Delridge Branch Highlights
The Delridge Branch occupies the first floor of a three-story apartment building. The Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association (DNDA) consulted on the design.
The Delridge Branch has unique language collections. These include Spanish and Vietnamese to reflect languages commonly spoken in the neighborhood.
History
Serving the Delridge community since 1996
In 1996, the Library opened a self-service station in the Southwest Youth and Family Services Center. It had a single computer. Stations had smaller collections of books and were open fewer hours than branches. They served the city during times of recession or immigration booms.
During Seattle’s dot-com bubble, demand for public computer access increased. The Delridge community needed more library services.
In 1998, voters approved the $196.4 million "Libraries for All" bond measure. The Seattle Public Library Foundation also raised money to improve the Library system. Construction on a new Delridge Branch began in May 2001, and the new library opened on June 29, 2002. It has reading areas, family friendly spaces, a young adult zone, public computers, and a meeting room.
Architecture
The Delridge Branch anchors the first floor of a three-story building that includes 19 apartments on the top two floors. The architecture’s design serves two purposes: the housing portion is meant to feel like a house, and the library portion has a civic presence.
Architects: Stickney Murphy Romine Architects, 2002.
Art
Artists Nick Lyle and Jean Whitesavage created the building's artwork. For inspiration, they used the nearby Longfellow Creek watershed and designed sculptures of native plants that embellish the architecture.