In 1943, King County Rural Library District was established as a “special purpose” district to provide library service to residents of rural King County. Similar to other special purpose districts, such as school, fire, and water districts, KCLS is an independent entity—it is not part of King County government and does not receive funding from King County’s budget. KCLS’ annual budget is funded predominantly through property tax revenues.
Today, King County Library System (KCLS) operates 50 libraries serving more than one million patrons across the county. The property tax revenue KCLS receives is distributed among all 50 libraries to ensure equitable service for the urban, suburban and rural communities KCLS serves.
