Washington County Cooperative Library Services (WCCLS) is a department of Washington County. WCCLS partners with 9 cities and 3 non-profit organizations that operate libraries in the county. The cities are Banks, Beaverton, Cornelius, Forest Grove, Hillsboro, North Plains, Sherwood, Tigard, and Tualatin. The non-profit organizations are Community Library Associations, including Aloha, Cedar Mill and Garden Home. Together, WCCLS and our member libraries make up the cooperative.
WCCLS is governed by the elected Board of County Commissioners. The Board of County Commissioners adopts Washington County’s annual budget, appropriates funds to operate WCCLS, authorizes the County Administrator to sign intergovernmental agreements with our partner agencies, and approves any funding measures placed on the ballot for voters.
WCCLS Executive Board
The WCCLS Executive Board provides strategic leadership, oversight, and accountability for the Cooperative. Executive Board members serve as liaisons between the Cooperative and their individual organizations and governing bodies, ensuring individual accountability to the Intergovernmental Agreements (IGAs) and communicating key information about Cooperative matters to local leadership and governing bodies. The Executive Board advises and makes recommendations to the Board of County Commissioners, the County Administrator, and the WCCLS Manager on issues pertaining to Cooperative-wide funding, governance, and service delivery.
WCCLS Library Leadership Group
The Library Leadership Group provides operational leadership and subject matter expertise for the Cooperative. Library Leadership Group members serve as liaisons between the Cooperative and their individual organization’s library staff, advisory committees, and community members, ensuring alignment with the Intergovernmental Agreements (IGAs) and Cooperative-wide policies, and communicating key information about Cooperative matters to local staff and community members. The Library Leadership Group advises and provides recommendations to the Executive Board and the WCCLS Manager on issues pertaining to Cooperative-wide service delivery, including operational impacts, community needs, and emerging issues.
Funding
WCCLS is funded by a transfer from the County’s General Fund and a voter-approved local option levy that expires in June 2031. WCCLS provides operational funding to our member libraries. Each city also helps fund library operations, and cities are responsible for all of the costs associated with building libraries. The non-profit libraries fundraise locally, lease their spaces, and serve urban unincorporated areas of the county. In addition to operational funding, WCCLS provides critical infrastructure and support services that connect the independently operated libraries into one countywide system accessible to all residents.