I just returned from a trip to Denman, Salt Spring and Vancouver islands, combining work and play with two workshops and a conference, all related to books and libraries. Denman Island doesn’t have a library, but I presented my Whistler library card at the Salt Spring and Greater Victoria public libraries and am now registered to borrow there.

I already knew that British Columbia library services are excellent, but it was really brought home to me at the Pacific Northwest Library Association conference in Victoria. This was a joint conference with the Washington Library Association, and I was able to reconnect with several colleagues from my years in Washington. I also met up with a very old friend from library school, a woman I haven’t seen in almost 15 years. She is now director at a county library system in Northern California. Things are bad south of the border. In some places, they are very bad indeed.

In Washington, there is no cooperative borrowing, other than limited, local agreements. For example, the three libraries in the San Juan Islands (the Gulf Islands south of the border), there is an agreement in place. However, a Friday Harbor resident cannot take her or his library card to Seattle and borrow books. There is no equivalent to the B.C. OneCard there.

In California, it’s even worse. My friend in Siskiyou County has been fighting to keep her libraries — or even just a few branches — open at all. The region, with nearly 50,000 residents, was slated for a total cut of all operating funds for public libraries. A massive outcry from the taxpayers has resulted in a six-month “stay of execution,” but there is no assurance that operations will continue after that. Each of the 11 branches is open only a few days each week, even in the larger towns, and they have no money at all for new books.

I sometimes get frustrated in my job, wanting to do more — more hours, more programs, more collections, more, more, more! I often forget to remember how good we have it here in Whistler. Our library is well funded, and while the economic outlook is not rosy, I don’t think we’ll have to cut staff or hours unless something unforeseen and very drastic comes up. We are open seven days a week, and we are able to purchase most of the things our patrons ask for. I’d like to thank the Whistler taxpayers and the RMOW for recognizing the value of what we do at WPL.

Lauren Stara is director of the Whistler Public Library.