The Seattle Central Library belongs to the network of public libraries of the largest city in the northwestern United States. There are more than 1.5 million books and other materials here. The staff of the institution organizes cultural and educational events.
History of creation
The library opened in the city center in 1891. The society had an interest in books, but the book depository did not have its own building, so the institution moved from one place to another. The first permanent library was the Carnegie Library with its own building on the corner of 4th Avenue and Madison Street. It was opened in 1906, and later entrepreneur Andrew Carnegie made a donation to launch 5 more libraries in Seattle.
Librarianship was actively developing, and by the end of the 1990s there were so many books that it became necessary to open another institution. The financing of the construction work within the library system was provided through the issuance of bonds in the amount of almost $195 million, which was approved by the voters. Bill Gates, one of the founders of Microsoft, donated $20 million to the project. The Seattle Central Library building was designed by Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas. It has been accepting readers since 2004, and admission is free for everyone. Three years later, it was included in the top 150 structures that Americans rated.
Short description
It is the largest library in the Seattle Public Library network. She works in an 11-storey building made of steel and glass, reminiscent of mirror origami. The area of the Seattle Central Library is estimated at over 33,000 square meters. The capacity is approximately 1.5 million books and materials.
In addition to distributing textbooks, the Seattle Central Library organizes educational programs, workshops, and homework assistance. Meetings with writers, film screenings and exhibitions are also held. Unlike other repositories, this place is not characterized by the usual division by topic. Readers are provided with open access to any shelves. The Book Spiral is a ramp lined with shelves of books, sound recordings, and periodicals. There are computers on the tenth floor that can be used to speed up the search for literature. Wi-Fi is available for free throughout the Seattle Central Library, cafes and children's playrooms are open on the 2 lower floors.
How to get
You can take bus No12 and go to the Madison St&4th Ave stop. An alternative option is to take a taxi or a rented car. There is a parking lot in the basement of the library.
The Seattle Central Library is open from Monday to Thursday from 10.00 to 20.00, on Friday and Saturday it also opens, but closes at 18.00, on Sunday from 12.00 to 18.00. Admission is free for everyone.
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