Seattle voters are on track to overwhelmingly approve the 2026 Library Levy! Proposition 1, which provides The Seattle Public Library with $480 million over the next seven years, is passing with more than 72% support.  This result is possible thanks to the commitment of people like you. You stand with the Library as patrons, donors, … Continued

From staff positions to Peak Picks, from seismic safety to language learning programs, Levy funding touches every part of our Library. The Levy is not merely additive — it is essential to SPL operations. Ballots featuring Seattle Proposition 1, the proposal to replace the expiring 2019 Levy with a new measure, arrived in mailboxes last … Continued

The Seattle Public Library is unique in its ability to connect people. Like almost nowhere else, the Library invites neighbors of all backgrounds to interact, learn from, and celebrate each other, with no costs or barriers to entry. Gatherings at the Library are vital forms of connection at a time when people feel increasingly isolated. … Continued

The Seattle Public Library is an essential hub of information. In order to provide free access to all forms of knowledge for everyone, the Library must be responsive to the growing and changing needs of Seattle’s diverse population. Foundation funding allows the Library to be innovative and flexible. Examples from around the branches demonstrate the … Continued

From our Annual Report to Donors Last month, we published our Annual Impact Report to Donors, highlighting the many incredible programs made possible thanks to a generous community of donors. In this excerpt, read a letter from our Board President, see our collective impact by the numbers, and see the list of 50+ Library programs … Continued

“This is so much fun! I feel like I am at a fair, but at the public library!” said a student attendee about their experience at a Family Literacy Night. That joyful surprise captures what 168 students and families experienced at our Rainier Beach, Beacon Hill, Lake City, and Southwest branches this spring. Over the … Continued

There are more than 100,000 items in The Seattle Public Library’s Special Collections. The Hugh and Jane Ferguson Seattle Room, on Level 10 of the Central Library, houses extensive collections of photographs, postcards, city documents, news articles, and maps. There are oral histories from Seattle residents, menus from notable restaurants, yearbooks from Seattle schools, works … Continued

This November, Seattle residents will select a Mayor and three City Councilmembers who will play significant roles for The Seattle Public Library in the next year and beyond. The Library Levy is up for renewal in 2026, with the Mayor and Council responsible for putting a levy package before voters. The City’s General Fund deficit … Continued

“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 … Continued