Bellingham Public Library - Bellingham, WA

09/05/2026

Nourish the soul and celebrate the stories behind our food 💚

Join us on 9/17 at the Central Library for an afternoon of connection as we learn stories and traditions of how our food nourishes our bodies and our communities.

Enjoy short films by Connecting Community, guided conversation, and delicious bites.

Together, we'll explore
• How local food systems help us grow community and reflect shared values
• Cultural connections to food and what we need to heal and flourish
• Ways to spark inspiration, strengthen wellness, and connect with each other.

It's all happening on Thursday, 9/17 from 4:00 to 5:30 pm at the Central Library Lecture Room. Weather permitting, we’ll enjoy portions of the event outdoors on Lee Memorial Lawn.

✨ Free food, beverages, and an open invitation — everyone is welcome!

Presented in partnership with Connecting Community, .environmental, and the Center for Community Learning , with support from the Friends of the Bellingham Public Library.

Food photos by Rima Stones and Emily Goodin.

09/04/2026

🍕 Democracy, pizza, and community conversations, all at your Library! 🍕

Join us for a series of hands-on workshops to participate in local democracy. Bring your curiosity, your questions, and your appetite — we’ll bring the pizza!

How should the USA celebrate its 250th anniversary? Let’s talk about what the Declaration of Independence means to us today.
Wednesday, 9/9 at 4:00 pm, Central Library Lecture Room
Special guests: League of Women Voters of Bellingham/Whatcom County, Indivisible Bellingham, and Northwest Justice Project.

Should Washington rivers have legal rights? Dive into a real case involving the Snohomish River and explore how it could shape our local future.
Thursday, 9/10 from 4:00–5:30 pm, Central Library Lecture Room
Featuring: Whatcom Watersheds Information Network, League of Women Voters of Bellingham/Whatcom County, and Whatcom County Superior Court Water Adjudication.

And this is just the beginning — more conversations are coming in October and November! This series is created in partnership with the WA Secretary of State Office of Civic Engagement. Find all upcoming dates on our homepage: https://bellinghampubliclibrary.org/

09/02/2026

08/28/2026

Water Week is almost here!

Join us Sept. 12-20 as we participate in a week of free, family-friendly events celebrating our precious local water resources! Whether you want to read stories along our waterfront, spot birds at the Little Squalicum Estuary, learn about the Lightcatcher Building’s green roof, or peek behind the scenes at our water treatment plants, there is something for everyone. Find the details and get more City news in this week’s Inside Bellingham: https://cob.org/news/2026/inside-bellingham-august-27-2026

08/28/2026

What a great lineup of Free First Friday events!

Save the date. Free First Friday is September 4, and this one is all about water.

"Sharing Our Water" brings together art, music, storytelling, panels, and a market of local artists and nonprofits, all centered on the waterways we share. Presented with Salish Current and the League of Women Voters.

Free admission all day. See the full schedule: whatcommuseum.org/free-first-friday

08/28/2026

Check out this year's beautiful Whatcom READS poster!

Have YOU read the book yet? "I Cheerfully Refuse" by Leif Enger is a beautifully written and compelling story that contains elements of multiple genres.

Community members may borrow "I Cheerfully Refuse" as a book, eBook or eAudiobook from local libraries or purchase it from Village Books, which donates 10% of each sale to Whatcom READS.

Visit the Whatcom READS website at whatcomreads.org for more information about the book, the author, and all of the wonderful programs and events that will take place between now and the author's visit in March 2027.

It’s officially Whatcom READS season when we unveil this year’s poster! (Thank you to artist Kelly Winton and author Leif Enger for allowing us to use the book’s cover art.) We can’t wait to share our lineup of free community programs with you. Until then, read our 2026-2027 selection, I Cheerfully Refuse by Leif Enger. And start working on your Whatcom WRITES submission. Prompt: Light in the Dark. Deadline: Oct. 11. Details at our website, whatcomreads.org.

Photo: Image of Whatcom READS’ 2026-2027 season poster held aloft against a moody late August sky. The poster features the book’s cover art by Kelly Winton — a sailboat afloat near a shore with a wildfire burning nearby and islands in the distance. Find more information at whatcomreads.org.

08/27/2026

Mark your calendars for Music Together at the Bellingham Public Library! On Friday, September 4 at the Central Library, Ms. Audrey of Music Together Fairhaven® will lead two special, free music classes for young children.

From 10:05 - 10:55am, children ages birth - 5 and the grownups who love them® are invited for a fun-filled family music time! Come down to the Lecture Room for music activities ranging from lullabies to full-on jam sessions (with child-friendly instruments).

From 11:30am - 12:20pm, babies age birth - 8 months and their grownups are invited for a special "babies only" program, where Ms. Audrey will explore how to bond with your baby through music and learn what to look for and encourage developmentally as they being their musical journey. Please no older siblings allowed as this session is geared toward the needs of the youngest non-mobile learners!

No registration is required. Please contact the Children's Department at 360-778-7200 for more information.

08/25/2026

Thank you, Dolly, for all that you've done to encourage literacy and the joy of reading in communities all across the nation. You made a real difference in the lives of so many.

The Library is devastated to learn of the passing of Dolly Parton, not only a talented musician, but also a true titan of children's literacy. Her Imagination Library has received multiple Library of Congress Literacy Awards and, in 2018, Dolly visited us to donate the program’s 100 millionth book to our collection. She even hosted story time. 🦋❤️

Watch the video of her story time reading at the Library. ⬇️ https://blogs.loc.gov/loc/2020/12/dolly-parton-the-library-that-dolly-built/

Image: Dolly Parton reads to children in the Library’s Great Hall in 2018. Photo by Shawn Miller/Library of Congress.

08/25/2026

Only one more week of Summer Reading left! Fill out those activity cards and drop them off at any Bellingham Public Library location by closing on August 31 and become a Summer Reading Superstar like Librarian Liz!

You don't have to fill out and decorate every square on your card to complete your Summer Reading goals, but it's pretty fun, and makes for a gorgeous piece of art if you're the creative type. Activity cards are still available if you haven't picked one up, and can even be printed out at home if you visit us online.