In 1904, the first Ballard Library was a Carnegie Free Public Library. It was built with funds raised by Ballard residents and a donation from philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. When the city of Seattle annexed the city of Ballard in 1907, the library became the first major branch of The Seattle Public Library.
The old Ballard Carnegie Free Library employed one of the first African American librarians in Seattle. It still stands on Market Street near the current branch. It is now home to several businesses. In 1963, a newer branch was constructed nearby, on 24th Ave NW. By 1998 it was clear that this building could not meet the demands of emerging technology, so plans for the current branch were included in the levy proposal that was approved by voters that year.
The previous 7,296-square-foot branch was built in 1963. The new branch has:
After 11 years of use, the branch needed to be recarpeted. It is one of the most heavily used branches in the Library system.
We closed the Ballard branch in
Improvements included:
We promised to protect the public's investment in its buildings as part of the 2012 voter-approved Library levy. The Ballard Branch improvements are part of our commitment to keeping Library buildings well-maintained, clean and comfortable for you.