Our vision is to ensure that Washingtonians have access to the information they need today and to the history of Washington for tomorrow.
Our mission and purpose is to:
- Collect, preserve, and make accessible to Washingtonians materials on the government, history, culture, and natural resources of the state;
- Provide leadership and coordination of services to all libraries in the state of Washington;
- Support the information needs of residents in state institutions and of the visually impaired;
- Serve as the primary source in the region for published information from the federal government.
History of services at the Washington State Library
The Washington State Library has promoted numerous services throughout its history. In 1905 it became a clearing house for old magazines and collected issues indexed in Poole’s and the Reader’s Guide from libraries in the state. In 1933, the Legislative Information Service was made available at the library to help Washington lawmakers to prepare bills for the Legislature. In carrying out its mission to preserve the state’s written record, the Washington State Library began the Washington Author Collection in 1940 and in 1952 began to microfilm early state newspapers. Currently the Washington State Library offers historical and government resources relevant to the general public, professionals, researchers and students; provides consulting, administrative, and other services to aid the planning and development of libraries in the state of Washington; and serves as a Regional Federal Depository Library and Washington State Publications Depository.