July 2026
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Book Bingo NW 2026: Unplug
This year’s Book Bingo Unplug category can certainly be used for a physical book read distraction-free, as the board says, but since we like to make categories as broad as possible, here are some other ideas for books that play with the “unplugged” theme: hands-on hobbies, off-the-grid living, and fostering in-person connection and attention. One… Continue reading
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August 2026 Events: StoryWalk, Book Talks, El Vez and More
Savor summer by taking a StoryWalk in Magnolia, enjoying a talk with “Raised by Ferns” author Maya Jewell Zeller, or honoring the first Day of Remembrance with Frank Abe and Densho at the International District/Chinatown Branch, among many other library programs in August. All Library events are free and open to the public. Many of… Continue reading
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A Peek at Peak Picks – August 2026
We’re adding four new titles in August! It’s a smaller than normal list because of the upcoming transition to a new Integrated Library System. In fiction, beloved author and winner of The Story Prize, Paul Yoon, is back with the unforgettable story of a working dog who, after a devastating war, embarks on an odyssey… Continue reading
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Book Groups: What to Read Next
Welcome to a semi-regular series that answers the question: What should my book group read next? The titles featured were chosen for their complexity and ability to sustain a discussion, as well as for having enough copies at the Seattle Public Library (as of this posting) for a book group of 8-12 members to place… Continue reading
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Mid Summer Staff Book Bingo Recommendations
It should come as no surprise that library staff love Book Bingo as much as patrons do. Many of us also read along during the summer, seeking out great titles to fill each category. In that spirit, I asked staff for some of their favorites so far this summer. You can find a full list… Continue reading
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7 Summer Book Bingo Recommendations
Book Bingo season is a time to reconnect with reading for joy and discovery. To help readers across King County find great picks for their Book Bingo board, the owners of West Seattle’s Paper Boat Booksellers join a Seattle Public Library Reader Services librarian with suggestions for three bingo categories. Learn about Book Bingo and get… Continue reading
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Carceral Injustices: Beyond Living with Conviction
If you wind your way up the famous book spiral at the Central Library in downtown Seattle, you’ll often find interesting exhibits in The Gallery on level 8. The current exhibit, Living with Conviction: Sentenced to Debt for Life in Washington State, with its moving visual stories of dealing with overwhelming debt incurred from incarceration,… Continue reading
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Book Bingo NW 2026: HEA/HFN
‘Happily Ever After’ or ‘Happy For Now’, HEA/HFN, might make you think of romance, but it doesn’t always have to be. It can be the calm at the end of a horror book, a biography where a person details finding contentment, or even the end of a dystopian novel where the big bad has been… Continue reading
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Upgrading and Modernizing the Library’s Integrated Library System (ILS)
We are excited to announce that The Seattle Public Library is preparing to transition to a new, modern integrated library system (ILS), which is critical operational infrastructure for Library collections and services. This major project was a promise we made to Seattle residents in the 2019 Library Levy and is an important part of our… Continue reading
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Call for community representatives: Library Art Review Committee (ARC)
Do you have background and interest in public art? The Seattle Public Library is seeking applications from members of the public to serve as representatives to the Library’s Art Review Committee (ARC)! The Library is currently seeking three (3) members of the community with excellent knowledge of the arts and strong familiarity with local Northwest arts,… Continue reading
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Book Bingo NW 2026: Women’s Sports
I’ve become an avid women’s sports fan over the past few years. I dedicate most of my time and interest to women’s soccer, but I’m proud to call myself a casual WNBA and PWHL fan, too. I’m super excited that women’s sports is a Book Bingo category this year! Part of what hooks me is the storylines and personalities… Continue reading
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Air Conditioning Coming to the Fremont and West Seattle Branches
Air conditioning is coming to the Fremont and West Seattle branches! This work is part of the Library’s larger Cooling Center Project, which is providing air conditioning and improved ventilation to the Library’s Carnegie buildings, allowing them to serve as shelters from extreme heat and wildfire smoke, preventing unscheduled closures during hot weather, and significantly… Continue reading
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New Nonfiction Roundup – July 2026
Welcome to July! This month is typically quiet for nonfiction publishing, but there are some excellent releases to consider for your TBR pile in addition to this month’s Peak Picks. In current events, Ben Wikler details how to end America’s meltdown and save democracy in This Is the Plan while Brian Tyler Cohen shows how… Continue reading
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The Northgate Branch Celebrates 20 Years of Community Connection
What makes a library essential to its community? 95-year-old Harry Coles, who has been a patron of the Northgate Branch since it opened in 2006, has an answer. “In all the years that I have gone to libraries, this is the friendliest, the cleanest, and the nicest,” he says. Harry is among many Northgate patrons… Continue reading
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Adventure Romance for Summer
Summer is the perfect time to go into the great outdoors in pursuit of treasure (and romance)! As with all genres, there are many possible sub-genres to be had here; adventure romance can be modern, historical, set in a desert, a jungle, or on the sea! What matters is the journey. Let’s set the scene with movies! Romancing the Stone is a classic romantic comedy from… Continue reading
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Book Bingo NW 2026: PNW Black, Indigenous, or POC Author
Every year readers request Local Authors of Pacific Northwest as a general category, because reading about this place we call home can be so inspiring. But let’s be honest—not all local authors get the same attention and broad readership as others, and this is especially the case for authors of color. Here are some PNW Black, Indigenous, or POC titles to try: Red Paint:… Continue reading
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Historical Fiction for Teens – July 2026
Historical fiction reminds us of where we came from and shows how young people lived through challenging times of their own. Here are some new titles that speak to our past. (MS = middle school) In And the Trees Stare Back by Gigi Griffis, Vik has lost her little sister to a cursed forest in Soviet… Continue reading