A Trip to the Seattle Public Library

Last week, while in Seattle, I made SURE that I toured the famous Seattle Public Library. Here is an essay I wrote about the experience:

The Memorable Seattle Public Library

I recently traveled to visit a wonderful library. This library is a tourist destination and on top 10 lists of things to see in the city. It’s the Seattle Public Library! Walking to the library I could see the tall, angular building looming up the hill. People told me I wouldn’t be able to miss it – “it’s the interesting-looking building” they said on the streets, and they were right. The Seattle Public Library (SPL) is a 10-story building in downtown Seattle and it displays modern architecture similar to Minneapolis Public Library. (It looks much taller and imposing than MPL but apparently the SPL has fewer square feet.)

I really enjoyed that SPL is a tourist destination. When you first walk in there is an information desk and a self-guided tour brochure to direct you through the library. I took my partner on a tour through the library pointing out, with the help of the guide, the highlights of each floor. We took detours along the tour to check the Jane Austen fiction and the American history section, just to see what they had in those areas. (They didn’t have a lot of Austen available, but I’m assuming that is because it was all checked out!) The reference librarians were chatty and when they found out we were from Minneapolis they asked us some questions about the library merger and Minnesota in general. SPL also has a free booklet called the Seattle Library Passport, which has facts about each of the Seattle Branch Libraries and a place to get a stamp from the libraries while visiting them. Anytime there is a “passport” with stamps I am there! If only I had enough time to be a tourist at all the Seattle libraries.

One aspect that makes SPL so memorable is the cool technology. They have an amazing book return machine that checks everything in and automatically sorts it into where it will be shelved! The machine is visible so that people can see it in action and they also have a video (under the “sound dome” explaining how it woks). I was really impressed. On the 5th floor (the computer lab) they have a mesmerizing digital display board that cycles between showing different numbers and facts about what is being checked out at the library in that hour. They have pure numbers and they also show a cool matrix of the subject headings and the Dewey call numbers of items being checked out. The hour I was there the 780s (Music) was really popular for some reason.

Another memorable part of SPL is the layout of the library. The non-fiction section winds its way up floors 6-9 in a kind of slow ramp. I liked that the row of books never stopped but it also made the layout a little confusing with ramps, stairs and elevators for different access points to the collection. When you get to the 10th floor (the top public floor) there is a lookout over Seattle and the huge, high ceiling with all windows. This makes the top room really light, even in cloudy Seattle! There are lots of desks and tables and cozy chairs for working and reading throughout the library and even a floor called the Living Room. I could definitely find a nook to read in and a comfortable desk to work at. I smiled when I saw a man doing needlepoint at a desk, unde

rneath the cloudy sky. The children’s room is also really cozy and cute. There are literally hundreds of books out on display on top of the shelves and it made me want to sit down and start reading them right away.

Visiting the SPL, I was definitely proud to be a library student and a library tourist!

**P.S. It turns out I was so excited about the library that I neglected to take pictures of any of the delicious food we ate in Seattle! I can say that it was our goal to eat tons of fresh seafood - and we did! Here are some of the things we had:

• Fish and chips (multiple times)
• Baked salmon (made by Boyd)
• Clam chowder (from Ivar's)
• Fettuccine Alfredo with salmon on top
• Salmon burgers
• Sushi (x2)
• Salmon omelet

Phew! I think that covers it! I'm hungry now...