The Seattle Public Library reached a major milestone this week. On Wednesday, Oct. 18, we reopened our NewHolly Branch, the last remaining Library branch to reopen from the systemwide closure that began March 2020. With the NewHolly Branch once again open to the public, all 27 of our library branches are now serving patrons in person.
The NewHolly Branch is open from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays and Tuesdays, and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. We look forward to expanding these hours later in the year as staffing levels permit.
We love all our libraries, but this branch is unique and dear to our hearts. It was the first Library branch rebuilt with funds from the 1998 “Libraries for All” Levy, a measure that funded new and renovated libraries in every neighborhood in Seattle. The branch serves one of the most vibrant and culturally diverse areas in the region. It is situated in a “Campus of Learners” in the heart of the NewHolly neighborhood, a development operated by the Seattle Housing Authority.
Along with our branch, the campus includes a branch of South Seattle Community College, a K-12 tutoring program, child care centers and more. For almost 25 years, the NewHolly Branch together with its campus partners have been an amazing resource for parents, children and learners of all ages.
The NewHolly neighborhood and broader community has missed this small but vital library over the last 18 months. Our patrons, particularly local students and families with younger children, have come to rely on the youth-focused services and support, the easy computer and Wi-Fi access, the expansive children’s literature section, and the wonderful Library staff who welcome patrons into this warm and inviting space to relax and recharge.
Asked how it felt to reopen the NewHolly Branch after such a long closure, a Library Associate noted how the branch had always provided a safe place for kids to come and read, study, play games and be around their friends. Over the last several months, she has heard from students in the neighborhood who have been trekking to Columbia, Rainier Beach and other locations until the NewHolly Branch could reopen. She was excited that they could return and that she would get to see them again.
We are all excited to invite the community back inside the NewHolly Branch and each of our 27 locations across Seattle. See for yourself in the video playlist below, which features Library staff from other branches sharing how it felt to welcome patrons back inside on their reopening days.
For current schedules at your local library, please visit www.spl.org/hours-and-locations.
~ posted by communications
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