Central Library

“The Story Behind Seattle’s Iconic, Eye-Catching Library”: The Central Library at 20

September 6, 2024

To acknowledge and celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Central Library, the Seattle Channel just published a terrific piece about the building’s history and architecture, which includes footage of opening day on May 23, 2004, when thousands of people lined up to get a glimpse of the spectacular design they had heard so much about.… Continue reading
20 Reasons to Check Out the Central Library at 20 Years

May 1, 2024

When The Seattle Public Library’s Central Library opened its doors on May 23, 2004, more than 25,000 people lined up in the course of the day to experience Seattle’s striking new public space for knowledge and learning. Designed by Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas, it was called “the most exciting new building it has been my… Continue reading
The Central Library Expands Hours, and 20-Plus Things to Do There

January 17, 2023

Tourists stop by all the time, but when was the last time you visited The Seattle Public Library’s internationally acclaimed downtown location? If it’s been a while, we have good news: Starting Wednesday, Jan. 18, the Central Library will be open two nights a week until 8 p.m. (with the exception of the Faye G.… Continue reading
The Central Library’s Iconic Red Floor Reopens To The Public

July 18, 2022

The Central Library’s iconic Level 4 – the “Red Floor” – has reopened to the public for the first time in over two years. With its walls, ceiling, floors and stairs completely covered in 13 shades of red, Level 4 is a favorite of patrons and staff alike, and one of the most celebrated and… Continue reading
Conversation Hearts: An Inclusive Love Fest for Romance Readers and Writers

November 6, 2019

Romance readers and writers are passionate people. They are passionate about the power of love to transform people’s lives and to transform the world. They are passionate about an HEA (Happily-Ever-After) or a HFN (Happy-for-Now). And it’s safe to say they are tired of hearing ill-informed and dismissive opinions about the genre they love. If… Continue reading
The Seattle Public Library Zine Collections

May 23, 2018

A zine is a self-published work of original or appropriated and remixed materials, including photographs, drawings, poetry, and prose. Typically limited in print number, zines are most often stapled-together paper reproduced on a photocopier, and distributed locally. While zines are closely associated with music scenes such as punk or riot grrrl, they have existed in… Continue reading
The Wondrous World of the Central Library

August 12, 2016

Emily Winfield Martin is the writer of the blog The Black Apple that I have been following for eons it seems. She has also written a few children’s books that are beautiful, delightful, and available from the library; one being Oddfellow’s Orphanage. That particular story tells us about Delia, a silent albino girl, who discovers… Continue reading
Star Trek Geek Out: A Weekend of Star Trek Revelry

January 4, 2016

While the pop culture world is all aflutter about the new Star Wars, 2016 is sure to be the year of Star Trek. With a new Star Trek film forthcoming and in a year that marks the 50th anniversary of the original series, in 2016 it’s time to give Star Trek its… Continue reading
Proud Reflections on the Superbowl

February 6, 2015

~posted by Anne C. The Superbowl did not go Seattle’s way, but as we shake off our mourning I think there is a great deal we can, and should, take pride in—not just as a sports team, but as a city. Continue reading
The Best of NFFTY-Cinema in Tune

September 25, 2014

Continue reading
The Many Faces of Labor Day

August 26, 2014

~posted by Anne C. As Labor Day approaches on September 1, many of us are gearing up for a weekend of barbecues, picnics at the lake, and last romps with the kids before school starts again. Here on the 7th floor of the Central Library, we are also taking a moment to reflect on the… Continue reading
Edible Garden Series: Coming soon to a library near you!

March 20, 2014

The days are getting longer, choosing shoes in the morning is a low-stakes version of Russian roulette/exercise in futility (rain boots or strappy sandals?), the scent of cherry blossoms is in the air, and the first Pacific Northwest Halibut has shown up at Pike Place Market– all signs point to spring! And what is spring… Continue reading
Dancing about architecture

June 12, 2013

The unusual design and architecture of Seattle’s Central Library has inspired many people. Every day, throughout the day, someone can be seen taking pictures of the steel and glass building both inside and out. Photographers are found around the Fourth or Fifth Avenue entrances looking into the honeycombed windows or skyward at the jutted angles… Continue reading
Fountain of Wisdom

April 17, 2013

As a student in the University of Washington’s Library and Information Science Program, I have been helping digitize photos from the Library’s Seattle Historical Photograph Collection. I’ve discovered a lot of interesting photos, but one of my favorites is a photo of the library’s Fountain of Wisdom with the artist just peeking out from behind… Continue reading
Odd Jobs: Someone’s got to do it . . .

February 10, 2009

Ah, just another day outside of the Central Library: Beautiful maybe-sunny-maybe-rainy-probably-cloudy weather, roving gangs of Greenpeace canvassers hunting down unsuspecting pedestrians for their signature, the occasional person shouting obscenities at an imaginary friend/hands-free cell phone, and, of course, men in climbing gear rappelling down the glass on the side of the library. These climbers are,… Continue reading