To the Editor,
In recent weeks, news of the City of Omak’s potential cancellation of its contract for library services with NCW Libraries has sparked a powerful community response. Omak residents and library users across Okanogan County have spoken loudly and clearly about the value they place in their library. They have filled council chambers, written heartfelt letters, and contacted both city leaders and NCW Libraries to advocate for preserving the strong library service they have long relied on.
For more than six decades, the Omak Library has been a place where children’s imaginations are nurtured, teens find a safe and welcoming environment, adults discover new interests, and seniors continue lifelong learning. Seeing this outpouring of support has been inspiring. It reflects not only love for the library, but also a community that believes in shared public spaces and civic engagement.
However, this conversation so far has focused mainly on the library’s past and present. It is just as important to understand what is at stake for the library’s future.
Last September, I attended an Omak City Council meeting to announce the launch of NCW Libraries’ Reimagining Spaces project at the Omak Library. As part of a board-approved, multi-year initiative to invest in city-owned library buildings across our region, Omak had been budgeted to receive more than $500,000 in interior upgrades. Beyond that commitment, our team pursued additional grant funding to make even more transformative improvements possible.
Those efforts were successful. We secured $723,000 from a Washington State Department of Commerce Library Improvement Grant, $250,000 from the Paul Lauzier Foundation, and $10,000 from the American Library Association. Together, these awards increased the total investment in the Omak Library project to more than $1.5 million.
These funds would allow us to reconfigure the library for more efficient operations and open currently unused areas of the building to the public. Plans include a large community room for both library programs and public meetings, a smaller study room or classroom, more seating, expanded collection space, and improved accessibility, including accessible restroom facilities.
We pursued these grants because we see tremendous untapped potential in the Omak Library building. Omak is home to a strong school district, adult learners through Wenatchee Valley College, active civic groups, nonprofit organizations, and local businesses. It is also a vital hub for residents throughout Okanogan County who come to the city for health, economic, and cultural services. The community deserves a library space that fully supports those needs. That is exactly what the Reimagining Spaces project is designed to deliver.
Unfortunately, current contract negotiations now place this investment in jeopardy.
Because NCW Libraries does not own the Omak Library building, both the Department of Commerce and the Lauzier Foundation required proof that the library would have long-term occupancy. In February 2024, the City signed a Memorandum of Understanding supporting a 10-year commitment as we prepared our grant applications. However, when notice of termination of the library service contract was delivered in October 2025, it raised serious questions about whether NCW Libraries would be able to continue operating in the building. Our grant partners are understandably hesitant to invest in a project if the library’s long-term presence is uncertain.
In addition, the pause in negotiations has delayed critical design work. Department of Commerce funds must be fully expended by June 30, 2027, meaning all construction must be completed by then. We began community engagement and design input last fall and are ready to move into final design and construction planning. Every month of delay increases the risk that we will miss required deadlines and lose funding.
This moment is about more than a contract. It is about whether Omak and the surrounding communities will move forward with a once-in-a-generation opportunity to modernize and expand their library using more than $1 million in outside funding.
I urge City leaders and NCW Libraries to work together in good faith to reach an agreement that preserves library service and protects this extraordinary investment in Omak’s future. The community has made it clear that the library matters. Now we have a chance to ensure the building itself reflects that same level of care, vision, and commitment for decades to come.
Sincerely,
Tim Dillman
Associate Director of Community Libraries
NCW Libraries
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