Improved South Park Branch to Reopen Monday, June 10
release date: June 6, 2019
The South Park Branch of The Seattle Public Library, 8604 Eighth Ave. S., 206-615-1688, will reopen at 1 p.m. Monday, June 10, after being closed for two months for refurbishing and improvements. Patrons who picked up their holds at another branch during the closure should talk with a staff member if they need help to restore their holds pickup location to the South Park Branch.
A public celebration with refreshments and entertainment is being planned for the afternoon of Sunday, July 21.
“Our priority is to make sure our libraries meet the needs of the community,” said Chief Librarian Marcellus Turner. “These improvements will allow the branch to more effectively serve a growing, diverse community and support a wide variety of patron uses, services, and partnerships.”
About the Project
The 12-year-old branch closed April 15 for repainting and recarpeting. While the branch was closed, the Library made additional improvements to support the changing ways that patrons are using libraries and to make the branch a more enjoyable space to read, study and collaborate.
To meet the needs of the South Park community, this refurbishment delivers flexible, collaborative spaces with additional electrical outlets and more mobile shelving and furniture. These newly designed spaces will allow students to work together, while providing the Library and the community an opportunity to creatively use these flexible spaces for a variety of programs.
Background
The 5,019-square-foot South Park branch opened in September 2006, thanks to the 1998 voter-approved "Libraries for All" bond measure that renewed and revitalized libraries across the city. It is the first Library building in the South Park community.
Interior improvements are based on branch usage and trends in Library services. The changes are part of Turner's vision for the Library to "re-imagine" its spaces and find innovative, creative solutions to meet the public’s changing needs and interests.
The approximately $424,000 budget included funds from the 2012 voter-approved Library levy, the real estate excise tax, a Library gift fund, and The Seattle Public Library Foundation.
More Information
The Library gives everyone the opportunity to learn and excel and promised to protect the public’s investment in its buildings as part of the levy. The South Park Branch improvements are part of the Library’s commitment to keeping its buildings well-maintained, clean and comfortable for patrons.