St. Helens library director details growing programs and usage as council weighs outreach limits ahead of ballot measure

Suzanne Bishop, the St. Helens public library director, told the joint library board and city council on Feb. 25 that the library recorded 49,336 building visits in 2025 — about a 25% increase over the prior year — and circulated 93,709 items when e-books and audiobooks are counted.

Bishop used a lengthy presentation to highlight new and growing services, saying the library has about 30 titles in a newly inaugurated Columbia County authors special collection and will open rolling submissions in April. "There's about 30 books in the collection right now, and they are available to be checked out," Bishop said. She described submission criteria: authors must live or work in Columbia County or belong to a local writers group and provide a bound item that is publicly available.

Why it matters: Bishop said rising visits and program use come as the city considers a ballot measure affecting library funding. Council members asked whether the library or city may legally distribute materials that would influence voters; staff said they will…