PASSPORT TO EXPLORE
Use this passport as your guide to exploring the rich history, current offerings, and future of Kitsap Regional Library. In the pages ahead, learn about each of our nine branches and how to participate in engaging adventures and side quests where you can earn prizes!
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HOW TO COMPLETE YOUR PASSPORT
» Bring your passport to the front desk at each Kitsap Regional Library location, and a staff member will stamp it for you.
» Once you’ve received all nine branch stamps, show your passport to a staff member to receive a prize: a collection of nine illustrated postcards, among other options.
» At the end of this passport, there are additional side quests you can complete throughout the year. For every side quest you finish, show your passport to a library staff member to receive a bookmark.
» Each branch has a limited-edition library card. Pick up your favorite design at the front desk of that location.
HISTORY OF KITSAP REGIONAL
LIBRARY
It’s July 1944, and in a strong show of approval, Kitsap County voters overwhelmingly decide to create a rural library district, carrying the decision 3,297 to 616. An article in the Kitsap Sun briefly explains a board will likely be appointed later that following week and that “one mobile library unit and a number of branches are expected to be in operation in the near future.” Though the story runs on the front page, it’s situated midway down, overwhelmed by the blaring top headline: “GERMANS FLEE BALTIC LINE.”
The 80-year history of Kitsap’s public library system is one that naturally reflects and amplifies the lives and voices of the communities it serves. It’s a story of resilience, in making do with what’s available even while working toward ambitious dreams of encouraging and supporting remarkable achievements. It’s a story of partnerships between
educators, public services, parents, and local professionals working to inspire new generations while bringing communities together.
In 1945, the newly formed system brought longstanding community libraries (some now over 100 years old!) into alliance and worked quickly to link together more of the county by opening more branches.
Today, Kitsap Regional Library is a treasure trove of possibilities. Each of its nine branches offers a new adventure, from busy branches meeting downtown needs to thriving locations that support community life.
So, whether you’re looking for a thrilling story, a new discovery, or a place to explore, Kitsap Regional Library is where your journey begins. Step through our doors and start your adventure!
PRIZES
For each branch visit, receive a unique stamp commemorating your stop. Once you’ve received all nine stamps, choose your prize: a collection of nine illustrated postcards, among other options, signifying your achievement and celebrating the Library’s 80 years of service. For a complete list of prizes, visit KRL.org/80years.
Complete the side quests to receive a bookmark. There are nine unique designs to collect!
The adventure will continue in early April with a mug hunt, encouraging exploration and discovery.
Prizes available through December 2025, while supplies last.
Join us in honoring 80 years of library service in Kitsap with a grand anniversary celebration at Silverdale.
DATE: Friday, May 9, 2025 ı 6-8 pm
LOCATION: Silverdale, 2650 NW Anderson Hill Road, Suite 101
LOCATIONS
For holiday closures, visit KRL.org/locations.
Bainbridge (206) 451-5050
1270 Madison Ave. N, 98110
Mon.-Thu. 10-7 ı Fri., Sat. 10-5
Sun. 1-5
Bremerton - Dr. Martin
Luther King Jr. (360) 447-5420
612 5th St., 98337
Mon.-Thu. 10-6 ı Fri. 10-5
Sat. 10-2
Bremerton - Sylvan Way (360) 447-5480
1301 Sylvan Way, Bremerton, 98310
Mon.-Thu. 10-7 ı Fri., Sat. 10-5
Sun. 1-5
Kingston (360) 860-5070
26159 Dulay Rd. NE, 98346
Mon.-Thu. 10-6 ı Fri., Sat. 10-5
Little Boston (360) 860-5080
31980 Little Boston Rd. NE, 98346
Mon.-Thu. 10-6 ı Fri. 10-5
Sat. 10-2
Manchester (360) 447-5430
8067 E Main St. Port Orchard, 98366
Mon.-Thu. 10-6 ı Fri. 10-5 Sat. 10-2
Mobile Services (360) 447-5505
Offering services for individuals who have challenges visiting our library branches, Mobile Services delivers library materials to those that qualify. Learn more at KRL.org/mobileservices.
Port Orchard (360) 447-5440
87 Sidney Ave., 98366
Mon.-Thu. 10-7 ı Fri., Sat. 10-5
Sun. 1-5
Poulsbo (360) 447-5450
700 NE Lincoln Rd., 98370
Mon.-Thu. 10-7 ı Fri., Sat. 10-5
Silverdale (360) 447-5470
3650 NW Anderson Hill Rd., Suite 101, 98383
Mon.-Thu. 10-7
Fri., Sat. 10-5
1945 Kitsap County Rural Library District established on January 1, 1945.
Little Boston
Sylvan Way
Manchester Port Orchard
Kingston
Poulsbo
Bainbridge
Silverdale
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
BAINBRIDGE ISLAND
First Opened: 1863
Joined Library System: 1947
Partners: Bainbridge Public Library, Inc.
& Bainbridge Island Friends of the Library
Bainbridge Island is home to the second oldest public library in all of Puget Sound.
During World War II, The Bainbridge Review earned national recognition for its work opposing the forced removal of Japanese American island residents.
Archived issues from that era became the Library’s first special digital collection in 2015.
OPSSAP R T STAMP
Strawberries hold a special place in Bainbridge history. Japanese Americans planted and owned the island’s first strawberry farms which helped jumpstart the region’s fruit-growing industry.
1956 The Library’s Summer Reading program begins.
BREMERTON - DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.
First Opened: 1908
Partners: City of Bremerton Joined Library System: 1955
The iconic Art Deco building was funded by a Works Progress Administration grant, part of the New Deal program seeking to overcome the effects of The Great Depression.
During World War II, this library continued its traditional role and added home front duties, hosting Red Cross work parties and providing office space for the federal government’s Office of Price Administration.
OPSSAP R T STAMP
Paying tribute to the branch’s military and shipyard ties and Art Deco architecture, the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. card design highlights the USS Nimitz and the sunburst accents from its 1938 building.
1971 Home delivery throughout the county begins, bringing books and collection materials to those unable to visit branches themselves.
BREMERTON - SYLVAN WAY
First Opened: 1978
Joined Library System: 1978
Partners: East Bremerton Friends of the Library & Puget Sound Genealogical Society
The largest branch in the system and headquarters for support staff, Sylvan Way is the central hub of Kitsap Regional Library. This is where all items in the collection are ordered, repaired, and continuously circulated throughout the entire county.
The Library once rented a herd of goats to help with the landscaping needs at Sylvan Way; they ate all the blackberry bushes and ivy.
Connected to Bremerton via the Warren Avenue bridge, a trip to Sylvan Way is often a journey over the saltwater and past iconic mountains.
1977 Kitsap Regional Library adopts microfiche cataloging system, removing bulky card catalog cabinets.
KINGSTON
First Opened: 1945
Joined Library System: 1945
Partners: Village Green Metropolitan Park District & Kingston Friends of the Library
A rare Camperdown Scotch Elm tree grows outside the Kingston branch. It was planted at the turn of the 20th century on a homestead on the site the Village Green Community Center now occupies.
Every year, Kingston hosts Slug Fest, a beloved community festival celebrating all forms of the slimy creature.
OPSSAP R T STAMP
Capturing a classic Kitsap adventure, the Kingston branch card design showcases the ferry and jellyfish moving through Puget Sound waters.
1983 System launches plastic library cards, assigning each patron a unique barcode, allowing all to use the Library more freely.
LITTLE BOSTON
First Opened: 1974
Joined Library System: 1974
Partners: Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe
For its first 15 years, the branch was housed in an A-frame cabin on the Port Gamble S’Klallam Reservation. Today, the branch is located in the Tribe’s House of Knowledge complex.
In 1999, the branch won the nationally esteemed “Excellence in Small and/or Rural Public Library Service Award” from the Public Library Association and EBSCO Information Services.
OPSSAP R T STAMP
In celebration of the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe, the orca represents both the vitality of this keystone species to our region, as well as the essential nature of the Library’s partnership with the Tribe.
1986 Kitsap Regional Library launches the state’s second online public library catalog.
MANCHESTER
First Opened: 1947
Joined Library System: 1947
Partners: Friends of the Manchester Library
A Library board of trustee member originally donated a corner of a small shopping mall for the branch to operate out of before it grew and moved into, of all things, a renovated chicken coop.
The mural behind this library has lots of hidden creatures, there is even a scavenger hunt you can try — just ask at the front desk!
OPSSAP R T STAMP
The branch’s time-honored Father’s Day Salmon Bake, with over 50 years of history serving a salmon feast to its community, comes to life with native coho salmon featured inside a vibrant underwater scene. 1995 New technology enables patrons to place their own holds on books for the first time.
PORT ORCHARD
First Opened: 1924
Joined Library System: 1964
Partners: City of Port Orchard & Port Orchard
Friends of the Library
This branch consistently sees the most new patrons sign up for library accounts throughout the Kitsap Regional Library system.
The Port Orchard library was originally built as a post office and the adult fiction area was a loading dock for the mail trucks — which is why it slopes a little!
OPSSAP R T STAMP
2007
The branch’s nautical flags spell “READ” while the seagull recognizes another Port Orchard icon.
To the Library launches! During the 2007-2008 school year, all third grade students in the South Kitsap School District take a field trip to the library.
POULSBO
First Opened: 1918
Joined Library System: 1989
Partners: Poulsbo Friends of the Library
In its early days, the Poulsbo library had no permanent “home” but moved to wherever space could be found: the basement of the junior high school and a room at Poulsbo City Hall also used for night court.
The garden outside the branch celebrates Poulsbo’s Scandinavian heritage with a vibrant collection planted in partnership with the Poulsbo Garden Club.
As you enter Poulsbo, a sign welcomes you in Lushootseed: “?u l əc’il čəxw ?al tə č’uč’u l ac”—You have arrived in Maple Grove, the Suquamish Tribe’s traditional name for this land.* The design’s maple leaves honor the tribe, while the Scandinavian knots reflect the heritage of the city’s settlers. *cityofpoulsbo.com 2015 Summer Reading becomes Summer Learning and expands to invite community members of all ages to participate.
SILVERDALE
First Opened: 1945
Joined Library System: 1945
Partners: Central Kitsap School District & Friends of the Silverdale Library
The first branch in Silverdale was originally operated out of a remodeled 16’ x 16’ Army surplus building that stored barrage balloons and had been used as a barracks.
The branch’s current location inspires nostalgia for many Kitsap residents — it was the cafeteria of the old Central Kitsap High School, Building 900.
Recognizing the Whaling Days festival and Silverdale’s nautical roots, the branch card design showcases Dyes Inlet and the life it sustains.
2018 The Kitsap Regional Library system goes fine free.
SIDE QUESTS
Participate in side quests and receive a stamp at any branch for each activity. Once you’ve collected a stamp, claim your bookmark prize! Finish each side quest to receive all nine unique bookmark designs.
Read 10 hours during Summer Learning
KRL.org/summer
Explore a language with Mango Languages
KRL.org/languages
Learn something new with LinkedIn Learning or Creativebug
KRL.org/learning
SEE YOU ON SOCIAL
Join in our journey as we celebrate 80 years of service! Follow along on Facebook and Instagram, and tag us @kitsaplibrary to share what you discover as you explore the Library with your passport.
Find a book with Novelist KRL.org/readers
Join a group or attend an event KRL.org/events
Trace your family ancestry KRL.org/genealogy
Check out a digital magazine KRL.org/download
Listen to an audiobook on Libby KRL.org/download
Grab a staffrecommended title KRL.org/explore
Passport to Explore and the Library’s 80th Anniversary Celebration are funded in large part by generous donors of Kitsap Regional Library Foundation.
Wear your library love with gear from the Foundation store! Proceeds allow the Foundation to support Library programs and spaces beyond what regular funding supports. Scan the code or visit supportKRL.org/shop.
