Montlake Branch Highlights

Serving the Montlake community since 1944.

In 1944, The Seattle Public Library teamed up with the Montlake Community Club to open a small library.

The community club raised money and leased a former grocery store. The Library provided a librarian and books. In 1947, the Library took over caring for the Montlake Branch.

In 1979, the branch moved to an adjacent former drug store space. In 1991, the branch closed for two and a half years while the building owner upgraded the structure. During that closure, a bookmobile served the neighborhood.

By 1998, the aging building needed to be replaced. The 1998 Libraries for All bond campaign proposed a new building for the Montlake Branch. The Library consulted with the community and selected the current location from eight options. The new Montlake Branch opened in 2006 with a meeting room and a parking lot.

The modern brick and cedar of the Montlake Branch reflect the neighborhood's architecture. The entry plaza provides an outdoor gathering space. A glass staircase entrance on 24th Avenue East creates an open and transparent invitation to visitors. Patrons reading inside the branch can view the outdoor gardens.

Architects: Weinstein Architects + Urban Designers, 2006.

Skylight Aperture Sundial, 2006

Rebecca Cummins 

“Skylight Aperture Sundial” has five circular openings in the ceiling covered by glass discs. Colorful spotlights shine on the building’s southern floor throughout the day.  Between the spring and fall equinoxes, markings on the floor indicate the position of solar noon. Artist Rebecca Cummins explores light and natural phenomena in her art. She is a professor at the University of Washington and has exhibited widely in the U.S., China, Australia and Europe. “Skylight Aperture Sundial” was funded by the 1998 Libraries for All bond measure.

Delphic Theme III, 1969

Boyer Gonzales  

“Delphic Theme III” is an abstract oil painting on canvas. It is located on the east wall of the branch.. The painting’s color palette includes shades from Earth. Artist Boyer Gonzales studied painting in the Woodstock artist colony. He helped cofound the Museum School of Art in San Antonio and was a UW art professor. The Seattle Art Museum and Tacoma Art Museum house some of Gonzales' paintings. This piece was donated by Wells Fargo in May 2005.

Tea House, 1956

Hodaka Yoshida 

“Tea House” is a color woodcut print. It is located on the south wall of the branch. Stones and a winding gray path lead to a small teahouse. The design has a mid-century modern feeling. Artist Hodaka Yoshida was a post-WWII Japanese woodblock artist. He traveled the world producing and exhibiting artwork. His abstract designs displayed Buddhist and folkloric qualities. 

Spaces named for donors include:

• Betty Bennett Simpson Reading Area
• Don G. and Jane Markham Abel Meeting Room
• Luke and Annalee Pigott Children's Area