Special Collections Online

  • Writers’ Room Interview: Cara Diaconoff

    Welcome back to our Writers’ Room interview series! Today we’re talking with Cara Diaconoff, a member of the 2023 Seattle Writers’ Room cohort. The Writers’ Room, located on Level 9 of the Central Library, offers a space for writers to work on their projects and access Library resources. Use of the room is through an… Continue reading

  • New Additions to our Black Culture and History Collection

    In July 2022, the Library began work on a Digital Heritage Grant funded by the Washington State Library to increase the availability of historic digitized materials in our Black Culture and History Collection. This month, we are wrapping up work on the grant and are excited to share some of our new additions! Thanks to… Continue reading

  • Explore Pacific Northwest History with Newly Digitized Photographs

    More than 500 new historic photographs from our Northwest Photograph Collection are now available through our digital collections. These photographs feature images of Washington, Oregon and Alaska spanning from the late 1800s to the 1970s and include shots from prominent local photographers such as Asahel Curtis, Webster & Stevens and Frank Jacobs. We’ve rounded up… Continue reading

  • Covid-19 Community Collection

    Are you interested in helping the Library’s Special Collections Department document history? Please consider contributing to our new Covid-19 Community Collection! We are asking you to tell us (and show us) how the events of the past few months have impacted you. We are looking for stories, photographs, signs, artwork, short videos and other materials… Continue reading

  • Trekking Through Time: Seattle Historic Postcard Collection

    Many of us walk the same paths and commute by the same route, paying less attention with every trip. During Stay Home, Stay Safe many of us are slowing down, getting some fresh air in our neighborhoods, and noticing little details that can feel grounding. But with parks and trails closed, we can find even… Continue reading

  • Jazz in Seattle?! Jazz in Seattle!

    While jazz has well-established reputations in New Orleans, New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles, you might be surprised to find that Seattle has long been a part of this rich music tradition. In an effort to capture and preserve this history, the Special Collections department of the Seattle Public Library created the Seattle Jazz Archive,… Continue reading