Most people have never met a library trustee. That’s because governance happens quietly. In monthly meetings, over budget documents and policy language.
Right now, the Ferry County Commissioners are accepting letters of interest for the Ferry County seat on NCW Libraries Board of Trustees, through Thursday, September 24. If you’ve ever wondered who decides what your library does, or thought you’d like a say in it, this is the answer to both.
The Seven-Person Board
NCW Libraries is governed by seven trustees, appointed by joint resolution of the county commissioners across our five-county service area: two from Chelan County, two from Grant County, and one each from Douglas, Okanogan, and Ferry counties.
The structure is deliberate. A library district stretching from Mattawa to Curlew can’t be governed well from any single town. Each trustee carries their county’s realities into the room. What is means to live an hour from a branch, what a small town needs from a library that a larger town doesn’t.
What Trustees Actually Do
The board is a governing body fro the district. In practice that means:
- Setting policy. Everything from lending rules to how the district handles requests to remove materials.
- Financial oversight. NCW Libraries operates on a $16 million annual budget with over 200 employees across 30 locations, a Mail Order Library, and a bookmobile. Trustees approve the budget and monitor how it’s spent.
- Legislative and strategic direction. Where the district is headed over the next five years, and what it advocates for.
- Advocacy at home. Trustees keep local officials and community stakeholders informed about library initiatives in the counties they represent.
Trustees also affirm the NCW Libraries Freedom to Read Statement and uphold the policies that protect intellectual freedom. A commitment that matters more, not less, in a moment when libraries across the country face pressure over what’s on their shelves.
The Requirements
The board meets once a month at the administrative offices in Wenatchee. Trustees are welcome to attend in person or by Zoom. Mileage, meals, and lodging for board travel are reimbursed under district policy.
Trustees are volunteers. There is no financial compensation. Trustees may serve up to two seven-year terms.
The district is looking for people with strengths in strategic thinking, organizational leadership, financial oversight, governance, legal compliance, stakeholder engagement, and library advocacy. What every good trustee has in common is simpler, they know their community, and they believe a public library belongs at the center of it.
Who’s Eligible
You must be a current resident of Ferry County. The Commissioners have specified that owning property in the county without living there does not qualify.
How to Apply
Write a letter of interest. The Commissioners have asked that it include a statement describing how you intend to use your skills and community connections to benefit NCW Libraries and Ferry County.
Email it to commissioners@co.ferry.wa.uscreate new email or mail it to:
Ferry County BOCC
290 E. Tessie Avenue
Republic, WA 99166
Letters are due no later than Thursday, September 24, 2026.
Questions about the role? Contact NCW Libraries at 509-663-1117 or email info@ncwlibraries.orgcreate new email.
Learn More
NCW Libraries Board of Trustees
NCW Libraries: About Us
NCW Libraries 2025 Annual Report
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