literacy program; CATS, a five-channel community access television network; the Indiana Room, a local history and genealogy collection and grants center ; and service to inmates at the Monroe County Correctional Center.
The Whatcom Parks and Recreation Foundation (WPRF) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization operating in Whatcom County, Washington. The mission of the Whatcom Parks and Recreation Foundation is to encourage public and private support for parks and recreation projects within Whatcom County. It serves as a trust for privately donated park funding, as a fiscal sponsor for smaller groups of park advocates, and promotes its own initiatives within the community. Ex Officio members on the Board of Directors represent all of the city parks departments and park districts in Whatcom County, including Bellingham, Lynden, Blaine, Northwest Park District and Whatcom County Parks and Recreation.
The Bellingham Cruise Terminal is a ferry terminal and transportation hub located in Bellingham, Washington, United States. It is near the Fairhaven neighborhood and was completed in 1989 and provides easy interchange between various modes of transportation. Operated by the Port of Bellingham the facility serves over 200,000 passengers a year.
