(Image: Seattle City Council)
The Seattle City Council will hold a public hearing Thursday evening on Mayor Katie Wilson’s proposed $59 million a year library levy as it heads for an August vote.
CHS reported here on the proposal that would replace the expiring 2019 voter approved version with a new package of more robust funding totaling around $59 million a year from 2027 to 2033. The previous levy weighed in at $31.3 million a year. Continue reading
The 911 logs for Tuesday night’s incident at the Capitol Hill Library
Tuesday afternoon, Mayor Katie Wilson announced her proposal for the city’s next levy to fund the Seattle Public Library system.
Tuesday night brought a sad reminder on Capitol Hill of the challenging place the city’s libraries fill in their communities.
Just hours after Wilson’s announcement, Seattle Fire and Seattle Police were called to Harvard Ave’s Capitol Hill Library after a man was found unconscious and not breathing in the upstairs bathroom. Continue reading
Millie Russell speaking at Douglass-Truth Library renaming, December 5, 1975 (Image: Seattle Public Library: Seattle Room Digital Collections)
Fifty years ago, the Central District book lovers and neighbors made a decision that would forever change the identity of their local library. They voted to shed the name of a city pioneer in favor of two icons of Black liberation. Now, the Douglass-Truth Library is inviting the city to celebrate the 50th anniversary of that historic renaming — a moment when the building finally caught up with the community it served.
While the branch at 23rd Ave and E Yesler Way has been par of the neighborhood since 1914, for its first six decades, it was known as the Henry L. Yesler Memorial Library. It wasn’t until December 5, 1975 following a community-led initiative that the branch was officially rededicated to honor abolitionists Frederick Douglass and Sojourner Truth.
“The renaming celebration will be a wonderful opportunity to learn about and honor the rich community histories of the Douglass-Truth Branch and its collection,” said Brian Den-Hartog Lindsey, curator of the branch’s African-American Collection. “There will also be opportunities to help us dream about Douglass-Truth’s next 50 years.”
To mark this milestone, the Seattle Public Library is hosting a celebration presented in partnership with the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Delta Upsilon Omega Chapter and the Black Heritage Society of Washington State. Continue reading
The Capitol Hill branch is located at 425 Harvard Ave E (Image: SPL)
Construction projects will close two area branches for periods this month including Harvard Ave’s Capitol Hill Library. The Seattle Public Library says it will add service hours at other nearby branches to try to help but the closures will be significant for regular patrons.
The Capitol Hill Branch will be closed Tuesday, September 19th through Monday the 25th while an electric HVAC system is installed on the branch roof. “The new HVAC system will be more reliable and efficient while reducing the Library’s carbon footprint,” SPL says. Continue reading
41 years of the Seattle Gay News — including page after page telling the stories of the places and the people of Capitol Hill — have been digitized and are now available online from the Washington State Library.
“Historians, genealogists, students, and anyone who wants to learn more about local perspectives on world events now have greater access to their area’s rich history,” Shawn Schollmeyer, Washington Digital Newspapers coordinator at the Washington State Library, said in the announcement. “We are grateful for our many partnerships with museums, libraries, archives, and publishers statewide that share our commitment to preserving our communities’ cultural heritage.” Continue reading
The Capitol Hill branch of the Seattle Public Library is getting some of its hours back. SPL announced that Thursday morning hours are being restored at the Harvard Ave library starting October 20th.
The upgrade is part of restoring hours at the Ballard, Capitol Hill, Douglass-Truth, Madrona-Sally Goldmark, Montlake and Rainier Beach branches after SPL made cutbacks over the summer due to staffing issues as COVID-19 and changing lifestyles has continued to squeeze workforces. Continue reading
The children’s space in the Capitol Hill Library (Image: Seattle Public Library)
The branches of the Seattle Public Library system including Capitol Hill’s Harvard Ave location will operate under reduced hours due to ongoing staffing shortages related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The new schedules began last week. SPL says the temporary changes were necessary as it responds “to ongoing staffing shortages related to COVID-19” and were planned “based on staffing availability and geographic spread to ensure Library access throughout the city of Seattle.”
Chief librarian Tom Fay hopes to return to full hours if staffing is available “in the fall when schools are back in session.”
The continued spread of COVID-19 has shifted many habits of society including how we work and how we deal with health and wellness in the workplace. SPL says it plans to add “additional staff to support open hours” and that “low staffing levels are primarily due to increased use of employee leave, including sick leave, COVID-19 leave, and Family Medical Leave.” Continue reading
(Image: SPL)
A symbol of “400 years of African American history and the struggle for justice in the United States” will rise again in the Central District.
Tuesday, the return of the “Soul Pole” to the lawn outside the Douglass-Truth Branch of the Seattle Public Library at 23rd and Yesler will be marked with a press conference featuring Mayor Bruce Harrell and Tom Fay, Chief Librarian of The Seattle Public Library.
A year ago, the pole was taken down from where it had stood for nearly 50 years for a much needed restoration of the 21-foot wooden sculpture.
The library contracted with Artech Fine Art Services to manage the project working with Corine Landrieu, “one of the Northwest’s top conservators.” Continue reading
(Image: SPL)
The Seattle Public Library has a new but familiar leader as the board of trustees for the city’s library system has selected interim chief librarian Tom Fay to continue in the role.
“Tom Fay is an experienced leader with deep knowledge of our city, our patrons, and our library system. He has shown over the past year that he has the experience and skills to succeed as our next Chief Librarian,” Carmen Bendixen, president of the Seattle Public Library’s board, said in a statement. “The Board is excited to continue collaborating with Mr. Fay as he and his team continue to build an inclusive, equitable and welcoming Library system for all.” Continue reading
The Capitol Hill Branch on its reopening day (Image: The Seattle Public Library)
From the Seattle Public Library
In 2019, Seattle voters overwhelmingly passed a levy to expand The Seattle Public Library’s hours and services, as well as ending overdue fines. Now that all Library locations are reopened, it is planning ahead for how to use levy-supported funds to expand hours and wants to hear from you. When do you want your neighborhood library to be open? What Library services are important to your community?
Let the Library know what you want by taking the brief survey at www.spl.org/LevySurvey. If you visit a Library branch, you can also use a computer to take the survey or ask for a paper copy. The survey is available in eight languages and is open until Monday, Nov. 8, 2021. If you have questions, call 206-386-4636 or contact www.spl.org/ask.