More Levy-funded Open Hours, Including Expanded Sunday Schedules, Coming This Spring at The Seattle Public Library
release date: February 15, 2023
The Seattle Public Library will add open hours to most branches this March and April thanks to funding from the seven-year, $219.1 million 2019 Library Levy, which supplements city funding to support core Library services, including open hours, collections, technology services, children’s programming, building maintenance, and seismic retrofit projects at three Carnegie libraries.
With this expansion, Library locations will be open a total of 223 more hours per week than currently and 133 more hours per week than in 2019 when the Levy was overwhelmingly passed by voters.
Of the Library’s 27 locations, most will be open seven days a week, while six locations will be open six days a week. These six-day service locations will be closed on Mondays to align with community-stated preference in a 2021 Library survey.
Most branches will see an increase of open hours, though some branches will see minor reductions in order to maximize Library staffing levels and to make progress toward the following goals set forth in the 2019 Levy plan, including:
- Opening all branches Sunday at noon
- Adding an additional hour of service compared to 2019 hours Monday through Thursday
- Opening the Delridge, Green Lake, NewHolly and Wallingford branches on Friday
- Adding additional morning or evening hours at the High Point, International District/Chinatown and South Park branches
The Library will expand hours in two phases with new schedules planned to take effect at some branches the week of Monday, March 20, and the rest to take efffect the week of Monday, April 3. Complete schedules of these new hours can be found below.
In January 2020, the Library began implementing additional hours funded by the 2019 Library Levy by adding more Sunday hours at all locations. Due to the Library’s extended systemwide COVID-19 closure that began March 2020, and the financial and workforce impacts of the pandemic, 2023 is the first year the Library has been able to add the majority of the levy-funded hours.
The Library incrementally reopened all locations through 2021 and returned to near-pre-pandemic open hours in 2022 as staffing capacity allowed. The Library also increased community access to Library materials during this time by installing 24/7 holds Pickup Lockers at the High Point, Northeast and Rainier Beach branches and increasing access to e-books, e-audiobooks and other digital materials. Additional lockers are planned for two more locations in early 2023.
GREEN LAKE BRANCH CONSTRUCTION CLOSURE
The Green Lake Branch is closed through early 2024 while undergoing a seismic retrofit and remodel. During the branch closure, staffing hours at this branch have been allocated to the Broadview and Wallingford branches. Schedules at these two branches will change when the Green Lake Branch reopens in 2024.
LIBRARY OPEN HOURS BEGINNING THE WEEK OF MARCH 20
Branch schedules marked with an * will take effect the week of Monday, March 20. All other schedules will start the week of Monday, April 3.
- Ballard Branch*, 5614 22nd Ave. N.W.
- 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday
- Beacon Hill Branch, 2821 Beacon Ave. S.
- 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday; noon to 8 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday
- Broadview Branch*, 12755 Greenwood Ave. N.
- 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday
- Capitol Hill Branch, 425 Harvard Ave. E.
- 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday
- Central Library* 1000 Fourth Ave.
- 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday
- Columbia Branch, 4721 Rainier Ave. S.
- 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday; noon to 8 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday
- Delridge Branch, 5423 Delridge Way S.W.
- 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday; noon to 8 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday
- Douglass-Truth Branch, 2300 E. Yesler Way
- 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday
- Fremont Branch*, 731 N. 35th St.
- Closed Monday; noon to 8 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday
- Green Lake Branch, 7364 E. Green Lake Dr. N.
- Closed for renovation until early 2024
- Greenwood Branch*, 8016 Greenwood Ave. N.
- 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday
- High Point Branch, 3411 S.W. Raymond St.
- 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
- International District/Chinatown Branch, 713 Eighth Ave. S.
- 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday
- Lake City Branch, 12501 28th Ave. N.E.
- 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday
- Madrona-Sally Goldmark, 1134 33rd Ave.
- Closed Monday; noon to 8 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday
- Magnolia Branch*, 2801 34th Ave. W.
- Closed Monday; noon to 8 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday
- Montlake Branch, 2401 24th Ave. E.
- Closed Monday; noon to 8 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday
- NewHolly Branch, 7058 32nd Ave. S.
- 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday; noon to 8 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday
- Northeast Branch, 6801 35th Ave. N.E.
- 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday; noon to 8 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday
- Northgate Branch, 10548 Fifth Ave. N.E.
- 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday; noon to 8 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday
- Queen Anne Branch*, 400 W. Garfield St.
- Closed Monday; noon to 8 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday
- Rainier Beach Branch, 9125 Rainier Ave. S.
- 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday; noon to 8 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday
- South Park Branch, 8604 Eighth Ave. S.
- 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday
- Southwest Branch, 9010 35th Ave. S.W.
- 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday; noon to 8 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday
- University Branch, 5009 Roosevelt Way N.E.
- Closed Monday; noon to 8 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday
- Wallingford Branch*, 1501 N. 45th St.
- 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday; noon to 8 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday
- West Seattle Branch, 2306 42nd Ave. S.W.
- 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday; noon to 8 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday
- 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday; noon to 8 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday
ABOUT THE 2019 LIBRARY LEVY
The 2019 “Libraries for All” Library Levy is a renewal of the 2012 Library Levy, which restored funding for core Library services that experienced budget cuts during the Great Recession.
The seven-year, $219.1 million Levy renewal was developed to maintain and enhance Library services. The plan was developed using priorities identified by the community in 2018. Community input was gathered through Community Conversations with the Chief Librarian, neighborhood community outreach, and a public survey of over 26,000 Seattle residents.
In 2021, the Library conducted a second survey to gauge the changing needs of the community regarding open hours during the COVID-19 pandemic. Respondents indicated a preference for more morning and weekend hours and Monday closures; 98% of respondents said the Library is an essential service that improves the overall quality of life in Seattle. Find out more at www.spl.org/levy.
MORE INFORMATION
The Library believes that the power of knowledge improves people's lives. We promote literacy and a love of reading as we bring people, information and ideas together to enrich lives and build community.
Contact the Library’s Ask Us service by phone at 206-386-4636 or by email or chat at www.spl.org/Ask. Staff are ready to answer questions and direct you to helpful resources and information.