Seattle Public Library
The Seattle Public Library (SPL) is the public library system serving Seattle, Washington, USA. It was officially established by the city in 1890, though there had been efforts to start a Seattle library as early as 1868. There are 26 branches in the system, most of them named after the neighborhoods in which they are located. Also included are Mobile Services and the Central Library (opened 2004, designed by Rem Koolhaas). The Seattle Public Library also founded, and until July 2008 administered, the Washington Talking Book & Braille Library (WTBBL).
All but one of Seattle's early purpose-built libraries were Carnegie libraries. Although the central Carnegie library has now twice been replaced, all the early 20th century purpose-built branches survive, although some have been subject to significant alterations. Ballard's former Carnegie library has held a number of restaurants, antique stores, etc., but the others (such as the Fremont Branch and Green Lake Branch) have been modernized, and remain in use as libraries.
Read more about Seattle Public Library: Branches, Collection, Architecture, Gallery
Famous quotes containing the words seattle, public and/or library:
“The air is precious to the red man, for all things share the same breath—the beast, the tree, the man, they all share the same breath. The white man does not seem to notice the air he breathes. Like a man dying for many days, he is numb to the stench.”
—Attributed to Seattle (c. 1784–1866)
“Chippenhook was the home of Judge Theophilus Harrington, known for his trenchant reply to an irate slave-owner in a runaway slave case. Judge Harrington declared that the owner’s claim to the slave was defective. The owner indignantly demanded to know what was lacking in his legally sound claim. The Judge exploded, ‘A bill of sale, sir, from God Almighty!’”
—For the State of Vermont, U.S. public relief program (1935-1943)
“Madam, a circulating library in a town is as an evergreen tree of diabolical knowledge; it blossoms through the year. And depend on it ... that they who are so fond of handling the leaves, will long for the fruit at last.”
—Richard Brinsley Sheridan (1751–1816)