Budget shortfall closes Washington's Research & Braille Libraries to public

OLYMPIA – The Washington State Library (WSL) announced program closures to the public for its research library and the Washington Talking Book & Braille Library. There will also be a restriction of services at those locations after the state legislature did not include funding in the signed 2025-27 state budget.

Both the research library in Tumwater, Washington and the Washington Talking Book & Braille Library (WTBBL) in Seattle will be closed to the public starting July 1 and will remain closed until further notice. Staffing and resource cuts at both locations made it impractical to keep them open and running.

“The lack of budget appropriations to retain our knowledgeable staff and keep our programs running was an unfortunate casualty of the large budgetary shortfall facing our state legislature,” Secretary of State Steve Hobbs said. “The impact of the closures will risk denying communities access to the information, literacy tools, and resources they depend on. Libraries are cornerstones of civic life and education in many areas of our state.”

On the last day of the legislative session, the State Legislature passed the 2025–2027 Operating Budget without including any of the $6.7 million requested to support library operations. This decision arrived amid a severe budget deficit for WSL, driven by a sharp decline in real estate transactions and loan refinancing, both of which contribute recording fees that help fund WSL. 

  Programs affected include multisensory story time, the Low Vision Workshop, and the Touch of Braille workshop, a will be canceled.  

“These disruptions jeopardize equitable access to information for some of Washington’s most underserved residents unable to read standard print,” said Washington State Librarian Sara Jones. “While a newly signed bill will provide some funds in the future, the current funding gap is affecting our employees and important services now.”