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Release Date: 10/20/2008
Book lovers use The Seattle Public Library Passport to see Seattle, get exercise and visit beautiful Library branches
Library lovers, educators and athletes are among the many people traveling across Seattle to each and every branch of The Seattle Public Library as part of the Library Passport contest. Hundreds of people have been racing to complete their Library Passports by Friday, Jan. 2, 2009 to be entered into a prize drawing. One Seattle teacher is giving her students extra credit for visiting the branches, a mother and daughter are visiting story times at every branch, and the Mountaineers are hiking to all the branches.
Distribution of the Library Passport began Sept. 13, 2008 as a way to celebrate the successful completion of the Library's 10-year program to rebuild its facilities. Passports are still available at all locations of The Seattle Public Library.
The Passport - with information and pictures of every new and renovated library - offers a fun way for everyone to explore all the beautiful new Library buildings and resources. Each branch has a unique Passport stamp. Patrons can get their Passports stamped when they visit each location. Get all 27 stamps by Jan. 2 to be entered into a drawing for a book lover's basket!
People are doing whatever they can to get their Passports completed - they're riding their bikes, taking the bus and walking to all the different locations.
"The first day the Passports were distributed, I bicycled like a banshee," said patron Craig Seasholes. "My bicycling legs took me as far as South Park, but it was too late to complete my goal of all-in-one-day. Last Sunday I pedaled up the ramparts to the Delridge Branch and then the Southwest Branch - the last two branches in my Passport. I dropped off my completed Passport downtown because it seemed best to stop at the mother ship one more time."
 Members of the Mountaineers, an outdoor recreation club, are hiking across Seattle to reach all of the Library branches. They've already hiked to all the branches in West Seattle and they'll be reaching the rest of them in the coming weeks.
In addition to getting exercise, people are enjoying seeing the unique architecture of each Library building. "The Library branches are beautiful," commented patron Harry Haslam. "All the libraries integrated artwork and landscaping, which further heightened the experience. I had a great time and I plan to re-visit the libraries, only this time with my grandchildren."
Many people are using the Passport as motivation to get out and explore parts of Seattle they haven't been to before. "A couple who came in said they didn't even know the NewHolly neighborhood existed!" said NewHolly Branch librarian Lupine Miller. "They were really happy that the Passport gave them the impetus to go out and see all the branches."
Others, particularly children, are excited to see their local branches in the Passport. One preschooler looked at the photo of the children's area at the West Seattle Branch and yelled excitedly, "That's my library!"
Betsy Kluck-Keil, children's librarian at the Central Library, said one young patron had a look of amazement on his face as he flipped through the pictures in the Passport. "He asked, 'Are these libraries in different countries?' " she recalled. "Our buildings must look very exotic!"
Library staff members have enjoyed the increased interaction with patrons that the Library Passports have provided - particularly those who see the Library Passport and believe it's the real thing.
"One patron remarked, 'Oh good, I can get my passport here!' " said Broadview Branch librarian Beth Kashner. "I told the patron that the Passport will get him into any library in town, but not Canada."
For more information about the Passport and Libraries for All, call The Seattle Public Library at 206-386-4636.
For more information contact:
Andra Addison, communications director
206-386-4103
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