Home Page Feature
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Horror Stories for Teens – October 2025
Lots of great horror novels for teens have come out in the last year. Here are eight of the best to enjoy this spooky season! (MS = middle school) Gigi Griffis’ creepy novel And the Trees Stare Back follows Vik and her little sister Anna, who has been missing in the cursed forest for five… Continue reading
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New Nonfiction Roundup – October 2025
The fall publishing season is in full swing! An amazing array of biographies and memoirs are being released, along with riveting histories, analyses of current events, guides for self-improvement and more. Looking for cooking? Fear not – there’s such a bounty of cookbooks that it will be in its own forthcoming post. And don’t forget… Continue reading
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The Power of Play: New Fall Series Curated by Amy Hirayama
Need a little more comedy, connection and collaboration in your life? This fall, Amy Hirayama, new guest curator for the Library, has created a series of programs, “Serious Play,” which invite us to consider the role of play in collaboration. “Play is such a powerful force for helping us stay curious and keep our imaginations… Continue reading
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A Commitment to Expand Access and Empower Immigrants and Refugees
There is not such a cradle of democracy upon the earth as the Free Public Library, this republic of letters, where neither rank, office, nor wealth receives the slightest consideration.” – Andrew Carnegie Libraries are essential to an educated, democratic society. Andrew Carnegie recognized that fact in the early 20th century. He funded the establishment… Continue reading
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Hispanic Heritage Month 2025
Hispanic Heritage Month honors the histories and cultures of Latino/Latina/Latinx Americans with ancestry in Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. It is celebrated annually from September 15 to October 15. Librarians at the Seattle Public Library have created some lists to help readers discover and celebrate these voices, with select titles featured… Continue reading
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Fall 2025 Author and Arts Events at the Library
When is the Library a comedy club? On Wednesday, Sept. 24, when guest curator Amy Hirayama kicks off a series of programs titled “Serious Play,” with a night of comedy gold from local comedians. This fall you can also explore the myth of bringing your authentic self to work with viral Ted Talk speaker Jodi-Ann… Continue reading
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Seattle Public Library Resources for a Great School Year
Whether or not you or someone in your family is starting school this fall, there’s something about September that promises a fresh start. It’s a great time to grab some school supplies and write a new script for yourself. Your local library can help! Here are some of our favorite library resources for channeling back-to-school… Continue reading
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New Recommended Reads for Teens – September 2025
A number of local schools publish their annual challenge lists in June and August. Here are some of their top picks for the upcoming school year, for both middle and high school readers! (MS = middle school readers) In Vera Brosgol’s graphic novel Plain Jane and the Mermaid, ordinary Jane finds herself suddenly alone in… Continue reading
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How to Get Your Reading Groove Back
Last week, the Library’s own Stesha Brandon was interviewed on KUOW’s Meet Me Here” podcast about a Very Important Topic: How to get out of a reading slump and back into a reading groove. We’ve all had a reading slump, right? You’re reading restlessly, can’t settle in, bored of your favorite genres, looking for something… Continue reading
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The Library’s 2024 Impact, in Numbers and Stories
In 2024, The Seattle Public Library received more than 2.9 million visits to its 27 locations; 300,000 patrons used their Library card, either online or in person; 10.8 million materials were checked out, with digital materials again proving more popular. These are just a few highlights of the Library’s 2024 Impact Report, an annual accounting… Continue reading
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Cool Reads for Summer Heat
Summer might be winding down, but the heat sure isn’t. Take a mental cool down with these summer reads, but reader beware: like the gorgeous, inviting waters of the Puget Sound, these pretty covers hide deep and sometimes dangerous undercurrents. In Hurricane Summer by Asha Bromfield, not all is fun in the sun for 18-year-old,… Continue reading
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The Seattle Public Library Wants to Hear from You!
How do you feel about The Seattle Public Library’s spaces, collections, programs, and services? Take our brief survey and let us know! Not a Library user? We want to hear from you, too! The Seattle Public Library is conducting a survey from Monday, August 25 through Wednesday, Sept. 24 to hear from the community, including… Continue reading
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Why Old Trees Matter: A Conversation with Lynda Mapes
As August draws to a close, our summer book club series with KUOW is wrapping up with a topic relevant to any northwesterner: the connections between trees, salmon, and Indigenous knowledge. On Wednesday, Aug. 27, at 6:30 p.m., Lynda Mapes will be at the Central Library auditorium to talk about her recent book, “The Trees… Continue reading
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Travel Through Time With These 4 Historical Fiction Novels
Sometimes we all need to take a break from our current world. A wonderful way to do this is to read historical fiction that transports us to a distant time and place, filled with rich details and fully developed characters. Perhaps this is escapism, but the best historical fiction not only teaches us about a… Continue reading
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Q&A with Vaquero Azul, SPL Artist in Residence | Preguntas y respuestas con Vaquero Azul, artista en residencia de SPL
Shelf Talk recently caught up with SPL Artist in Residence, Vaquero Azul – read on to learn about their art practice, inspiration, and an upcoming public workshop at the Library! [Para leer en español, consulte a continuación.] SPL: How would you describe the work you create? VQ: I would describe it as the years of… Continue reading
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U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal Gets an Inside Look at University Branch Renovations
In our blog post last May, we announced that construction had begun at The Seattle Public Library’s University Branch, which is undergoing major renovations to improve the safety, accessibility and usability of the branch while reducing our carbon footprint. On August 11, U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) joined Chief Librarian Tom Fay; The Seattle Public… Continue reading
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“Rooted & Rising” Explores the Stories of the African American Collection
A new exhibit at The Seattle Public Library’s Central Library’s Level 8 gallery features artwork inspired by archival materials from the Douglass-Truth Branch’s African American collection. “Rooted & Rising: Stories from the African American Archive” is curated by local interdisciplinary artist Imani Sims of Vivid Matter Collective. Sims brings a personal and innovative lens to the… Continue reading
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The Young Adult Resource Fair (YARF) Brought All the Things
Books, bánh mì, banking, pet care, health care, haircuts, job resources, legal resources, ID cards, tarot cards, clothes, compassion, community. All of these resources and more were in abundance at The Seattle Public Library’s second annual Young Adult Resource Fair (aka YARF) on Wednesday, July 30, at the Central Library. Between 150 and 200 young… Continue reading