Outreach | Mount Vernon, WA - Official Website

Outreach Services

The Mount Vernon City Library strives to provide equitable services to all people in our community by providing library outreach services and programs at locations outside of the library to share with our vibrant Mount Vernon community. We offer storytimes, STEM activities, arts and crafts, and special programs such as virtual reality and Ozobot coding at local schools, after-school programs, preschools, and other organizations serving children in our community. We organize visits to juvenile detention, assisted living facilities, and other residentiary facilities as requested. We can set up a booth at your community event to share library information and offer library card sign-up opportunities. You can also find free materials at one of our Little Free Libraries at Bakerview Park, Hillcrest Park, Edgewater Park, or the Mount Vernon City Library garden.

If your event or location is in Mount Vernon, WA, please reach out to mvlibrary@mountvernonwa.gov to arrange library outreach services. We look forward to hearing from you!

School Visits

Our Outreach Librarian visits classes at all grade levels within the Mount Vernon School District, Conway School District, including preschools, private schools and the Skagit Valley College. For these visits we typically plan storytimes, STEM or art activities to support classroom learning. We also offer school visits to share information with students and staff about library services and resources and how to access them. In addition, the library often attends school events to offer opportunities to sign up for library cards and share library information with students and their families.

Community Events

You can find our library outreach staff at popular community events such as the Skagit County Fair, Tulip Festival Street Fair, Salmon Festival, Children’s Art Festival, Mount Vernon Farmer’s Market and more. At these events we provide information about library services, offer library card sign-ups, and bring fun activities for all ages to participate in. If you are planning an event you would like the library to attend, send us an email with the event details to mvlibrary@mountvernonwa.gov.

Childcare Provider Services

Get a library card for your childcare agency! A library card gives you access to the library's physical (in building) collection as well as online collection of ebooks, audiobooks, movies, music, and more. Family child care homes located inside of Mount Vernon City limits can apply for a free library card online or in person at the library. Child Care centers located within the city limits of Mt. Vernon can apply for a free Agency card.

We offer Outreach storytimes to licensed childcare agencies within Mount Vernon.A typical storytime includes stories, songs, rhymes, and movement activities that incorporate early literacy skills to help prepare children for kindergarten.

Personal Shopping Services are available for home based childcare providers. We will pick a selection of up to 15 picture books for you or you can use the library catalog to select your own books and place them on hold. Delivery and Pickup Services of library materials are available for home based childcare providers by request.

Staff of larger childcare centers can shop the library catalog and place books on hold for your facility. We will hold your books for up to a week for your designated staff member to pick up at the library.

If your Mount Vernon childcare facility is interested in library outreach services, please contact us at

mvlibrary@mountvernonwa.gov.

Residentiary Facility Outreach

The library offers Outreach Services to residentiary facilities such as assisted living facilities, juvenile detention, and other locations upon request. At assisted living facilities residents provide reading profiles and library staff pre-select materials, including regular print fiction, nonfiction, large print, paperbacks, audiobooks, music CDs, DVDs, and magazines. Residents may also place holds on specific titles and the library delivers new materials and picks up returns on a weekly basis.

The library visits juvenile detention twice monthly and offers books talks, gifts books provided by the Friends of the library, and plans educational activities for adolescents to participate in. If your Mount Vernon facility is interested in creating a library service program, please contact us at

mvlibrary@mountvernonwa.gov.

StoryWalk®

A StoryWalk® is a fun and educational activity that puts the pages of a children’s book around different parts of a community or park, encouraging young and old to walk around and read the entire book together! They are a fantastic way to continue library outreach efforts and promote literacy in our community, especially during our current pandemic. StoryWalk®s encourage time spent active and outdoors, inspire outdoor exploration, and foster a sense of community. They promote positive community relationships with new and current library and parks patrons and the local government. Every season there will be a new bilingual book chosen for the Hillcrest StoryWalk®.

Click here to vote for our Fall Storywalk book!

Little Free Libraries

Stop by one of our Little Free Libraries in Mount Vernon at Bakerview Park, Edgewater Park, Hillcrest Park, or the Mount Vernon City Library garden.

These Little Free Libraries are sponsored by Friends of the Mount Vernon Library and books in these boxes are free to keep! Anyone may take or share books. You do not need to share a book in order to take one. Please do not return Mount Vernon City Library books to the Little Free Libraries.

Little Free Libraries Map

Address

315 Snoqualmie St.

Mt Vernon, WA 98273

Phone

(360) 336-6209

Email

mvlibrary@mountvernonwa.gov

Current Building Open Hours

Monday - Friday: 10 am – 6 pm

Saturday: 10 am – 4 pm

Curbside Hours