The Seattle Public Library

Libraries for All

Proposed
1998 Capital plan
for the
Seattle Public Library

Submitted March 13, 1998

Wallingford-Wilmot Library

Needs and Opportunities:

The name of the Wallingford library honors the memory of Ms. Alice Wilmot, who donated her house for the original library in 1947. The library relocated in 1985 to a former police and fire station dating from 1913. The building is now owned and shared by the 45th Street Clinic, which seeks to expand and has requested that the library find a new location in the neighborhood.

Recommendations:

Relocate to a comparable space on or near N. 45th Street, preferably in a facility shared with other community agencies, to provide:

  • At least 2,000 square feet of program area

  • New seating and shelving

  • Modern technology services and equipment

  • Enhanced collection

  • Access to a multi-purpose room for meetings, children's programs, and other library activities

  • Adequate and accessible parking

  • Expanded service at 48 hours per week

Estimated capital costs: $393,000

Next Steps: Assuming passage of the capital bonds, the community will be invited to participate in siting, design, and service development discussions for a relocated Wallingford-Wilmot Library to open in 1999.

Wallingford-Wilmot at a Glance:

Current address: 4423 Densmore Ave. N., 98103
Phone: 684-4088
Librarian: Don Miller
1997 circulation: 66,358 materials checked out
In-house activity: 7,899 uses of materials
Information services: 2,566 reference questions answered
Current facility: Open in 1986; 2,000 square feet
Currently open 40 hours, 6 days per week

Service profile: This library's children's collection is popular with parents of preschoolers. Because of the lack of a meeting room, the library hosts children's programs in the main reading room in the evenings during open hours. Clinic clients make heavy use of the library's Spanish-language collection, and many patrons use its computer for writing letters, preparing resumes, and completing homework assignments.

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Last modified: 24 March 1998