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 reducing our carbon emissions.
Branches to Temporarily Close Beginning August 9
The Fremont and West Seattle branches will temporarily close from Sunday, August 9 through early November for the installation of modern, electric HVAC systems. Saturday, August 8 will be the last day of service at the branches before their temporary closure. Their book returns will be locked and their parking lots will be inaccessible for the duration of the project.
You may continue selecting the Fremont and West Seattle branches as pickup locations for new holds through July 29. On July 30, these locations will be temporarily removed as options for new holds. You will be able to select them again when the branches reopen. You may change your preferred pickup location for new holds anytime through your online account.
On July 31, all pending Fremont Branch holds will be transferred to the Ballard Branch, and all pending West Seattle Branch holds will be transferred to the High Point Branch.
If you have holds pending for either the Fremont Branch or West Seattle Branch and prefer they be transferred to a different branch for pickup, please ask a Library staff member for assistance, call the Library at 206-386-4636, or reach out online through Ask Us.
Project Background and Scope
In June 2024, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) awarded the City of Seattle a $5.5 million Hazard Mitigation Grant to fund The Seattle Public Library’s Cooling Center Project.
Through this project, the Library’s Columbia, Fremont, Queen Anne, University and West Seattle Branches are being equipped with efficient, electric HVAC systems to provide air conditioning and improved ventilation, allowing them to serve as shelters from extreme heat and wildfire smoke. The new HVAC systems will replace old gas-powered furnaces, reducing carbon emissions by approximately 30 metric tons per location annually, and be equipped with energy recovery ventilators to increase their efficiency and longevity.
The five branches within the scope of the Cooling Center Project were built over 115 years ago through the philanthropy of Andrew Carnegie. They are recognized and protected by local, state, and federal law as important historical and cultural landmarks. All project work planned at these five branches is being reviewed in advance by Seattle’s Landmarks Preservation Board to ensure the protection and preservation of their architectural character.
HVAC installation at the University Branch is happening now, concurrent with its seismic retrofit and other major renovations. The Fremont and West Seattle branches will close from August 2026 through early November 2026 while their HVAC installations are underway. HVAC installations at the Columbia and Queen Anne branches will be complete in 2027. When this project is complete, all locations of The Seattle Public Library will have air conditioning.