OLYMPIA — The Washington State Library will return to normal public operating hours Monday after remaining partially closed for the past eleven months. In October 2023, the Library announced the reduction of hours due to a historic decline in operating funds derived from real-estate transactions.
The State Library will be open to the public Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 6880 Capitol Boulevard East in Tumwater.
The Washington State Library’s operations are funded through filing fees of real estate transactions and other public records. The downturn in the filings drastically reduced the amount of funds that support the library’s operations through RCW 43.07.128.
During the 2024 Legislative Session, lawmakers provided a one-time funding allocation that provided short-term relief allowing the library to return to normal staffing through June 30, 2025. The Office of the Secretary of State is submitting a budget request to lawmakers for ongoing funding to mitigate the financial shortfall caused by the low levels of document and property transaction recording fees the library relies upon.
Since the 1800s, the library has been providing essential services and vital information relating to the history of Washington and its communities; dedicated to supporting high-quality education, literacy, reading, and life-long learning.
“While the Washington State Library revenue situation hasn’t improved, the Office of the Secretary of State is hopeful in working with the Legislature to restore the State Library’s full scope of resources,” Secretary of State Steve Hobbs said. “The community deserves a safe space to gather, learn, access, and enjoy the library’s vast resources.”
Washington’s Office of the Secretary of State oversees areas within state government including managing state elections, registering corporations and charities, and governing the use of the state flag and state seal. The office operates the State Archives and the State Library, documents extraordinary stories in Washington’s history through Legacy Washington, and administers the Combined Fund Drive for charitable giving by state employees and the Productivity Board state employee suggestion program. The Office of the Secretary of State also oversees the state’s Address Confidentiality Program to help protect survivors of crime.
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