The Seattle Public Library is in a period of transition—both in how it operates in the aftermath of COVID-19, and under the leadership of a new Executive Director and Chief Librarian, Tom Fay. Tom was unanimously selected by the SPL Board of Trustees in March, after serving as Interim Chief Librarian since April 2021. He … Continued

As demand for social connections surged among immigrant and refugee communities during the pandemic, the Library turned to a trusted partner organization, Literacy Source. The donor-supported English Conversation Circle program helps non-native English speakers increase language skills and develop cultural competencies. It aims to build abilities that can help participants accomplish their goals, whether in … Continued

The Seattle Public Library Foundation congratulates Yazmin Mehdi on her appointment to The Seattle Public Library Board of Trustees. “We are thrilled to have another committed Library champion as a Trustee,” said Foundation CEO Jonna Ward. “Yazmin has a long history with the Library, including working with us at the Foundation. Throughout her career, and … Continued

“People are still telling stories around the campfire,” said D.A. Navoti. “It’s just on Zoom now.” At a time when stories — and the connections they create — were urgently needed, the Library launched a new donor-supported Guest Curator program. Navoti, a multidisciplinary writer and storyteller, and Olaiya Land, a pleasure and empowerment coach, were … Continued

“The Library is my happy place,” said Tania Hino, sitting in the Greenwood Branch. She was enjoying the return to full open hours and, soon, the chance for programs like her Spanish Story Time to return in-person. For the past 16 years, Hino has been an instructor for the donor-supported World Language Story Time, a … Continued

The Seattle Public Library Foundation is pleased to announce the three winners of the 2022 Stim Bullitt Civic Courage Scholarship. First-place winner Sidra Wernli and runners-up Marysia Koltonowska and Olivia Turner each won tuition support from the Foundation by writing essays on courageous Washingtonians who improved their communities by fighting for their ideals. In its … Continued

Virtual tutoring has been an essential resource for Seattle students over the past two years. Key Library programs like Homework Help have been unavailable in person during the pandemic. But donor support has helped the Library offer more than 4,000 live tutoring sessions on the Tutor.com platform since 2020. The virtual program has been a … Continued

The Foundation is so thankful for our community of supporters, who stepped up BIG this spring for Library Giving Day and GiveBIG! Thanks to the generosity of Library lovers, these campaigns raised more than $333,000! We also met our matching challenge goals. Together, we’re helping the Library offer equity-focused programs and an expanded collection of books … Continued

Pompeii Pineapples. Stuffie Activists. Axolotl, Gods of Reading. What do they have in common? They’re all champion literary teams from across the city in this year’s Global Reading Challenge! The Foundation is a proud longtime sponsor of the Challenge, a partnership between The Seattle Public Library and Seattle Public Schools to promote recreational reading for … Continued