When will Skagit County get its own library system so we won't have to pay non-resident fees?
Good question. Concerned citizens have brought this issue to the public for a vote several times in the past 10 years. We agree that it would be a great benefit to be able to offer all Skagit County residents library cards without charging fees out-of-pocket.

We hate turning away families with large stacks of books who will not or cannot pay a non-resident fee. We'd love it if teachers could confidently tell their students to go to the nearest public library and check out a book on their topic without distinguishing if their families live within city limits or not.

We envision a system where library cardholders could check out materials from any one of the public libraries in Skagit County—via a shared catalog and circulation system. You'd have access to way more items than can fit in the Burlington Library—for far less than it would cost to buy non-resident cards at each library.

Remember, the establishment of library services for residents of unincorporated Skagit County is the responsibility of county residents and county commissioners, not city residents or the City of Burlington.

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1. Why does the Burlington Public Library charge a fee for non-resident library cards?
2. My address is Burlington, so why am I a non-resident?
3. What difference does where I physically reside make?
4. Do any other libraries charge non-resident fees?
5. How are non-resident fees assessed?
6. What do I get when I purchase a non-resident card?
7. Is there a charge for attending library programs or using library resources and materials in the library?
8. When will Skagit County get its own library system so we won't have to pay non-resident fees?