Communications
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Staying Cool at the Green Lake Branch on the Hottest Day of 2025
How do you stay cool at the Library? On Wednesday afternoon, July 16, when outdoor temperatures hit 90 degrees, we stopped by the Green Lake Branch to check in with a few patrons about how the branch’s first summer with air conditioning was treating them. The branch was packed all afternoon, with most seats in… Continue reading
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Want to Talk to Someone at the City of Seattle?
Do you have a question for the city but you don’t know where to start? The City of Seattle’s Department of Neighborhoods and the Library are here for you! Over the next few months, the Department of Neighborhoods (DON) is hosting monthly community office hours at select Library locations to make it easier for Seattle… Continue reading
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July and August 2025 Author Events at the Library
From a pop-up book sale to KUOW Book Club events to two programs that will show you that horror can be a summer genre, the Library’s upcoming book and author events will inspire and engage. We also have many amazing programs for kids and families, from magic to music to artmaking, which you can find… Continue reading
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12 Ways to Enjoy Summer at the Library
Summer is here, and The Seattle Public Library is here for you. Head to your neighborhood library with your kids to pick up a Summer of Learning activity booklet, go to a fun program, check out some books, explore, and chill out! Here are 12 ways to turn up the summer fun and learning, library… Continue reading
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Keep Kids Learning All Summer: Summer of Learning Kicks Off Today
School’s almost out, but reading, learning and growing are in! The Seattle Public Library’s 106th annual Summer of Learning kicks off today with free activities, programs, and reading challenges designed to keep kids curious, creative and engaged all summer long. Get started by visiting your closest Library location (www.spl.org/Hours) to pick up a Summer of… Continue reading
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Free English Language Programs at the Library to Expand with Significant Carnegie Grant
The Seattle Public Library is excited to announce that it’s received a prestigious $450,000 grant from Carnegie Corporation of New York that will fund a significant expansion of the Library’s free English language learning programs over the next two years. The grant to the Seattle Public Library Foundation is part of Carnegie’s “Libraries as Pillars… Continue reading
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Green Lake Branch Renovation Project Achieves LEED-Gold Certification
This May, the Seattle Public Library’s Green Lake Branch renovation project received LEED-Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, the nation’s foremost nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering energy-efficient and environmentally responsible building design. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is the most widely used green-building certification system in the world. It evaluates building… Continue reading
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Super Summer Reading Series with KUOW: 3 Books, 3 Authors, 3 Events
Seattle summer reading just got better! This summer, the KUOW Book Club and the Library invite you to join a book club adventure featuring three books by local authors. Each month, read along with the KUOW Book Club’s selection, and then bring your friends (and your questions) to an event at the Central Library that… Continue reading
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June 2025 Events: ‘Banned Together,’ Octavia Butler Birthday Bash and More
Looking for something to do while you wait for summer to start? We’ve got you. From a documentary screening about student activists fighting book bans to a birthday bash for legendary writer Octavia Butler, there’s something for everyone at the Library in June. All Library events are free and open to the public. Find information… Continue reading
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Book Bingo 2025 Goes Big, and Begins Today
Your favorite summer reading adventure begins today, with a plot twist! Every summer we partner with Seattle Arts & Lectures (SAL) for Book Bingo, our summer reading program for adults and teens. For 2025, we are thrilled to share that King County Library System (KCLS) is joining the fun! Readers in all corners of King… Continue reading
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University Branch Construction Underway
Construction is underway at The Seattle Public Library’s historically landmarked University Branch, which temporarily closed in January for major renovations, including a seismic retrofit and the installation of an electric HVAC system, which will provide air conditioning and improved ventilation to the branch while reducing carbon emissions. The scope of these renovations will be extensive,… Continue reading
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Eight Stories From Two Years of Books Unbanned
Almost exactly two years ago, on April 27, 2023, The Seattle Public Library took action against censorship and for the freedom to read. We joined Brooklyn Public Library in launching a Books Unbanned program that offers a free card to our digital collection of e-books and e-audiobooks to young people ages 13 to 26 from… Continue reading
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May 2025 Author Events: Ada Limón, “Empire of AI,” and More
We have some amazing events at the Library in May, from a talk with New Yorker editor Michael Lo about his fascinating history of Chinese immigration to a just-added event with author Karen Hao about “Empire of AI,” her behind-the-scenes story of what went wrong at OpenAI. All Library events are free and open to… Continue reading
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With Wheels Instead of Walls, Mobile Services Delivers Books and Connection
On a rainy morning, residents of Council House, a low-income senior living facility on Capitol Hill, are getting their monthly library fix. Every third Tuesday of the month, The Seattle Public Library’s Mobile Services team unloads the Bookmobile and sets up a pop-up library in the community access room of the building. Residents trickle in… Continue reading
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Libraries, Our Anchors to Civic Life, Are Under Threat
If you’re concerned about how federal funding cuts will affect Washington state’s libraries and the communities we serve, recent media stories shed light on what’s happening. On Sunday, April 12, the Seattle Times published an op-ed by The Seattle Public Library’s Chief Librarian Tom Fay that detailed how the loss of the Institute of Museum… Continue reading
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Branches in Bloom: Photos of Spring at the Library
We usually associate libraries with the indoors — buildings, books, computers, programs and classes. But a lot of thought and care goes into the landscapes surrounding our buildings as well. Mathew Roland, senior gardener, is a member of the Library’s Facilities team, which works hard around the year to keep our spaces clean, safe, well-functioning,… Continue reading
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Meet Me at the Library: Q&A with Author Shamichael Hallman
Shamichael Hallman, author of “Meet Me at the Library: A Place to Foster Social Connection and Promote Democracy,” will speak on Monday, April 14 at Town Hall Seattle. His topic couldn’t be more timely — why the public library may be our best hope for bridging current societal divides and creating strong, inclusive communities. Please… Continue reading
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What Seattle Read in the First Three Months of 2025
Are you curious what books Seattle readers have turned to in a year that’s already been very eventful? See for yourself in our list of top Library checkouts for the first three months of 2025. As usual, the most popular print book checkouts are from the Library’s very popular no-holds, no-wait Peak Picks collection (which… Continue reading