Stories bring us together. For the past 25 years, The Seattle Public Library has played a leading role in connecting people with the Seattle Reads program. Started in 1998 under the concept “if all of Seattle read the same book,” the donor-supported program now unites more than 9,000 people annually. Seattle’s “one city, one book” … Continued

The Seattle Public Library is taking a stand against censorship with a new program to promote the freedom to read for young people – thanks in large part to strong support from our community. SPL has announced a partnership with Brooklyn Public Library’s Books Unbanned initiative to offer teens and young adults across the nation … Continued

Research shows that being involved in early learning programs yields lifelong benefits. But what happens when there aren’t enough spots available at local learning centers? The State of Washington estimates that only about a quarter of children ages birth to five are served by licensed child care or preschool. Many working families require other options … Continued

Seventy-two schools. Nine semi-final showdowns. And it all culminated with madness in March at the Central Library, for the return of the Global Reading Challenge City Finals! The longtime program, supported by Foundation donors, provides more than 8,000 books for fourth- and fifth-graders at Seattle Public Schools, who form trivia teams and compete using their … Continued

The Genealogy Collection of The Seattle Public Library aims to provide patrons with access to resources that expand their knowledge of their family history. These resources are increasingly available at the Library for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) communities thanks to the dedicated efforts of genealogy librarians. In 2022, Foundation support helped add … Continued

The Seattle Public Library Foundation joins the literary community, locally and internationally, in mourning the loss of Jonathan Raban. Jonathan was an acclaimed travel writer and novelist, and an iconic Seattleite. He was awarded the National Book Critics Circle Award for nonfiction, the Governor’s Award of the State of Washington, and The Stranger Genius Award … Continued

The Lake City Branch was full of students of all ages on a rainy Tuesday evening. Homework Help, the donor-supported afterschool program, was back in-person. Tim, a longtime Homework Help volunteer tutor, said that demand has been high each evening since the program resumed in September. He recently increased his volunteer time from one to … Continued

As part of our shared advocacy work, the Foundation and the Friends of the Seattle Public Library invited candidates running in Seattle’s Washington State Legislative Districts to take a short survey about library issues. Below are the responses from the newly elected members of the State House of Representatives for the 46th, 37th, and 36th … Continued

Reading aloud is key for early literacy. Studies show that seeing and hearing words simultaneously improves vocabulary and reading rates. This is especially important for children with disabilities, English-language learners, and others with barriers to reading. “Read-Alongs” are MP3-enabled picture books that read aloud at the push of a button. And thanks to donor support, … Continued