Upper Skagit Library
🏢 Upper Skagit Library District · Concrete, Washington
Upper Skagit Library
Tucked between the Skagit River and the peaks of the North Cascades, the Upper Skagit Library is eastern Skagit County's gathering place — a renovated 1940s American Legion Hall turned hub for reading, digital access, a community Freedge, and weekly Teen D&D sessions.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | Closed |
| Tuesday | 10am–7pm |
| Wednesday | 10am–7pm |
| Thursday | 10am–7pm |
| Friday | 10am–5pm |
| Saturday | 10am–5pm |
| Sunday | Closed |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 45952 Main Street, Concrete, WA 98237
Phone: (360) 853-7716
Website: upperskagitlibrary.org
Plus Code: 84WWG7Q3+FR (Concrete, WA)
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📖 About Upper Skagit Library
The Upper Skagit Library is an independent public library district serving the rural communities of eastern Skagit County — the stretch of the Upper Skagit Valley from Birdsview east to Marblemount, bounded by North Cascades National Park and the Baker River watershed. The district was established in 2001 to fill a library gap for residents of the Concrete School District; the library first opened to the public in 2005 in a 1,600-square-foot room inside the Ted Anderson East Skagit County Resource Center. In 2021 the library completed a renovation of the former Heskett-Arnold American Legion Hall Post 132 at 45952 Main Street and relocated to that larger building, dramatically expanding its capacity and services. The Town of Concrete joined the district in 2015 after a successful annexation vote. Funded primarily through a local property-tax levy, the library is governed by a Board of Trustees and serves approximately 4,062 residents, circulating more than 22,000 items per year.
⭐ What makes this library special
- Established 2001, open to the public since 2005; relocated in 2021 to a renovated former American Legion Hall (Heskett-Arnold Post 132) on Main Street in Concrete
- Independent taxing district covering eastern Skagit County within the Concrete School District — from Birdsview east to Marblemount — not part of Skagit County Rural Library District or Sno-Isle
- Free 24/7 Wi-Fi accessible from the parking lot, plus in-library computers and printing/faxing; Washington State Discover Passes available for checkout
- Community Freedge (outdoor food pantry), free naloxone distribution, Days for Girls menstrual product program, and cold/hot weather emergency shelter — reflecting the library's role as a rural safety-net institution
- Active Teen Advisory Board; Teen D&D Club meets weekly; Queer Youth Meet-up (ages 13–24); Teen Art Club and Write On writing group
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
Upper Skagit cardholders access these digital tools free through the Skagit Evergreen consortium and Washington state programs:
📚 Services
- Physical lending: books for all ages, Blu-ray/DVDs, games, magazines, audio CDs, newspapers, large-print books
- Public computers and laptops; free in-library and parking-lot Wi-Fi (24/7)
- Printing and faxing
- Washington State Discover Passes (free checkout for recreation area access)
- Interlibrary loan via Skagit County Evergreen Libraries consortium (usl.skagitcatalog.org)
- Online temporary e-card registration
- Community meeting room available for public use
- Cold- and hot-weather emergency shelter
- Community Freedge — outdoor food access pantry
- Free naloxone (opioid overdose reversal) kits
- Days for Girls menstrual products
- Take-home craft and STEM kits
- Job hunting and test preparation assistance
🎸 Programs
- Teen Dungeons & Dragons Club — multiple weekly groups (ages 13–18), Wednesdays and other days
- Adult Dungeons & Dragons (ages 18+)
- Teen Art Club and Write On writing group
- Teen Advisory Board (community service credit available)
- Queer Youth Meet-up (ages 13–24)
- For the Love of Wisdom — monthly philosophy club (all ages)
- Family Game Night (all ages)
- Arts & Crafts (all ages)
- Summer Reading Program (annual, all ages)
- StoryTrail — outdoor reading trail partnership with Skagit Land Trust and Burlington Public Library
- Tribal Cultural Roadmap initiative — partnership with local tribal organizations
- Bilingual programming (English/Spanish)
📍 Nearby Libraries in Skagit County
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
All libraries in Concrete · Browse all Washington libraries →
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Upper Skagit Library part of Skagit County's main library system or Sno-Isle Libraries?
Neither. The Upper Skagit Library is its own independent junior taxing district — similar to a school or fire district — established by voters in 2001 to serve the eastern Skagit County area within the Concrete School District. It does not receive county general-fund money from Skagit County Rural Library District or Sno-Isle Libraries. It does, however, share an Evergreen catalog system with other Skagit County libraries and participates in reciprocal borrowing agreements with Anacortes, Burlington, Central Skagit (Sedro-Woolley), La Conner, Mount Vernon, and Darrington libraries.
Is there a connection between the library's name and the Upper Skagit Indian Tribe?
'Upper Skagit' refers to the Upper Skagit River valley, the geographic region the library district serves — roughly from Birdsview east to Marblemount. The Upper Skagit Indian Tribe is the federally recognized tribe whose traditional territory encompasses this same river corridor. The library's stated mission includes building mutually beneficial relationships with local tribal organizations, reflected in its Tribal Cultural Roadmap initiative, though the library is not a tribal institution.
Where was the library before it moved to Main Street, and why did it move?
The library opened in 2005 in a modest 1,600-square-foot room inside the Ted Anderson East Skagit County Resource Center. Space constraints limited its programs and collections for years. In 2017 the district acquired the former Heskett-Arnold American Legion Hall Post 132 at 45952 Main Street and began renovation. Renovation completed February 2021 and the move finalized March 2021, with full public access resuming in May 2021 after COVID restrictions eased. The new space allowed the library to expand its teen room, programming, and service offerings significantly.
Why is the library only open five days a week, and will hours expand?
As a small rural district funded primarily by a local property-tax levy set at $0.32 per $1,000 of assessed value, the Upper Skagit Library operates on a modest budget. Current hours are Tuesday–Thursday 10 am–7 pm and Friday–Saturday 10 am–5 pm. In November 2025 the district placed Proposition 1 on the ballot to restore the levy to its original voter-approved $0.50 per $1,000 — an increase that would allow the library to expand hours, staff, and programs for the roughly 4,000 residents it serves.
🖨 This library offers printing, copying & fax. See how library printing, copying, scanning and fax services work — costs and mobile printing — and find other libraries that offer them printing & fax by state.
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✓ Hours & details last verified from official sources in September 2026.