Call to Action! Please email undecided Councilmembers now to save library hours November 3, 2009
We want no further cuts to hours but we need your help convincing undecided Councilmembers to vote for Option A, restoration of many hours the mayor’s budget caused our libraries to cut in 2010. Join the final call to action in support of neighborhood library branch hours
A conversation with Secret Garden Bookshop owner, Christy McDanold October 20, 2009
“Welcome,” Christy McDanold said when we met at her business, Secret Garden Bookshop , this past summer. “This is our front porch. It’s wonderful to have a library on Ballard’s front porch. When you have a gem like the Ballard branch library near the business core it draws people and keeps people in the area of commerce. We’re in a city that survives primarily on sales tax and secondarily on B and O tax. If retailers don’t see customers then the city doesn’t collect sales tax. If you’re going to rely on tax then you need to ensure that the business core is kept in mind and realize that there are public services, like the library, that impact commerce, well being, and health.”
Secret Garden partners with Ballard branch library to host author readings. “We’ve produced about 100 readings,” McDanold told us. ”We wouldn’t be able to do our author readings without the Ballard branch because we don’t have that much space available. The rent we’d pay by square foot would be prohibitive. In exchange for using the public space we open our events to the public. Library patrons value that access to author events because we hear about that all the time.”
McDanold first saw the value of library meeting space when she headed a tutoring program for the Central Area Youth Association. “It was a tutoring program for at risk youth. We paired over 2000 volunteers with youth and they met together in branch libraries,” she explained. A teacher before starting her own business, she has great appreciation for libraries. “Libraries are the brain trust. Libraries translate questions into ideas and resources,” she told us. But her strongest reason for library support springs from her perspective as a mother, “The one thing that consistently makes a difference in a child’s life is a caring adult in the community. As a parent I’ve always looked for someone that can connect with my children. The chance of it being a librarian is as good as it being a teacher. A library is a public open space. It’s a place where kids go even if they’re not looking for a book. As a society we should never back off from making places where that can happen. It’s a community responsibility.”
Sign our online petition or meet us at branch libraries October 12, 2009
Did you know that Friends of The Seattle Public Library has an online petition? Help us reach our goal for signatures.
If you’re impacted by or unsupportive of a reduction in the hours of 21 branch libraries and their closure on Friday and Sunday all year in 2010, then please sign our petition and pass this link onto friends and family. You might also meet us as we gather signatures and pass out information on the potential consequences of the proposed 2010 budget outside select branch libraries in October:
Broadview branch library- 12 p.m.- 2, Sunday, October 11
Capitol Hill branch library 1-2:30 p.m. Monday, October 12
Columbia branch library 3:30-5 p.m Monday, October 12—-cancelled
Fremont branch library 1 – 2:30 pm Mon, October 12
Greenwood branch library 12-2 pm Saturday, October 17—rained out
Greenwood branch library rescheduled for Sunday, October 18 1:30-3:30 p.m
Ballard branch library 12-2 pm Sunday, October 18
Wallingford Branch 2-4 pm Monday, October 19
Magnolia Branch 10 am to 12 noon, Thursday, October 22nd
Northeast Branch 1 pm to 3 pm, Saturday, Oct 24th
Highpoint Branch 10 am to 11:00 am, Thursday, Oct 22–cancelled
Delridge Branch 11:15 am to 12:00 pm, Thursday, Oct 22—cancelled
Seattle Bookfest, Friends of The Seattle Public Library are at Bookfest. So is our petition against library closures and reductions to hours. Sign the petition at our Bookfest bookswap. We’ll see you there.
Closing this branch library Sunday and Friday? Every week? All year? Really? October 5, 2009
Advocacy members petitioned outside Greenwood, Greenlake, Beacon Hill, some West Seattle libraries and Northgate branch this Sunday, Oct 4, 09. A lack of media coverage on proposed library cuts made our news of possible dramatic changes to service in 2010 shocking to some patrons. Many people couldn’t believe what they were reading. “Closing this branch Sunday and Friday? Every week? All year? Really?” one woman said.
“Are you kidding me?” another patron asked. “Two day closures all year in addition to another one week furlough?”
“Sunday is my only day to get to the library,” one woman told us as she held the flier in disbelief. “I work all week.”
A grandmother, holding a baby in her arms, gestured to her two year old granddaughter coming out of the library behind her and said, “I’ll write to my council members, and you know what I’m going to say? I’m going to tell them that she could choose one of three things today: going to the store for a princess outfit, going out to eat or going to the library and guess what she chose?”
At Beacon Hill library several children took information and soberly read about the closures or read it to their parents. We asked one young boy riding his bike around and around if he comes to the library every Sunday and he said, “I come to the library Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Every day. I live down the street.”
A Friends of The Seattle Public Library team will be visiting the 21 affected branch libraries throughout the month of October to bring news of these proposed changes to each neighborhood. We are carrying information fliers and petitions. Stay tuned to this blog for news of our upcoming visits to your branch. You can sign an online petition at our Facebook cause page
Councilmember Emails:
Councilmember Jean Godden jean.godden@seattle.gov
Councilmember Sally Clark sally.clark@seattle.gov
Councilmember Tom Rasmussen tom.rasmussen@seattle.gov
Councilmember Richard Conlin richard.conlin@seattle.gov
Councilmember Tim Burgess tim.burgess@seattle.gov
Councilmember Jan Drago jan.drago@seattle.gov
Councilmember Richard McIver richard.mciver@seattle.gov
Councilmember Nick Licata nick.licata@seattle.gov
Councilmember Bruce Harrell bruce.harrell@seattle.gov
A conversation with Jennifer Power September 16, 2009
Jennifer Power is the president of Capitol Hill Community Council. She sat down with us at a coffee shop on Capitol Hill and talked about how she uses the library, how it contributes to the Capitol Hill neighborhood and what libraries may be like in the future:
“I use the Capitol Hill library a little bit. I live really close to a used bookstore so I need to make an effort to go down to the library. But I’m there once or twice a month for community meetings- it’s the only free meeting space. Oh Lord, do we need that meeting room. We’re short on meeting space up here; we don’t really have a community center. You can go to coffee shops but you have to buy something in order to spend time there. The library is free, which is amazing because Seattle is so expensive, and it’s not like the problem of finding free gathering space is going to get any better. It’s kind of weird (socially unjust) if you have to pay for things all the time just to have a place to meet your neighbors.”
“On Capitol Hill we have lots of anchors, organizations that anchor the neighborhood. But community groups often meet at the library and classes are also occasionally offered there, like through Seattle Free School. So I guess it’s kind of like the anchor of the anchors. It’s also an information space and, more and more, it’s a learning space.”
“I like the renovation at Capitol Hill library – they have window seats and vines growing everywhere! It’s nice there. It’s a good place for people to spend time. It’s a human place. If you have a city then you have to have density. If you have density then people need a place to hang out together. Parks are good, but libraries are quieter.”
“The library needs to continue to operate as a community center and a learning center to stay relevant. Libraries are still relevant but they need to change. They need to bring people into gateways for information, particularly academic gateways. It would be amazing if libraries would play the role of bringing together all the arcane information that isn’t digitized yet. They also need to ally with community groups. The more we give libraries a free hand to collaborate with the community the better.”
For more of Jennifer’s ideas about life see her blog.
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Summer Reading Program Coming to a Close; All Library Branches Closed August 31 – September 7 August 25, 2009
Thanks to all our patrons, fans and sponsors who participated in the 750+ free programs that were held this summer throughout Seattle for the Summer Reading Program! What a great array of choices there were — African Drumming, Bee-Boppin’ Bugs, Duct Tape Mania, Bookmaking, Nature P
rintmaking, Snake Experience, Make Your Own Comic, and Watercolor Workshop, to name just a few.
We’ll report back in September as to whether the city-wide goal of 125,000 books read this summer was reached, but in the meantime here are photos from some of these events for you to enjoy.
Friendly reminder: all branches of The Seattle Public Library will be CLOSED from Monday, Aug. 31 through Sunday, Sept. 6 due to citywide budget cuts. Monday, Sept. 7 is the Labor Day holiday so regular Library operations will resume on Tuesday, Sept. 8. Click here for more information about the closure. We’d love to know how the closure affects you, so please write us at advocacy@friendsofspl.org.
Sounds of Vietnam – Folk Music to Make You Smile August 10, 2009
Come hear the Canadian duo Khac Chi perform traditional Vietnamese folk music with lively new arrangements, light-hearted humor and creative stage antics.
This photo is from last year’s performance at the High Point Branch, and we’re sure that this year’s 4 shows will once again delight young and old from ages 4 – adult. Come and be part of the audience and participate in the music making too!
Khac Chi will be performing at 3 different locations this week, so hope to see you there!
Central Library: Microsoft Auditorium, 10:30 a.m. AND a second show at 2 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 13
Columbia Branch: 1 p.m. Friday, Aug. 14
Lake City Branch: 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 15
Meeting our Neighbors in Ballard Library August 1, 2009
Kerri Jablonski and her son Sebastian visit Ballard branch a few times a week. She joins 1/4 million other people who’ve visited the branch this year. Each visitor comes with unique needs or interests. In this third profile of the neighbors we meet at our libraries, Kerri tell us why the library is important to her:
I was a library volunteer many years ago in school, so I’m a big fan of the library. I still think libraries are important.
![Sebby%20Goodnight[1]](http://friendsofspl.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/sebby20goodnight12.jpg?w=300&h=231 "Sebby%20Goodnight[1]")
We use the Ballard Branch because it is a convenient walking distance from our home. [Walkscore for Ballard Library: 97] I love the Ballard Branch, it is always busy and everyone who works and volunteers there is very nice and easy to work with. It creates a welcoming environment. We go to the library for books, music and movies. Who knew you could find recent movies at the library?!! I also love that I am able to search and reserve books online, its very convenient for me as a mom that I can do this at home. We also like storytime. This is a picture of my son Sebastian listening to Daddy read a story.
While I am a fan of technology (it is how I make my living), I feel that it doesn’t replace reading a book, turning pages, or looking at pictures. Google doesn’t teach you to read or appreciate books and I’m a little cynical when it comes to google books. When it comes to reading Sebastian a bedtime story, there is nothing cozy about sitting in his bed with him and a laptop! I want Sebastian to enjoy books like I do, picking them up at a moments notice to enjoy. You can’t read google books if the power is out, but you can read your book from the library.
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Why do you use your neighborhood library? Tell us your story. Send an email to advocacy@friendsofspl.org.
Meeting our neighbors in the library July 8, 2009
We see people from all walks of life when we visit our libraries. Library resources serve many purposes and help businesses, organizations, families and individuals. With this post we’re beginning a series of profiles about the people you see in your library and how the library enhances and supports lives and goals. Liz White and her family visit Broadview branch. Her children are participating in Summer Reading. Since filling up their first reading lists both girls have read 80 books this summer. At this writing more than 4,000 children have signed up to participate in the the city wide Summer Reading program. Liz is currently reading craft books from the library to supplement her hobbies of beading and sewing. She writes:
I am extremely grateful for our community library. My twin daughters, aged 7, go through about a dozen chapter books a week, and the Broadview Library is an important biweekly destination for us. They get so absorbed in reading, and love to tell us all about the books when they are finished. My husband takes the girls once a week to the library where he catches up on magazines we can’t afford to subscribe to. I also take the girls once a week, browse the New Releases, and browse the Children’s books. The girls make their own selections of books they will read on their own. My husband and I choose a variety of children’s books to read to them, such as international folk tales; we really liked Nelson Mandela’s story collection. I also enjoy borrowing CDs.
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Got a picture and a story? What does the library mean to you?
Petitioning outside my Greenwood library? April 10, 2009
Patrons going to the Greenwood library or passing by the library between four and six p.m. April 9th all saw the woman standing on the sidewalk talking with people and asking them to sign something. Who was it and what was it all about?
It was Sarel Rowe from Friends of The Seattle Public Library and she was urging library supporters to sign a petition asking elected officials to preserve library funding. She said, “To my knowledge we’ve never petitioned outside libraries.” So why now? ” Last week we heard a Councilmember say that libraries were part of a trio of services that were expected to shoulder a ‘painful share’ of upcoming budget cuts and that sent us out to the streets. Having a passion for libraries can lead you to do some pretty remarkable things.”
She collected about 65 signatures in two hours. Most people stopped and talked with her. What did she think of Greenwood passersby? “Everyone was very kind and interested. Most people didn’t seem to know that their library was in danger of budget cuts that could impact hours or services. Unfortunately we don’t have enough volunteers to come back here again. I think people want to know how to protect their branch library.” If you would like to help Friends of The Seattle Public Library email them at advocacy@friendsofspl.org
Seattle City Council is cutting 43 million dollars from the new 2009 City budget. It’s unknown as yet what services will be cut. The Greenwood petition will be presented at a morning meeting in City Council Chambers on 13 April. If you’d like to attend email advocacy@friendsofspl.org If you didn’t get a chance to sign the petition but want to show your library support you can email your councilmembers: jean.godden@seattle.gov, tim.burgess@seattle.gov, sally.clark@seattle.gov, richard.conlin@seattle.gov, nick.licata@seattle.gov, bruce.harrell@seattle.gov, richard.mciver@seattle.gov, jan.drago@seattle.gov, tom.rasmussen@seattle.gov
