The King County Library System (KCLS) has opened a new central materials sorting facility in Renton, featuring what is believed to be the largest library materi
The King County Library System (KCLS) has opened a new central materials sorting facility in Renton, featuring what is believed to be the largest library materials sorting system in North America, an upgrade designed to speed delivery of books and other materials to library users across King County, officials said.
The facility, located in the Oakesdale area of Renton, opened in June and serves as a central hub for moving materials throughout the library system. KCLS serves 1.6 million King County residents and has a collection of 2.7 million items.
An image of King County Library System's new materials sorter hub in Renton on Aug. 19, 2026. (KOMO)At the center of the facility is a $5.2 million sorting system from Lyngsoe Systems.
The modular system includes two robotic arms and replaces a 20-year-old sorter that had been breaking down for 15 to 30 hours each month.
KCLS said the new system will provide faster and more reliable delivery of books, movies, music and other checked-out materials.
The sorter plays a key role in KCLS' ability to operate as a unified library system. A hold placed at a smaller branch, for example, can be filled with an item from anywhere in the system's 2.7 million-item collection.
The central sorter helps move those materials among branches, giving patrons access to more titles and formats regardless of which branch they use.
An image of King County Library System's new materials sorter hub in Renton on Aug. 19, 2026. (KOMO)The new equipment also changes working conditions for employees who spent years operating around the aging sorting system.
The quieter and more reliable equipment is improving employees' day-to-day working environment, KCLS said.
The Renton facility represents an economic shift for the library system as well. KCLS moved its sorting operations from Preston to the Oakesdale area, bringing nearly 40 new jobs to Renton.
The library system now employs 70 people in the city.
A preview of the facility will offer a behind-the-scenes look at how library materials travel through the system.
Visitors will be able to see the sorter and its robotic arms in operation and try sorting materials alongside members of the KCLS Facilities team.
For KCLS, the new facility is intended to make the largely unseen process of moving millions of library materials more dependable — and ultimately get requested items into patrons' hands faster.
