About Us - Yakima Valley Libraries

Mission Statement

“Yakima Valley Libraries: together we empower, inspire, and connect”

Located in the beautiful, agricultural Yakima County in south-central Washington State, Yakima Valley Libraries serves the entire county with the exceptions of the City of Grandview and the Town of Tieton. With 4,296 square miles, Yakima County is the second largest in the state. Yakima Valley Libraries is a junior taxing district that is primarily supported through local property taxes and provides quality library services to the general public.

The rural county library district was formed in 1945 and is now comprised of a central library and 14 community libraries located throughout Yakima County. All towns or cities, with the exceptions of the City of Grandview and the Town of Tieton, are either annexed to or contracted with Yakima Valley Libraries for library services. Annexed cities include Harrah, Moxee, Selah, Yakima (Yakima Central and West Valley), Sunnyside, Toppenish, Wapato, Union Gap, and Zillah. Contracting cities include Mabton, Granger, and Naches. Rural county locations include Buena and Terrace Heights. Yakima Valley Libraries currently serves over 243,000 people in Yakima County.

In 2025 the library district was open a total of 34,008 hours and served 402,273 combined visitors. We circulated over 849,347 items and hosted 44,512 computer appointments using the 122 Internet computers available to the public.

History

Library services in the Yakima Valley began in 1889. Citizens in one small community hoped to enrich their lives by providing a public reading room. In time, that same hope spread throughout the valley. Growing towns that established schools and libraries boasted of the culture and education they could offer new settlers and investors. Those early libraries were the seeds that became Yakima Valley Libraries.

2000’s

2015 – Sunnyside Community Library remodel.

2015 – Selah Community Library purchase of building.

2012 – The Richard E. Ostrander West Valley Community Library opens August, 13, 2012.

2012 – Yakima Central Library major remodel completed

2012 – Buena Friends of the Library reopen the Buena branch of Yakima Valley Libraries in a beautiful new building.

2011 – Groundbreaking for new West Valley Library

2011 – Yakima Valley Library Awards Building Contract to Blew’s Construction

2011 – Invitation to Bid September 7, 2011

2011 – Proposed Project Schedule June 6, 2011

2011 – Questions for West Valley SOQ, January 12, 2011

2010 – Selah Library moves to newer, larger building at 106 S 2nd Street.

2006 – Yakima library annexed to regional library

2005 – Selah City Library joins with regional library

2004 – Sunnyside Library annexed

2001 – Toppenish library annexed

2000 – Wapato library moves to new location

1900’s

1994 – Libraries provide public Internet access

1973 – Selah City Library established

1977 – Library opened in Mabton

1968 – Wapato Library merged with Yakima Valley Regional Library

1964 – Carnegie Library in Sunnyside is demolished and replaced with new building.

1961 – Library in Toppenish organized

1959 – New regional library building dedicated in Yakima

1958 – Library opened in Moxee

1951 – Rural and city libraries merge to form The Yakima Valley Regional Library.

1946 – Buena Book Nook opened

1944 – Rural library district is established. Library branches soon opened in Zillah, Tieton, Naches, Terrace Heights and Union Gap.

1942 – Wapato City Library relocates

1917 – Carnegie library in Yakima remodeled

1911 – Why towns supported a library

1911 – Carnegie Library at 621 Grant Street in Sunnyside is dedicated.

1911 – Library opened in Wapato

1910 – Speaking on behalf of the public, Board of Trustees directs librarian to buy more fiction.

1907 – The Carnegie Library in Yakima dedicated. Bessie C. Hall was librarian

1904 – Yakima passes an ordinance to finance library services with public tax monies.

1903 – Andrew Carnegie donates $10,000 for the construction of a free public library in Yakima.

1900 – The circulating library moves to the corner of Yakima Avenue and 3rd Street to accommodate its growing collection of 1800 books.

1800’s

1895 – Library moved to the second floor of the Syndicate Building, located at North 2nd and ‘A’ Street in North Yakima

1889 – Women’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) establishes public reading room on First Street in North Yakima

1892 – Circulating library established by North Yakima Library Association. After the first year, they had 75 members and 350 books.

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