Impact on Adult Learning

Building English language skills and community

Seattle is one of the most literate cities in the nation, yet tens of thousands of people struggle with low literacy and English language skills.
Program outcomes for the Library’s English-language learning programs included greater community connection through social-emotional learning, increased comfort with technology, and increased language and literacy skills.
With the help of community partners, the Library supported adult learners through virtual English language learning, including English Conversation Circles, Intermediate English Pronunciation and Intermediate English Vocabulary classes. We also held classes in citizenship and digital literacy.
Working with Literacy Source, the Library offered English Circle sessions with attendance of more than 1,000 and 268 unique participants who hailed from 26 countries.
Held 69 sessions of Intermediate English Pronunciation Classes, with more than 750 attendees; and 72 Intermediate English Vocabulary Classes, with more 1,200 attendees and 194 unique participants.
Students’ reasons for attending class ranged from improving conversational skills and listening ability to preparing to enter the work force or hoping to move to a better job.
Held 196 sessions of citizenship classes in 2022, working with Asian Counseling and Referral Service, with attendance of more than 3,300. Classes were held in English, with instructional support in Chinese, Spanish, and Vietnamese.

Serving older adults

In collaboration with community partners, held 73 programs for older adults in topics such as aging in place and retirement, creative and healthy aging, memory loss, digital literacy and entrepreneurship.
Held programs in five different languages: Somali, Spanish, Vietnamese, Oromo and English. Total attendance was 1,800 and programs were mostly held online.
Our Civic Coffee Programming had 34 individual presenters and covered a large variety of topics from Black History to World Food Day.
Provided books on memory loss, caregiving and self-care for the Memory Hub, a place for dementia-friendly community and collaboration at the Frye Museum.
Partnering with SilverKite, offered 47 virtual programs for patrons 50+ in visual arts, theater arts, writing and dance and “Senior Social Hours” that allowed patrons to connect with each other.
Held some in-person programming in neighborhoods of highest priority identified by using the Racial and Social Equity Composite Index, primarily to promote Gold Cards, an age-friendly discount program by the City of Seattle.

Job and life skills

The Library led a regional service called Your Next Job, partnering with King County Library System and Sno-Isle Libraries to offer one-on-one help for people looking for work or to increase their digital literacy or job skills. In 2022, Your Next Job appointments were available in seven languages.
In 2022, Your Next Job program was used by 290 patrons, including 59 in non-English languages. Of these, 198 attended at least one appointment, and the other 90 participants were offered resources and support relevant to their inquiry.
In follow-up surveys, 92% of patrons either agreed or strongly agreed with the following statement: “I feel like my experience with Your Next Job provided me with opportunities to build the skills that I need to find a job."
Offered 24 virtual programs in life skills and digital creativity, with 264 online participants.
Partnered with Seattle Housing Authority to host in-person digital literacy classes at High Point, Martin Luther King, Jr. Apartments, New Holly and Rainier Vista.
Each program had 11-14 students who attended a series of classes that ran over six weeks, with instructors who taught in their native language, including Oromo, Somali and Tigrinya.