NewHolly Branch Highlights
The NewHolly Branch is located in the NewHolly neighborhood’s Campus of Learners. The library was designed using new urbanism concepts. It serves a vibrant and culturally diverse community.
The NewHolly Campus is operated by the Seattle Housing Authority. It also includes a K-12 tutoring program, a jobs center, a branch of South Seattle Community College, childcare centers, and more. It is a vital resource for families in Southeast Seattle.
History
Serving the NewHolly community since 1943
The Holly Park Library opened May 19, 1943. It was part of a housing development for defense workers during World War II.
After the war, many families moved away from the neighborhood. Eventually the Seattle Housing Authority converted the Holly Park complex into subsidized, low-income housing.
Before it moved to its current location, the former Holly Park Library was under 2,000 square feet. The branch was housed in a building intended to be single family home. It was so small that people lined up outside waiting to check out books. The restroom doubled as a janitor’s closet.
The turn of the century rewarded the neighborhood’s thirst for knowledge. The NewHolly Branch was the first library built under the 1998 voter-approved Libraries for All building program. The library relocated to a 4,000 square foot space in the NewHolly Neighborhood Campus.
The NewHolly Branch opened November 20, 1999. Squatch, the Seattle SuperSonics basketball team mascot, attended the library’s reopening.
Architecture
The exterior of the branch was designed so it would fit in with the rest of the campus.
Walls and furnishings are splashed with vibrant colors. Tall windows and high ceilings invite natural light in for readers. Comfortable chairs and furniture provide space for reading. Students can stretch out with books, and parents may read with their children.
Architects: ARC Architects, 1999.