Vote YES on April 28!
Restoring the Library Levy
For the first time in 16 years, the North Olympic Library System (NOLS) is asking Clallam County voters to decide on a library levy lid lift. If approved, Proposition 1 would restore the library levy rate from $0.28 to $0.45 per $1,000 of assessed value. For a home assessed at $400,000, the total monthly cost of the library levy would increase by $5.67 per month.
Get details about the levy and find out exactly how much it will cost you at nols.org/levy.
Libraries are the Heart of our Community
The North Olympic Library System is a critical resource in Clallam County. With four branches, a bookmobile, outreach and home delivery services, 500,000+ physical and digital items, hundreds of events and programs, free computers and high-speed internet access, and study rooms and public meeting rooms, there are countless ways the library serves our community.
In 2025, the Library had over 300,000 visits, 32,000 active cardholders, and nearly 1 million checkouts and renewals.
The Library last asked for a levy lid lift in 2010, when voters approved a $0.50 levy rate. Since then, assessed property values have more than doubled, but state law limits the Library's annual property tax revenue growth to 1%. This is far below the rising rate of operating costs over those 16 years, despite the Library’s efficient and responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars.
This modest proposal will cost the average homeowner less than $6 per month. Without the levy lid lift, services will face cuts: fewer hours, staff, materials, and programs that support children, seniors, families, and job seekers. Our rural and underserved areas would be deeply impacted. The levy is not for the Sequim Library construction, which was built with donations, grants, and timber revenue.
Libraries aren’t a luxury—they are vital to education, opportunity, and community wellbeing. A Yes vote means sustaining what we love about our libraries and building a stronger, more resilient community for everyone in Clallam County, regardless of how often they visit. Let’s protect this critical resource. Let’s keep libraries open, vibrant, and thriving—now and for future generations. Vote Yes on Proposition 1!
A vote YES will:
- Continue current open hours and staffing.
- Maintain a robust collection of library materials, minimal wait times, and online resources.
- Address maintenance needs, enhancing facilities, and improving access to technology.
- Increase programs and outreach activities for all ages.
A vote NO will:
- Reduce open hours, staffing, and services.
- Decrease the budget for library materials, causing longer wait times and less selection.
- Delay maintenance, minimizing facility upkeep, and using aging or outdated technology.
- Cut programs and outreach activities for all ages.
Volunteer Need Update
We've handed out hundreds of yard signs and buttons, and have dozens of community members writing postcards to likely voters, and letters to the editors, so we've taken down our volunteer registration form.
You can still help the campaign by reminding your friends and neighbors to vote YES and return their ballots as soon as possible.
Thank you!