Columbia Branch Highlights
The Columbia Branch has a reading room and a computer area with a skylight. Large windows throughout the branch have views of the nearby Columbia Park.
The building is in the Columbia City Landmark District. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
History
Serving the Columbia City community since 1909
On June 22, 1909, The Seattle Public Library opened a small branch library in the main room of Columbia City Hall. The Board of Public Works provided the room rent-free. The nearest restroom was in the furniture store across the unpaved street, over the double tracks of the railroad.
In 1911, industrialist Andrew Carnegie donated money to build two branch libraries in Seattle neighborhoods – one in Columbia City, the other in Queen Anne. To fund construction, the Library used money from the city budget and community member donations. The Columbia Branch opened Dec. 30, 1915.
The Columbia Branch underwent renovations in 1931, just before budget cuts caused by the Great Depression.
In 1941, as the U.S. prepared for World War II, the basement auditorium became an air-raid shelter. With the war's end in 1945, Library staff were relieved to return the branch to its original purpose. Staff welcomed back patrons whose lives had forever changed due to the traumas of internment or combat.
In 1986, the Columbia Branch reopened after a major remodel. The work was funded by the 1-2-3 bond issue passed by voters in 1984. The landmark Carnegie building received new seating, new shelving, and a new circulation desk.
The Columbia Branch expanded in 2004, thanks to the 1998 voter-approved Libraries for All building program. An addition was built onto the back of the existing branch and doubled its size. It was designed to respect the architecture of the original building. Workers installed more power outlets and upgraded technology access. Building ventilation was improved, and dedicated areas serving children, young adults, and adults were added.
Architecture
The children's area, reading room, study room, meeting room, and staff areas are housed in the building’s 2004 addition. The addition overlooks adjacent Columbia Park. Each space has large park-side windows for daylight and great views of grass, trees, and sky. Construction materials were chosen to complement the historic building.
The children's area is a bright porch-like room with park views to the north and west. The reading room is lit by daylight diffused from the overhead roof projection. The roof is equipped with louver vents to release rising warm air.
Architects: Cardwell Architects, 2004; W. Marbury Somervell and Harlan Thomas, 1915.
Art
Photographs by Gu Xiong
Photographs of neighborhood residents are part of the artwork. The 42 photographs -- taken by Vancouver, B.C., artist Gu Xiong -- are accompanied by messages written in English and the residents' native languages that evoke a sense of joy and belonging.
Forty of the photographs and accompanying messages are installed in large displays on top of the bookshelves. Another two are mounted on a wall.