The people of Seattle love and use their Neighborhood Libraries more intensively than residents from almost any other large city in the country. Functioning as community meeting places, these libraries provide convenient access to all of the books and materials of the Seattle Public Library. They provide simple, safe learning environments where people from all parts of our society can engage in the pursuit of knowledge and information. These libraries also sponsor programs to meet the special needs of their citizens and provide places close to home where many small chil- dren learn to love reading. But more than all of this, Neighborhood Libraries function as the local "living rooms" where people can find warmth, familiar and welcoming faces, and, most of all, a sense of community.

New and improved Neighborhood Libraries will correct many of the stresses felt by our current system. Space will be added for additional materials collections, programs and services, alleviating many overcrowded conditions. On-site parking and meeting areas will increase, and there will be adequate spaces for individual study, group activities and computer work stations. Leaky roofs will be repaired, interior and exterior lighting will be improved and inadequate heating and ventilation systems will be updated. Renovations will contribute to staff efficiency, patron comfort, and a flexible electronic infrastructure.

All Neighborhood Libraries will provide expanded and balanced materials collections, built to suit the needs of each community's demographic character. These materials will be stimulating to all age groups and will reflect materials of high demand, popular interest, and relevancy to everyday life. Homework materials and children's collections will be prevalent at each location and parents will be able to easily locate materials on reading readiness, parenting and child care and development. Information resources will be available in both print and electronic formats.

In addition to bringing materials to users from anywhere in the entire library system, Neighborhood Libraries will assist students of all ages, especially elementary through high school students, meet their formal course of study. Independent learners will also find their Neighborhood Library to be a place for exploration, self-enrichment and personal growth. Well-trained staff will help all of these users with their information needs and, in particular, act as information navigators in the use of electronic resources, helping anyone to sort, interpret and select the best information.

Neighborhood Libraries will continue to offer a wide variety of programs, ranging from story hours for babies and preschoolers to book discussion groups for senior citizens. Improved facilities will allow for expanded opportunities for tutoring activities, English-as-a-second-language classes, and instruction in how to use the Internet. Summer Reading Programs will continue to attract more than 13,000 participants citywide.

The Neighborhood Libraries will have multiple computer terminals, all of which will provide Library users with access to the Library catalog, the Internet and other system-wide networked resources. Classroom space and clustered work stations will also make it possible for staff to adequately teach these new technologies.