State funding shortages will force the Washington State Library in Tumwater and the Seattle-based Washington Talking Book and Braille Library to close public access starting July 1.

The state libraries will cut 12 jobs because of financial constraints.

The secretary of state’s office announced Friday that closing these facilities will restrict access to historical and governmental collections maintained by the state and result in the termination of multiple services and programs.

Many communities throughout our state rely on libraries as foundational institutions for both civic engagement and educational support. According to Secretary of State Steve Hobbs, library closures will threaten the availability of essential information and resources for communities.

The move comes after lawmakers and Gov. The state budget lacked a $6.7 million allocation from Governor Bob Ferguson to address a revenue shortfall from decreased real estate transaction fees.

Library patrons contacting the Tumwater library through Ask A Librarian or the main switchboard or sending emails should anticipate receiving a response that might take up to seven days. The library will stop providing newspaper and genealogy database subscriptions and will significantly reduce the purchase of new materials.

The Talking Book and Braille Library closure to public access will lengthen the voicemail response times. The public library will provide reduced service speeds for both circulation and registration operations.

The library will no longer offer multisensory story time programming together with Low Vision and Touch of Braille workshops. The state's sole accessible library service for blind people and those with disabilities will experience reduced production of braille and audio materials.

According to Washington State Librarian Sara Jones these disruptions threaten equal information access for Washington's most underserved residents who can't read regular print. The current funding shortage impacts our staff and crucial services immediately despite future financial support from a recently enacted bill.

Governor Ferguson signed a bill on May 19 to establish a $50 surcharge on superior court clerk filings with $20 earmarked for the secretary of state’s office to support library operations and state heritage projects. A fiscal analysis projects that this initiative would create up to $6 million during the complete biennium.