Based on a brochure originally created by the Mount Vernon City Library
Why does the Burlington Public Library charge a fee for non-resident library cards?
Residents and property owners of the City of Burlington support the Burlington Public Library via their taxes. The non-resident fee offsets the cost to serve non-residents.
My address is Burlington, so why am I a non-resident?
You may have a Burlington postal address but if your property is physically located in the unincorporated areas outside Burlington City Limits, by definition you are a non-resident.
What difference does that make?
Where you physically reside determines who provides services to you. For example:
Residents of the City of Burlington (within Burlington City Limits) are served by: - Burlington Police Department
- Burlington Fire Department
- Burlington Public Library
Residents of unincorporated Skagit County (outside Burlington City Limits) are served by: - Skagit County Sheriff
- County Fire Districts
- Library from which they purchased a non-resident card
Do any other libraries charge non-resident fees?
Yes, each of the public libraries in Skagit County charge non-resident fees, as follows:
| Anacortes | $76/year | | BURLINGTON | $60/year | | La Conner | $50/year | | Mt. Vernon | $80/year | | Sedro-Woolley | $56/year | | Upper Skagit Library District | $30/year |
Isn't $60 an excessive amount?
No. This amount equals $5 a month, and $60 covers an entire household for a year. To help put this in perspective, look at what $60 will buy you elsewhere: 3 hardbound books per year, pizza and a movie for a family of four, or less than a year's subscription to the Skagit Valley Herald. A library card is the best bargain around at less than 17 cents a day!
What do I get when I purchase a non-resident card?
A non-resident card entitles you to the same privileges as a resident library cardholder: you can check out library materials (books, videos, magazines, audiobooks). You have access to the Library's 37,000-item collection and 100+ magazine and newspaper subscriptions. You can use the Library's electronic resources, including the Internet, Microsoft Office software, and online magazine databases. Children can attend library storytimes, events, and participate in the Summer Reading Program.
There is no charge to use library materials in the library, for studying or taking a test in the library, for using our public computers, or for asking reference questions.
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 say to their students,"go to the nearest public library and check out a book on your 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: 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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