Spokane Valley Library to open “express branch” at the Spokane Valley Mall

The Spokane Valley Library plans to open an express location at Spokane Valley Mall before summer.

The branch would have the most popular books and access to online programs and content, said Jane Baker, Spokane Valley Library spokeswoman.

“This does not replace our desire to find a new location in Spokane Valley,” Baker said.

The mall branch will have staff that can help people access books on tablets.

“People already go to the mall and we thought this could be a great addition,” Baker said.

District officials researched other mall branches across the state and discovered they’re very popular elsewhere, she said.

Efforts to persuade Valley voters to fund a new library across the street from the new Spokane Valley City Hall failed twice, and the Library District is no longer pursuing a bond.

Yet the Spokane Valley City Council has encouraged the district to try for another bond or seek other funding to build a new library.

The Spokane Valley Library still owns the land across from the new city hall, next to Balfour Park. Construction of the new city hall is expected to be done in September.

Meetings to find a funding solution continue between Spokane Valley and the Library District.