Area of Impact: Enrichment
In an era when loneliness and isolation are on the rise, we look to foster joy, encourage curiosity, and provide meaningful experiences and opportunities to connect with your community. This can include access to books, music, films, TV, performances, cultural celebrations, community discussions and much more.
Our Goal
Provide collections, programs, services and spaces that bring joy and connection to people’s lives.
How We Will Make an Impact
We will champion and celebrate:
- The joy of reading in our programs and physical and digital collections.
- The diverse voices and talents of our community.
- The preservation of local history, including the contributions of historically excluded people and cultures who created Seattle.
- Intellectual freedom and civic engagement in our programs and collections.
- Experiences and opportunities that build community and cultivate a sense of belonging.
2025 Accomplishments
- Hired two Special Collections librarian curators to manage and develop the Seattle Room history collection at the Central Library and the African American Collection housed at the Douglass-Truth Branch.
- Worked with local artists and photographers to develop collectible postcards that celebrate each Library location’s unique features, collections, and services.
- Reached 1 million checkouts with the Library’s Books Unbanned program, which combats censorship and provides free digital book access to teens and young adults across the nation in partnership with several other library systems.
- Sponsored Little Free Libraries, in partnership with Brooklyn Public Library, to bring 200 new Little Free Libraries to Title I schools nationwide.
2026 Priority Activities
- Hire a Public Historian and Collections Archivist to increase access and use of the Library’s Special Collections.
- Seek funding support to strengthen preservation and sustainably grow the Central Library’s Seattle Room and history collections. ·
- Continue to champion Books Unbanned program partnership with Brooklyn Public Library, Boston Public Library, LA County Library, Long Beach Public Library, and San Diego Public Library to counter censorship and book banning nationally.