TODAY IS FEBRUARY 25th, 2026.
THIS IS A MEETING OF THE
LIBRARIES, EDUCATION
AND NEIGHBORHOODS COMMITTEE AND
IT
WILL COME TO ORDER. IT IS
9:32 A.M. I'M MARITZA RIVERA
CHAIR OF THE
COMMITTEE.
WILL THE CLERK PLEASE CALL THE
ROLE.
>> COUNCILMEMBER FOSTER.
>>
HERE.
>> COUNCILMEMBER
LIN.
>>
HERE.
>> COUNCILMEMBER RINCK?
>>
PRESENT.
>> COUNCILMEMBER HOLLINGSWORTH?
>> VICE- CHAIR HOLLINGSWORTH IS
EXCUSED UNTIL SHE GETS HERE.
>> FOUR COUNCILMEMBERS, PRESENT.
>> THANK YOU, CHAIR.
I MEAN, THANK YOU, CLERK.
WE'LL BE HEARING FROM THE
SEATTLE PUBLIC LIBRARIES TEAM
ON PART TWO OF THE 2019 LEVY
BACK GROUND AND OVERVIEW.
IF THERE IS NO OBJECTION, THE
AGENDA WILL BE ADOPTED.
I SEE VICE- CHAIR
HOLLINGSWORTH HAS JOINED, THANK
YOU.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE
AND COUNCIL PRESIDENT.
HEARING NO OBJECTION, THE
AGENDA IS ADOPTED.
WE'LL OPEN THE HYBRID COMMENT
PERIOD.
PUBLIC COMMENTS SHOULD RELATE
TO ITEMS ON THE AGENDA OR IN
THE PURVIEW OF THIS COMMITTEE.
HOW MANY SPEAKERS ARE SIGNED UP
TODAY?
>> CURRENTLY ONE IN
PERSON SPEAKER AND NO REMOTE
SPEAKERS.
>> THANK YOU.
GIVEN THAT, THE SPEAKER
WILL HAVE TWO MINUTES.
CLERK, WILL YOU PLEASE READ THE
PUBLIC COMMENT INSTRUCTIONS.
>> THE PUBLIC COMMENT
PERIOD WILL BE MODERATED IN
THE FOLLOWING MANNER.
THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD
IS UP TO 20 MINUTES, EACH
SPEAKER
WILL HAVE TWO MINUTES.
SPEAKERS WILL BE CALLED IN THE
ORDER IN WHICH THEY
REGISTERED, STARTING WITH IN
PERSON
SPEAKERS FIRST AND REMOTE
SPEAKERS UNTIL
THE PUBLIC COMMENT SPEAKER
TIME HAS ENDED.
THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD IS NOW
OPEN AND WE'LL BEGIN WITH
THE FIRST SPEAKER ON THE LIST.
OUR FIRST SPEAKER IS BRITNEY
MOROVSKY.
>> HI, GOOD MORNING.
>> GOOD MORNING.
>> THANK YOU, CHAIR RIVERA, AND
COUNCILMEMBERS, MY NAME
IS BRITNEY MOROVSKY.
I SERVE AS A BOARD MEMBER
AND ADVOCACY CHAIR.
I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING
WITH ALL OF YOU.
I KNOW THIS IS AN IMPORTANT
YEAR FOR THE LIBRARY.
AND AS YOU KNOW, THE
FOUNDATION OF THE LIBRARY IS
PRIMARILY
NONPROFIT PARTNER.
WE PROVIDE ABOVE AND
BEYOND SUPPORT FOR LIBRARY
COLLECTIONS, SPACES AND
PROGRAMMING. I WANT TO ADDRESS
PROGRAMMING
TODAY.
AT LAST WEEK'S HEARING,
SEVERAL OF YOU MENTIONED THE
NEED
FOR OUR LIBRARIES TO BE SAFE,
OPEN
AND ACCESSIBLE SPACES FOR ALL.
I COMPLETELY AGREE.
AND THAT'S WHY PROGRAMMING IS
SO ESSENTIAL.
PROGRAMS ARE INVITATIONS.
THEY DRAW PEOPLE IN AND
ACTIVATE OUR LIBRARY SPACES LIKE
NOTHING
ELSE.
THEY PROVIDE FUN,
COMMUNAL EXPERIENCES FOR PEOPLE
OF ALL
AGES.
AND ONCE PEOPLE FEEL THAT
SENSE OF WELCOMING, THEY COME
BACK AGAIN AND
AGAIN. WE OST SO MANY ENGAGING
PROGRAMS.
I KNOW FOR ME, I LOVE
AUTHOR TALKS AND I GET REALLY
EXCITED ABOUT SUMMER BOOK BINGO,
WHICH BRINGS
ME INTO THE LIBRARY TO FIND NEW
THINGS TO READ.
BUT WE ALSO KNOW THAT WE CAN DO
MORE.
EACH YEAR WHEN WE REVIEW THE
IMPACT OF DONOR INVESTMENTS, WE
ASK CAN WE SCALE THIS, WE OFTEN
HEAR ABOUT THE BARRIERS
PRESENTED BY NOT HAVING ENOUGH
LIBRARY STAFF, CAPACITY TO
EXPAND AND CONTINUE PROGRAMMING.
OUR HOPE IS THAT EVERY
BRANCH HAS THE POSITIVE ENERGY
THAT COMES FROM BELOVED OF
PROGRAMS LIKE HOMEWORK HELP,
TODDLER
STORY TIME, ENGLISH
CONVERSATION CIRCLE, AS MANY
DAYS A WEEK
AS WE CAN.
WHEN LIBRARIES HAVE THAT
ENERGY, OUR SHARED INVESTMENT IN
THE
INSTITUTION BRINGS VALUE.
THEY ALLOW MORE NEIGHBORS
TO FEEL WELCOME AND MORE OF OUR
SPACES TO FEEL FUN AND SAFE.
THANK YOU FOR BELIEVING IN THE
POWER OF PROGRAMMING AND
PLEASE HELP US CONTINUE THAT AS
WE CONTINUE TO TALK
ABOUT THE RENEWAL OF THE LEVY.
THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU, SPEAKER.
>> CHAIR, THAT WAS OUR LAST
SPEAKER.
>> ALL RIGHT.
THERE ARE NO
ADDITIONAL REGISTERED SPEAKERS,
THE
PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD IS NOW
CLOSED.
AND WE'LL PROCEED TO OUR ITEM
OF BUSINESS.
WILL THE CLERK PLEASE READ ITEM
ONE INTO THE RECORD?
>> AGENDA ITEM ONE,
SEATTLE PUBLIC LIBRARY 2019
LEVY BACKGROUND AND OVERVIEW
PART TWO FOR BRIEFING AND
DISCUSSION.
>> ALL RIGHT.
GOOD MORNING, AGAIN, COLLEAGUES.
AND MEMBERS WHO ARE JOINING
US IN PERSON AND WHO MIGHT
BE WATCHING ONLINE ON THE
SEATTLE
CHANNEL, AWARD- WINNING SEATTLE
CHANNEL.
AS YOU KNOW, IN
ANTICIPATION OF THE SEATTLE
PUBLIC LIBRARY LEVY
RENEWAL WE MET LAST
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 19th, TO HEAR
PART
ONE OF THE 2019 SEATTLE
PUBLIC LIBRARY LEVY BACKGROUND
AND
OVERVIEW WHICH COVERED THREE OF
THE SIX 2019 LEVY INVESTMENT
BUCKETS, WE COVERED BOOKS
AND TECHNOLOGY, SORRY, BOOKS AND
MATERIALS, TECHNOLOGY AND
ONLINE SERVICES AND BUILDING
MAINTENANCE. TODAY WE'RE GOING
TO BE
HEARING FROM SPL ON PART TWO OF
THE
OVERVIEW, WITH CHIEF
LIBRARIAN FAY AND HIS TEAM,
TALKING
ABOUT THE OTHER THREE REMAINING
INVESTMENT PRIORITY BUCKETS
WHICH INCLUDE HOURS AND
ACCESS, HELPING CHILDREN
IN ADMINISTRATION AND CENTRAL
COSTS.
LIBRARY PATRONS HAVE SAID IN
SURVEYS FROM 2012 AND 2018
THAT HOURS AND ACCESS ARE THEIR
TOP
PRIORITY.
AND THEY SEE THEIR BRANCHES
AS ESSENTIAL THIRD PLACES
OR CRITICAL EDUCATION RESOURCE
AND
THAT THEY'RE WORTH THE
INVESTMENT.
THESE PRESENTATIONS ARE
AN OPPORTUNITY AS I SAID LAST
TIME FOR SPL TO SHOW HOW
THEY'RE RESPONDING TO
PRIORITIES, TO THE
PRIORITIES OF THE 2019 LEVY
INVESTMENT.
THEY ARE HOW WE AS A CITY SHOW
OUR WORK.
THIS IS HOW WE CAN LET TAXPAYERS
KNOW WHO ARE THE ONES WHO
SO GENEROUSLY SUPPORTED THE
LIBRARIES THROUGH PROPERTY TAX
INCREASES, WE LET THEM KNOW
HOW THEIR TAX DOLLARS ARE BEING
SPENT.
THEIR TAX DOLLARS AT WORK.
THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO
ME AS YOU ALL KNOW, SHOWING
THE PUBLIC THE VALUE OF THEIR
DOLLAR AS THEY INVEST IN THESE
REALLY
CRITICAL SERVICES AT THE CITY.
SO, LET'S MOVE ON TO
TODAY'S AGENDA AND LEARN MORE
ABOUT
THESE LEVY- FUNDED SERVICES AND
PROGRAMS.
TODAY WE HAVE FOUR PRESENTERS.
CHIEF LIBRARIAN TOM FAY, ROB
GANNON, KAI TANG AND KIERSTEN
NELSON.
WILL YOU PLEASE STATE YOUR
NAMES FOR THE RECORD, EVEN
THOUGH
I JUST SAID IT, I'LL LET YOU
SAY IT TOO, AND THEN WE CAN
START AND THEN, COLLEAGUES, IT
IS
A LONG PRESENTATION, LIKE LAST
TIME, SO IF YOU HAVE
QUESTIONS, PLEASE RAISE YOUR
HAND AND
I'M HAPPY TO -- SO YOU DON'T
HAVE
TO WAIT UNTIL THE ENTIRE SLIDE
DECK TO ASK QUESTIONS.
THANK YOU.
>> GREAT, THANK YOU, CHAIR
RIVERA.
MY NAME IS TOM FAY, THE CHIEF
LIBRARIAN FOR THE SEATTLE PUBLIC
LIBRARY.
>> GOOD MORNING, CHAIR RIVERA.
MY NAME IS KAI TANG,
THE DIRECTOR OF LIBRARY
EXPERIENCE AND
ENGAGEMENT.
>> KIERSTEN NELSON, GOVERNMENT
RELATIONS FOR THE SEATTLE
PUBLIC
LIBRARY.
>> GOOD MORNING, MEMBERS OF THE
COMMITTEE.
MY NAME IS ROB GANNON,
DIRECTOR OF ADMINISTRATIVE
SERVICES
FOR THE SEATTLE PUBLIC
LIBRARY.
>> ALL RIGHT.
WELL, THANK YOU, AGAIN,
FOR HAVING US HERE.
AND IT IS ALWAYS A PLEASURE TO
HIGHLIGHT THE WORK OF A
GREAT STAFF OF 700 FOLKS,
PROVIDING
SERVICES TO THE RESIDENTS OF
SEATTLE. TODAY WE'RE GOING TO
BE GOING
OVER THE LEVY ADMINISTRATION
AND CENTRAL COSTS, WHICH IS A
BUCKET, IN THE LEVY.
HOURS AND ACCESS, AND THEN
HELPING CHILDREN.
AND AS YOU KNOW, LAST WEEK
WE DID GO OVER COLLECTIONS,
BUILDING MAINTENANCE AND
TECHNOLOGY AND ONLINE SERVICES.
AND I DO UNDERSTAND THAT
BOTH THESE PRESENTATIONS WILL
BE AVAILABLE ON THE COUNCIL'S
WEBSITE.
WE WILL ALSO MAKE
THESE AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE,
TO
TIE WITH THE REST OF OUR LEVY
REPORTS THAT WE DO ANNUALLY.
JUST SO THAT THEY'RE THERE IN
ONE PLACE.
AND I'LL TURN THIS NEXT
SECTION OVER TO ROB GANNON.
>> THANK YOU, TOM.
AGAIN, GOOD MORNING, MEMBERS
OF THE COMMITTEE.
WE WILL START WITH JUST A
VERY BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE
LIBRARY'S
BUDGET. I WANT TO NOTE THAT
THESE
SLIDES ARE UNCHANGED FROM
OUR PRESENTATION LAST TIME
BEFORE THE COMMITTEE.
BUT THEY SET AN
IMPORTANT CONTEXT FOR THE REST
OF
OUR DISCUSSION THIS MORNING.
THE CHART ON THIS SLIDE
DEPICTS THE COUNCIL- APPROVED
BUDGET FOR
THE LIBRARY IN 2026.
THE MAJORITY OF OUR FUNDING
IS PROVIDED BY THE CITY'S
GENERAL
FUND, ABOUT 58%.
THE LEVY CONTRIBUTES ABOUT
ONE- THIRD OF OUR BUDGET.
A SMALL PORTION COMES FROM
OTHER SOURCES INCLUDING CITY-
GENERATED
REAL ESTATE EXCISE TAX,
FUNDS AND OTHER LIBRARY GIFT
FUNDS.
WE ALSO GENERATE A VERY
SMALL AMOUNT OF REVENUE FROM
CERTAIN
CERTAIN SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE
AT
THE LIBRARY FOR A SMALL
FEE, INCLUDING PARKING,
PRINTING,
AND THEN RECOVERY OF FEES FROM
LOST
ITEMS.
WE HAVE POINTED OUT ON MANY
OCCASIONS, BUT IT BEARS
REPEATING THAT THE BULK OF
OUR BUDGET GOES TO OPERATIONS.
THIS IS FOR PROVIDING STAFF FOR
OUR OPEN HOURS, ACQUIRING BOOKS
AND OTHER MATERIALS, FOR OUR
PATRONS, AND MAINTAINING OUR
BUILDINGS.
SLIDE AHEAD OF WHERE WE NEED TO
BE.
LIBRARY HAS A CAPITAL BUDGET
FOR MAJOR PROJECTS AND EQUIPMENT
AND
THIS COMPRISES ABOUT 2. 6
MILLION IN 2026.
ALL RIGHT.
THIS SLIDE IS A VIEW OF
OUR BUDGET BY FUNDING SOURCE.
SO YOU SEE FROM 2020 THROUGH
THE PRESENT THE PERIOD OF
CURRENT
LIBRARY, YOU SEE OVERALL GROWTH
YEAR TO YEAR, IN THE LIBRARY'S
BUDGET. THIS PROVIDES A
BREAKDOWN BY
FUNDING TYPE, GENERAL FUND, AND
REVENUE, THE LIBRARY LEVY
AND THEN PRIVATE FUNDS.
YOU CAN SEE THAT EACH CATEGORY
HAS GROWN IN DOLLAR AMOUNT OVER
THE YEAR, BUT GROWTH HAS
BEEN ESPECIALLY NOTABLE ON THE
LEVY
SIDE. OR ON THE LEVY PORTION.
THIS SLIDE SHOWS ROUGHLY THE
SAME INFORMATION BUT INSTEAD IN
WHOLE DOLLAR AMOUNTS, IT
SHOWS IT BY RELATIVE PORTION.
SO, IN THIS DEPICTION YOU SEE
THAT FOUNDATION DOLLARS HAVE
REMAINED RELATIVELY
CONSTANT, YEAR OVER YEAR,
THROUGHOUT
THE PERIOD OF THE LEVY.
WHILE THE GENERAL FUND
OVERALL HAS DECLINED IN THE
SHARE OF
FUNDING IT CONTRIBUTES TO
LIBRARY OPERATIONS AND THE BULK
OF THAT DIFFERENCE IS MADE UP
BY THE LEVY.
THIS SLIDE BREAKS DOWN
ANNUAL FUNDING BY CATEGORY.
SO THE LEVY IS BROKEN IN TWO
DISTINCT CATEGORIES OF THE TYPES
OF SPENDING WE'RE ANTICIPATED
AT
THE OUTSET OF THE LEVY AND GUIDE
OUR OPERATIONS AND EXPENDITURE
THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF THE
LEVY.
BOTH THE 2012 LEVY AND 2019
LEVIES MADE USE OF THE SAME
DISTINCT CATEGORIES THAT
PROVIDES LEGIBILITY YEAR
OVER YEAR BUT ASSURES WE'RE
FOCUSED ON THE MAJOR AREAS THAT
AREARE
TO LIBRARY OPERATIONS.
AS
TOM MADE MENTION IN HIS
INTRODUCTION, WE HAVE
BEEN TALKING ABOUT EACH OF
THESE CATEGORIES AND TODAY WE'LL
BE
TALKING ABOUT ADMIN AND CENTRAL
COSTS, HOURS AND ACCESS, AND
HELPING CHILDREN.
WE ARE GOING TO GO IN
AN INTENTIONAL ORDER AND
PRESENT FIRST THE ADMINISTRATIVE
COSTS OF THE LIBRARY.
THESE ARE ESSENTIALLY THE COSTS
THAT ARE BORN BY THE LEVY THAT
SUPPORT ACTUAL ADMINISTRATION
OF THE LIBRARY.
THIS IS A MODEST AMOUNT OF THE
OVERALL LEVY FUNDING.
AND WHAT IT DOES PROVIDE FOR IS
TWO POSITIONS, TWO FTE, ONE IS
A PART- TIME LEVY ANALYST, AND
ANOTHER IS FINANCIAL ANALYST
AND OUR FINANCE DEPARTMENT
SPREAD ACROSS TWO POSITIONS IN A
PRORATED PORTION.
THIS ALLOWS US TO DO THE
ACTUAL ADMINISTRATION OF THE
LEVY, ASSURE THAT FUNDS
ARE APPORTIONED IN THE PROPER
WAY, AND THAT WE HAVE YEAR TO
YEAR,
MONTH TO MONTH, EVEN PAY
PERIOD TO PAY PERIOD OF
ACCOUNTING OF
HOW THE LEVY FUNDS ARE BEING
SPENT.
THE CATEGORY ALSO HELPS
FUNDS SOME CENTRAL COSTS
PROVIDED BY
THE CITY OF SEATTLE.
AT ONE POINT IN THE CURRENT
LEVY, THESE COSTS WERE ADDED TO
THE LEVY.
IT IS A COMMON PRACTICE IN
THE BROAD SENSE OF THE BUDGET
THAT CENTRAL COSTS ARE
ALLOCATED ACROSS THE GENERAL
FUND, IN
2023, HOWEVER.
CPO, THE CITY BUDGET
OFFICE RECOGNIZED THAT THE LEVY
PORTION WAS NOT BEARING ITS
APPROPRIATE SHARE OF CENTRAL
COSTS AND SO
THERE WAS AN ADJUSTMENT MADE.
SO YOU'LL SEE IN THE NEXT
SLIDE, THIS SLIDE DEPICTS THE
TOTAL
AMOUNT YEAR OVER YEAR THAT
IS DEDICATED TO ADMINISTRATIVE
COSTS. IN 2024, THE CENTRAL
COSTS WERE AND
THAT ACCOUNTS FOR THE JUMPS IN
'24, '25 AND '26.
IN 2023, THERE WAS A MODEST
JUMP COMPARED TO PRIOR YEARS.
THIS IS THE YEAR WE USED
LEVY FUNDS TO SUPPORT THE
DEVELOPMENT
OF OUR STRATEGIC PLAN THROUGH
A COMPREHENSIVE STUDY OF
THE FUTURE OF LIBRARIES,
WHICH INCLUDED ROBUST COMMUNITY
ENGAGEMENT AND HELPED INFORM
THE STRATEGIC PLAN THAT IS IN
PLACE
TODAY.
THIS SLIDE GIVES A LARGE
OVERVIEW.
IT IS A FORMAT CONSISTENT
WITH LAST WEEK'S PRESENTATION.
BUT YOU SEE HERE THATTHAT
OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS OF
THE
SEATTLE PUBLIC LIBRARY ARE BORN
BY THE GENERAL FUND AND
ONLY VERY SMALL PORTIONS ARE
BORNE BY
THE LEVY AND PRIVATE FUNDS.
AND THIS SLIDE DEPICTS
THE ACTUAL DOLLARS BEHIND THE
PRIOR
SLIDE.
ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS, ALTHOUGH
SMALL PORTION OF THE OVERALL
LEVY FUNDING, DO PROVIDE US
AN IMPORTANT OPPORTUNITY AND
THAT
IS IT PROVIDES SUPPORT FOR
TRANSPARENT AND
REGULAR REPORTING OF THE WAYS IN
WHICH THE FUNDS PROVIDED BY THE
LEVY ARE EXPENDED.
IT ALLOWS US TO DO IN
DEPTH PROGRESS REPORTS THAT
REFLECT
OUR REGULAR ACCOUNTING
AND DISTRIBUTION OF THESE FUNDS.
AND IT GIVES US THE ABILITY TO
PRODUCE QUARTERLY REPORTS,
THESE QUARTERLY REPORTS AS TOM
HAS MENTIONED ARE POSTED ON OUR
WEBSITE, AND ARE ALMOST AN
IN THE MOMENT VIEW OF HOW
THE LIBRARY IS PERIOD TO
PERIOD EXPENDING THE DOLLARS OF
THE
LEVY. ARE ALSO
FEATURED IN OUR BOARD OF
TRUSTEES
MEETINGS AND WE MAKE REGULAR
UPDATES TO THEM, TO INFORM ALL
OF OUR LEVY PROGRESS, SO THIS
PRESENTATION, OF COURSE, SPEAKS
TO A SEVEN- YEAR PERIOD, BUT
WE WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT WE
ARE DOING THIS UPDATE ON A
REGULAR
BASIS WITH OUR BOARD AND IT
IS ALWAYS AVAILABLE TO THE
PUBLIC.
WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT BACK TO
TOM.
>> ALL RIGHT, THANKS, ROB.
PARDON ME.
BEEN SPEAKING A LOT HERE IN THE
LAST COUPLE WEEKS, SO,
HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF THE
GRAVELLY
VOICE FROM THAT.
THE NEXT AREA WE'LL TALK
ABOUT IS OPEN HOURS AND ACCESS.
AND AS YOU ALL KNOW, IT IS
OUR LIBRARY STAFF THAT ALLOW US
TO KEEP OUR LIBRARIES OPEN, ALL
THE HOURS THAT WE ARE.
AND THE LEVY FUNDS APPROXIMATELY
25% OF ALL LIBRARY POSITIONS.
BY PROVIDING LIBRARY OPEN
HOURS, WE PROVIDE COMMUNITY
ACCESS
TO 27 SAFE AND WELCOMING SPACES,
WITH OVER 1. 8
MILLION PHYSICAL BOOKS AND OTHER
ITEMS.
WE PROVIDE INFORMATION
SERVICES STAFF WHO ANSWER MANY
THOUSANDS OF QUESTIONS EACH YEAR
THROUGH
OUR ASK US SERVICE.
WE ANSWERED 37,000 QUESTIONS IN
2025. AND THESE QUESTIONS RANGE
FROM
HOURS, SERVICES, RESEARCH
REQUESTS, PROGRAM INFORMATION,
GENEALOGY REQUESTS, AND MUCH
MORE.
WE ALSO HAVE 22 LOCATIONS
WITH FREE PUBLIC MEETING ROOMS.
WE HAVE FREE PRIVATE STUDY
ROOMS AT 17 LOCATIONS.
AND THOUSANDS OF FREE PROGRAMS
EACH YEAR WITHIN THE
WALLS OF THE LIBRARY.
OF COURSE WE HAVE FREE ACCESS
TO WIFI, COMPUTERS, DEVICE
CHARGING, ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGIES
AND MUCH MORE.
AND FINALLY, AS WE HAVE
ALL BECOME AWARE WITH CLIMATE
CHANGE, OUR BUILDINGS ACT
AS CRITICAL COOLING AND WARMING
AND CLEAN AIR CENTERS FOR
COMMUNITY DURING OUR ADVERSE
WEATHER
CONDITIONS THAT FROM TIME
TO TIME POP UP.
OUR OPEN HOURS AT CENTRAL
PROVIDES ACCESS TO TWO
MUSIC PRACTICE ROOMS.
RENTABLE MEETING ROOMS
FOR PRIVATE EVENTS.
A LEVEL EIGHT ART GALLERY.
COURTESY PHONES, AND AN ASSISTED
TECHNOLOGY LAB THAT WE'LL SHARE
A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT LATER
IN THE
PRESENTATION.
>> CHIEF, CAN YOU TELL US
A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW YOU GUYS
DO
COMMUNICATIONS TO LET FOLKS
KNOW ABOUT THE MUSIC ROOM, THE
ART GALLERY AT THE CENTRAL?
I'M NOT SURE EVERYONE IS
AWARE, SO WOULD LOVE TO HEAR A
LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW YOU LET
FOLKS
KNOW.
>> SURE.
MOST OF THAT IS GOING TO BE
ON OUR WEBSITE.
IT IS ALSO IN OUR SIGNAGE IN
THE CENTRAL LIBRARY.
WE ALSO GET GENERAL
INQUIRIES FROM THE PUBLIC ABOUT
SPACES
WHERE PEOPLE CAN PRACTICE.
IT IS NOT ONLY A FEATURE
AT CENTRAL PER SE, SOMEONE MAY
RENT OUT AT A BRANCH A MEETING
ROOM TO DO MUSIC PRACTICE
SESSION AS
WELL.
SO, WE'RE USED TO PEOPLE
NEEDING
A SPACE TO ACTUALLY
PRACTICE, WHICH IS WHEN YOU HAVE
A LOT
OF APARTMENT LIVING THAT IS
NOT EASY TO DO.
SO, WE ARE PRETTY GOOD AT
MAKING SURE PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT
THAT, EITHER THROUGH SIGNAGE,
THROUGH THE WEBSITE, AND THROUGH
OUR
NEWSLETTERS THAT GO OUT,
FRIENDS AND FOUNDATION ALSO
HAVE NEWSLETTERS AND THEY'RE
ABLE
TO PUT THAT KIND OF INFORMATION
OUT.
>> AND DO YOU PUT THAT TYPE OF
INFORMATION OUT AT ALL THE
BRANCHES, LIKE, HERE'S
WHAT'S AVAILABLE AT YOUR
CENTRAL
LOCATION?
BECAUSE IT IS THE
BIGGER LOCATION AND THERE ARE A
LOT
OF COOL THINGS IN THE CENTRAL
LOCATION.
>> YEAH.
I THINK THAT'S THE KEY FOR
OUR INFORMATION SERVICES STAFF.
THEY HAVE A
COMPLETE UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT
THE ENTIRE
SYSTEM OFFERS.
PARDON ME, SO THEY CAN REDIRECT
OR REFER PATIENTS TO THE BEST
LOCATION THAT IS GOING TO
REALLY SERVE THEIR NEED.
>> GREAT, THANK YOU.
AND CAN YOU TELL US, IT
LOOKS LIKE THERE AREN'T MEETING
ROOMS IN ALL -- THERE IS 22 OF
THE 27
LOCATIONS, SO ONLY FIVE DON'T.
I ASSUME THAT'S RELATED,
I'M ASKING A LEADING QUESTION
HERE.
BUT I ASSUME IT IS RELATED
TO SPACE AT THOSE BRANCHES.
>> IT IS GENERALLY THE
SMALLER LOCATIONS THAT DON'T
HAVE
THOSE MEETING ROOMS.
>> AND DO YOU THEN, FOR THOSE
PATRONS, REDIRECT THEM TO THE
CLOSEST BRANCH NEXT TO --
NEAREST THEIR BRANCH TO --
>> ABSOLUTELY.
IF THEY'RE LOOKING FOR FREE, WE
ALSO -- WE KNOW OUR
COMMUNITY CENTERS ALSO OFFER
OPTIONS FOR
FOLKS, SO WE'RE ABLE TO,
AGAIN, REFER FOLKS TO THE ONE
THAT
BEST SUITS THEIR
NEED.
>> TERRIFIC.
THANK YOU, CHIEF.
>> GREAT.
AND AS WE LOOK AT LIBRARY HOURS,
WE CURRENTLY OFFER 1398
SYSTEM WIDE HOURS PER WEEK.
THIS IS A MODEST INCREASE
OVER WHAT WAS 2019, WHICH WAS
BEFORE
WE ENTERED THIS CURRENT LEVY.
AT THAT TIME WE HAD ABOUT
1377 PER WEEK.
MEANS ABOUT 8 TO 10 HOURS
OF SERVICE A DAY AT OUR
LOCATIONS.
14 LOCATIONS ARE OPEN 7 DAYS A
WEEK, 12 LOCATIONS ARE OPEN 6
DAYS A WEEK, AND WE DETERMINE
OUR HOURS BASED ON PATRON
USAGE, COMMUNITY NEED, STAFFING
CAPACITY, AND UNION CONTRACT
OBLIGATIONS.
AND THEN AS WE LOOK AT SOME
OF THE HOURS AND CHALLENGES, I
KNOW I'VE PRESENTED TO THIS
GROUP
BEFORE OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS
ABOUT SOME OF THOSE
CHALLENGES, THROUGH THE LIFE OF
THIS LEVY
WE HAD A SYSTEM WIDE CLOSURE,
PARDON ME, DUE TO COVID-19.
AND, OF COURSE, THAT PRESENTED
A VARIETY OF HIRING CHALLENGES
AS THERE WERE HIRING FREEZES
DURING THAT TIME, WHICH MEANT WE
HELD
A LOT OF VACANCIES, FOLLOWED
AGAIN BY MORE CHALLENGING HIRING
ENVIRONMENT DURING THE
GREAT RESIGNATION WHERE WE WERE
SEEING PEOPLE MOVE AROUND QUITE
A
BIT DURING THAT TIME.
AND THEN WE ALSO HAD
SOME ADDITIONAL HIRING FREEZES
OR PAUSES DURING SOME OF
THE GENERAL FUND CONCERNS
WITH BUDGET OVER THE LAST
SEVERAL
YEARS.
HOWEVER, IN 2025, WE
INTRODUCED FIXED SCHEDULES WITH
OUR UNION
LABOR PARTNER.
THIS HELPED BOTH STABILIZE OPEN
HOURS FOR OUR PATRONS
AND PROVIDED MORE
PREDICTABLE SCHEDULES FOR OUR
STAFF.
THE OTHER AREA WHERE WE LOOKED
TO INCREASE ACCESS WAS GOING
FINE FREE.
IN 2020, THE LEVY FUNDED THE
ELIMINATION OF OVERDUE FINES.
WE FOUND DISPROPORTIONATE
IMPACTS OF OVERDUE FINES IN
SOME AREAS OF THE CITY.
PARTICULARLY IN NEIGHBORHOODS
WITH LOW MEDIAN INCOMES.
THIS CHANGE ALONE RESTORED
LIBRARY ACCESS FOR OVER
18,000 PATRONS WHOSE ACCOUNTS
WERE
SUSPENDED.
MANY OF THOSE COULD HAVE BEEN
CHILDREN.
THEY MAY HAVE BEEN CHILDREN
AND THEN BECAME ADULTS, IT
REALLY
BROUGHT A LOT OF PEOPLE BACK TO
THE LIBRARY.
SO, IT WAS A REALLY BIG WIN FOR
ACCESS.
AND I KNOW HAVING LIVED THROUGH
THAT, AS WE PUT THAT LEVY
FORWARD, THERE WAS A LOT
OF CONCERN ABOUT LIBRARY
MATERIALS BEING RETURNED AND SO
WE HAD
SAID THAT WE WOULD CONTINUE TO
MONITOR IT, WHICH WE DO TO THIS
DAY. AND PATRONS CONTINUE TO
RETURN ITEMS AT ABOUT THE SAME
RATE AS
BEFORE.
AND AS YOU MIGHT KNOW,
WE STILL REQUIRE THAT YOU RETURN
YOUR ITEMS TO THE LIBRARY, AND
WHILE WE -- AND IF YOU DON'T, OF
COURSE, WE CHARGE LOST FEES
OR LATE -- NOT LATE FEES, BUT
LOST FEES IF YOU DON'T RETURN
THE
ITEMS.
BUT IF YOU FIND AN ITEM
AND RETURN IT, THOSE FEES ARE
WAVED AND YOUR ACCESS IT
RETURNED.
SO, ONLY ABOUT 8% OF
ITEMS CHECKED OUT ARE OVERDUE AT
ANY ONE
TIME. WHICH DOESN'T REALLY MOVE
MUCH
OVER THE COURSE OF THE YEARS.
ANOTHER AREA THAT WE
TOOK ADVANTAGE OF UTILIZING
LEVY FUNDS AND LEVERAGING LEVY
FUNDS WAS WITH OUR 24/7 HOLDS
PICKUP
LOCKERS.
THOSE NOW ARE AT SEVEN
LOCATIONS. THEY ALLOW PATRONS
ACCESS TO OUR
COLLECTIONS AT THEIR
CONVENIENCE 24 HOURS EVERY DAY
OF THE WEEK.
AND WE'LL SHARE MORE ABOUT
THAT IN LATER SLIDES.
THE OTHER AREA WHERE WE --
DID YOU HAVE
A QUESTION?
>> ARE WE MOVING ON?
>>
YES.
>> OKAY.
LET ME JUST -- I DO HAVE A
QUESTION ABOUT HOURS AND ACCESS.
AND IN TERMS OF THE FINE FREE
BORROWING, I HAVE TO GIVE A
SHOUTOUT TO FORMER
MAYOR JENNY DURKAN WHO CARED
ABOUT THE
FACT SHE DIDN'T WANT TO LIMIT
ACCESS BASED ON IF SOMEONE KNEW
THEY WERE GOING TO HAVE HIGH
FINES AND THEN THEY STOPPED
USING THE
LIBRARY.
IN MANY CASES KIDS
AND ESPECIALLY IN COMMUNITIES --
UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES AS WELL
WAS MY UNDERSTANDING AT THE
TIME. SHE WANTED TO MAKE SURE
THAT
THAT WAS NOT A FACTOR WHY FOLKS
WERE NOT UTILIZE THE LIBRARY.
I WANT TO GIVE HER A
SHOUTOUT FOR CARING ABOUT THAT.
I DO HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT -- IT
IS MORE A COMMENT.
MOST FOLKS DON'T KNOW WHAT
1398 LIBRARY HOURS, YOU KNOW,
AMOUNT
TO.
WHEN YOU SAY SEVEN DAYS A
WEEK AND SIX DAYS A WEEK, HOW
LONG --
IS THAT EIGHT- HOUR DAYS OR --
KNOW WEEKENDS ARE
ALSO FOR -- BOTH INCLUDE
WEEKENDS
AND SEVEN DAYS A WEEK AND EVEN
SIX DAYS A WEEK.
BUT IS THAT -- DOES THAT --
DOES THE HOURS IN A DAY SHIFT BY
LOCATION, FOR INSTANCE?
>> IT DOES.
SO WE COULD HAVE -- WE TRY
TO HAVE A REGIONAL APPROACH TO
HOW WE ARRANGE OUR BRANCHES AND
OUR
SCHEDULING.
AND SO WITH THAT, YOU
WOULD HAVE -- YOU MIGHT HAVE A
BRANCH THAT IS OPEN EIGHT HOURS
IN A
REGION. YOU MIGHT HAVE A BRANCH
THAT
IS OPEN TEN HOURS BECAUSE IT
HAS EVENING HOURS.
WE TRY TO BALANCE THAT IN
A REGION SO THAT SOMEONE HAS
A LIBRARY THAT MIGHT BE OPEN A
FEW HOURS LATER IN THE
EVENING. IF THERE IS THAT NEED
IN THAT
REGION.
HOPEFULLY THEN YOU'RE
NOT DRIVING ALL THE WAY ACROSS
TOWN
OR DOWN TO CENTRAL, WE TRY
TO REALLY TAKE THAT ALL
INTO
ACCOUNT WHEN WE'RE MAKING THOSE
SCHEDULES.
>> THANK YOU, CHIEF.
AND WE TALKED ABOUT THIS LAST
TIME AS WELL.
THAT YOU WORK WITH THE COMMUNITY
THAT LIVES AROUND THE BRANCHES
WHO IS GOING TO MORE LIKELY
TO USE THE BRANCH TO DETERMINE
PROGRAMMING, FOR INSTANCE,
AND ALSO LIBRARY HOURS IN THIS
CASE AS WELL.
>> YEAH, AND IT IS REALLY
IMPORTANT, THANK YOU FOR
THAT, BECAUSE IT IS IMPORTANT TO
NOTE THAT WHEN WE CAME OUT OF
THE
PANDEMIC, WE HAD -- I
BELIEVE YOU MENTIONED THE 2018
SURVEY.
WE ACTUALLY DID A SURVEY IN
2022 TO REALLY TEST OUR
ASSUMPTIONS THAT WE HAD IN 2018
AROUND
HOURS. AND IN THAT PERIOD OF
TIME
AND DUE TO THE PANDEMIC, THE
COMMUNITY'S NEEDS AND
OPINIONS CHANGED ON THOSE HOURS.
SO WE DID ADDRESS IT AT THAT
TIME.
AND WE'RE CONSTANTLY ENGAGING
WITH THE PUBLIC TO FIND OUT,
YOU KNOW WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO
THEM.
>> THANK YOU, CHIEF. THANK YOU
FOR FLAGGING THAT.
I WAS NOT AWARE THERE WAS
YET ANOTHER SERVING 2022.
I KNOW YOU HAVE A SURVEY FOR
2025 THAT YOU WILL BE SHARING
SOON.
I HAVE NOT SEEN IT, BUT I KNOW
THAT YOU ALL WILL BE SHARING
THAT
SOON.
>> YES, WE WILL BE.
IT WAS VERY -- A VERY ROBUST
SURVEY.
SO, ONE OTHER ITEM HERE, JUST
ON ACCESS, ONE OF THE OTHER
PIECES THAT WE DID, AGAIN, TO
REALLY FROM A CONVENIENCE
STANDPOINT,
AND AN ACCESS STANDPOINT IS MOVE
TO AUTOMATIC RENEWALS.
SO, ANY ITEM THAT YOU
HAVE CHECKED OUT THAT DOESN'T
HAVE A
HOLD REQUEST WAITING FOR IT CAN
RENEW UP TO THREE TIMES AND MANY
THE COUNTRY
HAVE
TRANSITIONED TO THIS FROM
ANYWHERE FROM TWO TO
FIVE AUTOMATIC RENEWALS.
IT REALLY HELPS THE USER
EXPERIENCE AND, YOU KNOW,
I'M ONE OF THOSE THAT USES
THAT.
I GET A LITTLE BEHIND ON
MY READING AND I APPRECIATE
NOT MISSING OUT ON THAT BOOK.
SO IT IS A REALLY CONVENIENT
FEATURE.
AND, OF COURSE, DURING THIS
TIME AS WELL, AS WE THINK ABOUT
HOURS AND ACCESS, THERE IS MANY
THINGS THAT GO INTO THAT, BUT
SECURITY IS ANOTHER ONE OF
THOSE.
AND WE BROUGHT ON 11 -- EXCUSE
ME, I APOLOGIZE, NINE
SECURITY OFFICER POSITIONS
DURING THIS
LEVY AS WELL TO HAVE 24
TOTAL SECURITY STAFF
THAT ARE AVAILABLE THROUGHOUT
THE SYSTEM.
ALL RIGHT.
YES.
>> CAN I ASK YOU ABOUT SECURITY?
DOES THAT MEAN DOES EVERY
BRANCH HAVE SECURITY -- WELL,
NOT
EVERY, BECAUSE I KNOW IT IS
ONLY 24 PEOPLE FOR 27 BRANCHES.
BUT I GUESS WHAT I'M TRYING
TO GET TO IS HOW DO YOU
DETERMINE WHERE SECURITY
GOES? I THINK I HAVE AN
ASSUMPTION, BUT I DON'T WANT TO
ASSUME.
>> YES, SO, THE -- WE HAVE
OUR PROBABLY THE LARGEST NUMBER
OF SECURITY AT CENTRAL.
380,000 SQUARE FOOT BUILDING.
IT TAKES A LITTLE BIT TO MANAGE.
IT IS A LOT OF SPACE TO COVER.
AND THEN THE REMAINING FOLKS
ARE THEN OUT IN THE REGIONS AND
OUT IN THE BRANCHES.
SO, IT MIGHT BE SOMETHING WHERE
WE HAVE SOMEBODY POSTED AT HIGH
INCIDENT LOCATION, THEY MAY
BE POSTED THERE MORE FREQUENTLY.
WE MAY HAVE AN AREA THAT POPS
UP THAT WE HAVE SOME MORE
INCIDENTS AND MIGHT PUT EMPHASIS
PATROLS
THERE, BUT GENERALLY THE
TEAMS ARE GOING TO ROVE AS THEY
NEED TO AND RESPOND TO INCIDENTS
AS
THEY COME IN.
AND I'M PROUD OF THE WORK THAT
OUR SECURITY TEAM PROVIDES.
THEIR DE- ESCALATION MEANS
THAT WE'RE NOT -- WE'RE MAKING
SURE PEOPLE ARE SUCCESSFUL BEING
IN THE SPACE, WHICH IS WHAT WE
REALLY WANT.
>> THANK YOU, CHIEF.
AND I KNOW MY KIDS HAVE
EXPERIENCED IN THE BRANCH
THAT THEY GO TO AND OUR BRANCH.
FOLKS ARE THERE AND THEY'RE
ALL THERE TOGETHER AND YOUR
FOLKS
ARE SO HELPFUL AND THERE ISN'T
A
SECURITY PERSON THERE THAT
I HAVE SEEN, BUT THE STAFF IS
VERY
WELCOMING AND, YOU
KNOW, EVERYONE IS ABLE TO BE
THERE AND
DO WHAT THEY'RE DOING
THERE, WHETHER IT IS HOMEWORK
OR READING OR SENIORS ENGAGING
WITH OTHER SENIORS AND FOLKS WHO
ARE THERE BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY THEY
HAVE NOWHERE ELSE TO BE.
>>
ABSOLUTELY.
>> AND EVERYONE IS THERE
TOGETHER, WHICH IS GREAT.
>> CHAIR, CAN I ASK A --
>> YES.
COUNCILMEMBER LIN,
YOU'RE RECOGNIZED TO SPEAK.
>> THANK YOU, CHAIR.
THANK YOU FOR TALKING ABOUT YOUR
SECURITY AND THE EMPHASIS
ON DE-ESCALATION AND
JUST WANT TO FOLLOW UP, YOU
PROBABLY
HAVE SEEN THERE WAS A RECENT
ARTICLE IN THE URBANIST RAISING
EMPLOYEE CONCERNS ABOUT
POTENTIAL NEW
PROTOCOLS, SUSPENSIONS OF
PATRONS WHO MIGHT
BE DEALING WITH MENTAL HEALTH OR
BEHAVIORAL HEALTH ISSUES AND
SORT OF THE
IMPACT IT IS HAVING ON
THOSE PATRONS WHO ARE REALLY,
YOU
KNOW, THE LIBRARIES ARE SUCH AN
ESSENTIAL SERVICE FOR
THEM. AND I KNOW THAT WE'RE
FOCUSED ON
THE LEVY HERE.
AND SO, ONE, I WANT
TO DOUBLE-CHECK THAT NOTHING IN
THE LEVY WOULD SORT OF
PRECLUDE FEEDBACK OR -- ON THOSE
--
THERE IS NOTHING PRESCRIPTIVE
YOU'RE
EXPECTING IN TERMS OF THE
LEVY THAT WOULD CHANGE THOSE OR,
YOU
KNOW, WOULD ALLOW THE
FLEXIBILITY TO CHANGE THEM AS
NEEDED.
>> NO.
THERE WOULDN'T BE.
AND, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, IT IS
UNFORTUNATE THAT THE
URBANIST DID NOT FOLLOW UP WITH
US.
THE ONE THING THAT WE DID
WHEN WE MOVED FROM RULES OF
CONDUCT TO THE COMMUNITY
USE AGREEMENT WAS WE SPENT A LOT
OF TIME AND
SPACE WITH A VARIETY OF
OUR FOLKS WHO ARE IN LIBRARY ALL
THE TIME.
AND MIGHT BE THOSE WHO ARE
UNHOUSED, IT MIGHT BE YOUTH
THAT COME INTO SOME OF OUR
LOCATIONS, AND SO WE SPENT A LOT
OF
TIME AND SPACE TRYING TO COME UP
WITH
A COMMUNITY USE AGREEMENT THAT
LOOKS, AGAIN, AT HOW DO YOU
MAKE SURE YOU'RE DOING
EVERYTHING
YOU CAN TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE
ARE SUCCESSFUL IN THAT SPACE.
AND REALLY LOOKING AT WHAT
HAVE BEEN IN MANY CASES VERY
PUNITIVE OLD RULES OF CONDUCT
WHERE
SOMEBODY WOULD GO RIGHT INTO
A SUSPENSION THAT COULD BE
SIX MONTHS OR A YEAR.
AND SO WHEN WE LOOK AT
THE NUMBERS NOW, WHAT WE SEE
IS WE HAVE SHORTER SUSPENSIONS.
PEOPLE HAVE A BAD DAY.
YOU KNOW?
I HAVE BAD DAYS.
KIDS HAVE BAD DAYS, YOU KNOW.
WE WERE ALL TEENAGERS.
SO WHAT WE SEE NOW IS WE SEE
SHORTER SUSPENSIONS.
WE MAY HAVE A FEW MORE OF THOSE,
BUT WE DON'T SEE THE LONGER
MORE
EXTENSIVE SUSPENSIONS.
MEANING THAT THOSE SERVICES
THEN ARE AVAILABLE TO PEOPLE
WHO REALLY NEED THEM.
AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK OUR
TEAM DOES A GREAT JOB OF TRYING
TO CHANGE THAT BECAUSE IT IS
A DIFFERENT APPROACH THAN WHAT
HAD
BEEN IN PLACE.
BUT THAT ALSO HAD A TON OF
STAFF INPUT INTO THAT PROCESS,
QUITE A
BIT OF STAFF INPUT INTO THAT
PROCESS. AND I KNOW THERE WAS
SOME
THINGS MADE OR CONCERNS MADE
ABOUT
CALLING 911 OR SPD.
THOSE PROTOCOLS HAVE BEEN IN
PLACE FOR A LONG TIME.
THERE ARE SITUATIONS THAT GET
OUT OF HAND, UNFORTUNATELY.
AND IT IS REALLY OUR LAST
RECOURSE.
I THINK SPD HAS A
GREAT PARTNERSHIP WITH US.
THEY KNOW THAT.
THAT WE RELY ON THEM ONLY FOR
THE WORST OF SITUATIONS.
WE'RE ALSO VERY APPRECIATIVE
OF OUR FIRE, HEALTH ONE, CARE
TEAM, ALL OF WHOM PARTNER WITH
US IN
A NUMBER OF ISSUES.
WHEN WE HAVE -- WE'RE
APPROACHING CRISIS, WE KNOW
WE CAN CALL CARE.
WE CAN CALL HEALTH ONE.
AND THEY WILL -- THEY KNOW THE
LIBRARY.
THEY KNOW OUR STAFF, THEY
KNOW OUR TEAMS.
SO, YES, I WISH THE
URBANIST WOULD HAVE WORKED WITH
US A
LITTLE BIT MORE TO FIND OUT
MORE OF WHAT WENT INTO ALL OF
THIS.
>> THANK YOU FOR THAT.
HOPEFULLY MAYBE THERE COULD
BE SOME UPDATED INFORMATION
SHARED ABOUT THAT.
BECAUSE I DO THINK, YOU
KNOW, IT IS A -- I KNOW YOU'RE
IN A
DIFFICULT SITUATION, YOU NEED
TO PROVIDE SAFETY AND SECURITY
FOR
ALL, AND AT THE SAME TIME AS
YOU SAID JUST BECAUSE SOMEBODY
HAS A
BAD DAY ONE DAY DOESN'T MEAN
THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE A BAD
DAY THE NEXT DAY AND IT IS SUCH
AN ESSENTIAL SERVICE AND GLAD
TO HEAR THAT YOU HAD A LOT OF
EMPLOYEE INPUT.
AND I JUST IN GENERAL, YOU
KNOW, I HOPE THAT THERE IS A LOT
OF
EMPLOYEE INPUT THAT IS BEING
PROVIDED INTO THIS WHOLE LEVY
PROCESS.
BECAUSE I JUST THINK IT IS
SO CRITICAL THAT EMPLOYEE VOICES
IS PART -- HAS A SEAT AT THE
TABLE AND IS PART OF THIS
DECISION-MAKING.
>> THANK YOU.
>> YEAH.
THANK YOU, CHIEF FAY.
SOMETIMES STORIES ARE
WRITTEN AND DEPARTMENTS AND THE
CITY
ARE NOT REACHED OUT TO AND HAVE
THE ABILITY TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK.
WE ALL KNOW THAT NOT
EVERYTHING YOU READ IS ACCURATE
AND SO
THIS IS WHY IT IS IMPORTANT TO
HAVE
THESE OPPORTUNITIES WHEN WE'RE
INTERACTING WITH SEATTLE PUBLIC
LIBRARIES, WITH NOT JUST CHIEF
FAY, BUT HIS TEAM WHO CAN TALK
ABOUT THESE -- THEIR
EXPERIENCES BECAUSE THEY'RE THE
ONES
THAT ARE ACTUALLY HANDLING THE
SITUATION.
NOTWITHSTANDING WHAT
SOMEONE MIGHT SAY, WE'RE TING
HERE WHAT IS ACTUALLY
HAPPENING. I'LL SAY, AS A
REMINDER THAT
LIBRARIES, LOTS OF PATRONS USE
THE LIBRARIES AND HAVE TO
BE KEPT SAFE FOR EVERYONE.
THEY'RE NOT A SOCIAL SERVICE
AGENCY.
AND WE SHOULD NOT LOOK TO
THEM TO BE THAT.
THAT IS NOT WHAT LIBRARIES ARE.
SO, IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE
MAKE SURE THAT ALL PATRONS HAVE
A GOOD EXPERIENCE AND I REALLY
APPRECIATE HOW YOU COUCH THAT
WE WANT EVERYONE TO BE
SUCCESSFUL WHO IS HERE.
AND SOMETIMES THE LIBRARY
WILL HAVE TO MAKE -- BRANCHES
WILL
HAVE TO MAKE DECISIONS BASED ON
THE PATRONS THAT ARE THERE
IN RELATION TO OTHER PATRONS AS
WELL.
THE ONE THING I WILL SAY, I CAN
VOUCH WITH THE
LIBRARIES, BECAUSE I'VE BEEN
WORKING
WITH THE LIBRARIES FOR THE LAST
EIGHT OR NINE YEARS, IS THEY DO
A GOOD JOB TRYING TO ENSURE THAT
THEY ARE MAKING REFERRALS IF
THERE
ARE PATRONS THAT SHOW UP AND IS
NOT
APPROPRIATE FOR THEM TO BE IN
THAT SPACE BECAUSE THEY
MIGHT NOT BE SAFE TO THEMSELVES
OR
OTHERS.
AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT
APPROACH THAT SEATTLE
PUBLIC LIBRARIES HAS TAKEN.
BECAUSE WE WANT TO MAKE
SURE EVERYONE IS SUCCESSFUL IN
THIS
SPACE.
BUT I CAUTION US BECAUSE I
HAVE HEARD FROM LIBRARY STAFF
WHO ALSO FEELS CONCERN ABOUT
SAFETY.
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE
EVERYBODY IS IN A SAFE PLACE AND
THAT WE'RE NOT REQUIRING
EMPLOYEES
AT THE LIBRARY TO BE SOMETHING
THEY ARE NOT.
THAT'S NOT FAIR TO THE LIBRARY
STAFF.
AND WE HAVE OTHER RESOURCES
IN THE CITY THAT WOULD BE MORE
APPROPRIATE.
SO, THANK YOU FOR TALKING
ABOUT YOUR PARTNERSHIPS BECAUSE
I
DO KNOW YOU PARTNER WITH
SEATTLE FIRE DEPARTMENT, SPD AND
NOW
CARE. AND I WANT TO HEAR MORE
ABOUT
CARE, BECAUSE I KNOW THEY HAVE
CAPACITY, IT SOUNDS LIKE, TO DO
MORE AND I WOULD LOVE TO
SEE MORE PARTNERSHIP WITH
THE LIBRARIES AND OTHER AREAS OF
THE
CITY WHERE THEY ARE
APPROPRIATE TO PROVIDE SOME
SERVICES OF
THE VARIETY THAT WE'RE
DISCUSSING
HERE.
THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER LIN.
>> CHAIR, I GOT A
HAND.
>> OKAY.
SORRY, I CAN'T SEE YOUR HANDS
UP HERE.
COUNCILMEMBER FOSTER, YOU ARE
RECOGNIZED.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH, CHAIR
RIVERA.
I JUST WANTED TO ACTUALLY
ASK, IT IS A FUNNY FOLLOW- UP
GIVEN THAT COMMENT, BUT I WANTED
TO ASK TO HEAR A LITTLE BIT MORE
ABOUT THE SOCIAL SOCIAL
LIBRARIANS THAT YOU HAVE BECAUSE
I ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT'S A
RESOURCE THAT THE
LIBRARY INTENTIONALLY SORT OF
DEPLOYS JUST KNOWING THAT YOU'RE
ONE OF THE FEW SPACES THAT
PEOPLE
CAN GO FOR FREE AND HAVE ACCESS.
SO, IF YOU CAN SHARE MORE ABOUT
THAT, I WOULD LOVE TO LEARN
MORE.
>> SURE, WE HAVE TWO
SOCIAL WORKER POSITIONS AND
THEN WE HAVE A SOCIAL SERVICES
LIBRARIAN AT THIS TIME.
AND REALLY WHEN THIS
WAS CONTEMPLATED IN THE LEVY,
WE ORIGINALLY HAD HAD A
CONTRACT WITH THE DESC.
AND THEY DID A GREAT JOB, BUT
WE HAD A LOT OF PEOPLE ROTATING
IN
AND OUT BECAUSE OF THE NATURE
OF THAT WORK.
AND OUR SOCIAL WORKERS DO NOT
CARRY A CASE LOAD.
THAT IS NOT WHAT IT IS ABOUT.
WE ARE NOT PROVIDING THOSE
SERVICES DIRECTLY AT THE
LIBRARY.
AND WHAT WE'RE -- WHAT WE
WANT FROM OUR SOCIAL SERVICES
TEAM IS
TO, AGAIN, BE ABLE TO
PROVIDE OUR STAFF WITH SOME
ADDITIONAL CAPACITY IN
RECOGNIZING SOME
ISSUES THAT MAY BE COMING UP,
INTERVENING BEFORE
CRISIS, GETTING THE RIGHT
PARTNER IN
PLAY, GETTING THE RIGHT
REFERRAL IN PLAY.
THEY'VE BEEN CRITICAL IN
WORKING WITH OUR INFORMATION
SERVICES STAFF TO MAKE SURE
THAT REGIONALLY IF YOU COME TO
A SERVICE DESK IN VALOR
YOU'RE GOING TO GET REFERRALS
TO
AGENCIES OR SERVICES OR
PARTNERS IN BALLARD THAT DO THAT
WORK.
NOT SENDING YOU ACROSS TOWN.
NOT SENDING PEOPLE ON A CHASE
TO TRY TO FIND SERVICES.
THEY DO A GREAT WORK OF THAT.
THEY WORK WITH THE COMMUNITY AT
LARGE, THOUGH.
PRIMARILY RUN OUT OF THE
CENTRAL LIBRARY, BUT THEY DO
OBVIOUSLY
PROVIDE THIS RECOMMENDATION
AND THESE SERVICES ACROSS THE
SYSTEM ALONG WITH OUR SOCIAL
SERVICES LIBRARIAN WHO HELPS
COMMUNICATE
THAT OUT TO ALL THE INFORMATION
SERVICES STAFF.
>> GOT IT, THANK YOU.
QUICK FOLLOW- UP, ARE THEY --
THEY'RE PRIMARILY OUT OF
CENTRAL AND THEN THEY ROTATE
TO DIFFERENT AREAS IN THE CITY?
IS THAT CORRECT?
>> WE, FROM TIME TO TIME,
CAN MOVE THEM TO DIFFERENT
LOCATIONS, YES, IF WE HAVE
A PARTICULAR NEED, WE CAN DO
THAT.
>> GOT
IT.
>> THEY
AND OUR SECURITY TEAM ARE THE
ONES WHO OFTEN
ARE WORKING WITH HEALTH ONE OR
CARE OR SOME OF OUR OTHER
PARTNERS, DEPENDING WHAT THE
SITUATION IS.
>> GOT IT, THANK YOU.
AND THEN I BELIEVE EARLIER
YOU REFERENCED WAS IT 2022 YOU
SAID WAS THE SURVEY OF LIBRARY
STAFF?
>> IT WAS ROUGHLY THAT.
IF I GOT MY DATES --
>> I HATE TO PUT YOU ON THE
SPOT.
DO YOU KNOW WHEN THE NEXT
SURVEY IS ANTICIPATED?
>> WE HAVE THE SURVEY THAT
WAS COMPLETED IN 2025.
WE HAVE THE FINAL FORMATTING OF
THAT OCCURRING NOW.
SO WE HOPEFULLY WILL BE ABLE
TO SHARE THAT IN THE
UPCOMING
WEEKS.
>> THAT SOUNDS GREAT.
I WOULD BE CURIOUS TO HEAR AS
WE THINK ABOUT OUR PUBLIC SAFETY
SYSTEM, I DO THINK THAT
LIBRARIANS ARE SUCH A
RICH SOURCE OF INFORMATION FOR
US, NOT JUST, LIKE, GETTING BOOK
RECOMMENDATIONS, BUT ALSO
WHAT THEY'RE OBSERVING, SEEING
AND UNDERSTANDING ABOUT
THE EXPERIENCES OF PATRONS.
SO I WOULD REALLY LOOK
FORWARD TO HEARING THOSE
RECOMMENDATIONS AND ESPECIALLY
LEARNING
FROM YOUR STAFF HOW THAT CAN
INFORM OTHER PARTS OF OUR SAFETY
NET
RESPONSE.
SO LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING
THAT, CHIEF.
THANK YOU.
>> YEAH.
AND I THINK THAT'S A GOOD
POINT.
I THINK WHEN WE LOOK AT --
WE HAVE A RECENT CASE WHERE WE
ACTUALLY HAD BEEN IN
CONTACT WITH CARE ON A
PARTICULAR
PATRON, AND IT IS ACTUALLY GOOD
BECAUSE THEY -- THIS PARTICULAR
PERSON HASN'T BEEN SHOWING UP
FOR THEIR TIME OUT IN THE
CITY, BUT IT IS ONE THAT THEY
LIKELY
WILL.
SO, IT IS EVEN THAT
INFORMATION SHARING AMONGST
DEPARTMENTS
THAT HELPS AND IT IS GIVING THEM
KIND OF THE PRELIMINARY
INFORMATION
IN CASE THEY DO.
SO IT CAN PROVIDE BETTER
CARE AND SERVICE.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH, CHIEF.
THANK YOU, CHAIR.
>> ALL RIGHT.
WELL, WE'LL MOVE TO THE
REMAINING PART HERE, AS WE
TALK ABOUT HOURS AND ACCESS,
AS YOU MIGHT IMAGINE, THE
LARGEST EXPENSE FOR THE LIBRARY
IS
LABOR.
WE ARE PEOPLE SERVING PEOPLE AS
WE MENTIONED HERE.
IT TAKES MANY PEOPLE TO KEEP
OUR LIBRARIES OPEN AND OPERATING
AND INCLUDING LIBRARIANS,
LIBRARIAN ASSISTANTS, SHELVERS,
DELIVERY
DRIVERS, SECURITY, MAINTENANCE
STAFF, JANITORIAL, CUSTODIAL
AND MANY, MANY MORE.
IT IS WORTH NOTING THAT, YOU
KNOW, WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT
IT HERE A FEW TIMES THAT
OUR STAFFING MARGINS ARE THIN.
WE KNOW THAT HIRING FREEZES OR
PAUSES, ALL OF THOSE
IMPACT STAFFING LEVELS,
RETENTION
AND THEN REHIRING WHEN YOU HAVE
TO FILL THOSE VACANCIES.
AND WE KNOW THAT IF WE HAVE
TOO MANY SICK CALLS, WE'RE IN
COLD
AND FLU SEASON AS WE SPEAK,
THAT CAN ACTUALLY SET US TO
THE POINT WHERE WE MAY HAVE TO
CLOSE
A BRANCH AND SEND THE
REMAINING STAFF TO ANOTHER
LOCATION.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THIS PARTICULAR
DWRB WHEN
-- WHEN YOU LOOK AT
THIS PARTICULAR SLIDE, YOU'LL
NOTICE AN INCREASE IN 2026.
I WANTED TO DRAW YOUR
ATTENTION THAT THIS WAS THE $5
MILLION
THAT WAS THE COLUMBIA RETRO
FIT THAT WE UTILIZED TO ABSORB
THE 5
MILLION GENERAL FUND
REDUCTION, SO THAT ALLOWED US TO
KEEP
OUR HOURS STABLE WITHOUT
IMPACTING
THE HOURS.
NEXT SLIDE, THIS
BETTER ILLUSTRATES THAT, YOU CAN
SEE IN
THE ORANGE THE GENERAL
FUND GOING DOWN IN 2026.
AND THE LEVY IN BLUE GOING
UP. AND HERE ARE THE NUMBERS
BEHIND THOSE CHARTS.
AND THEN WE'LL MOVE ON TO
PATRON
TRAFFIC. THIS GIVES YOU A SENSE
OF
THE TRAFFIC WE SEE IN OUR
LOCATIONS
DURING OPEN HOURS.
THIS MAP --
>> SORRY, CHIEF.
I THINK THERE WAS A
QUESTION FROM COUNCILMEMBER
FOSTER.
>> SURE, SORRY.
>> THANK YOU.
IF YOU DON'T MIND GOING BACK
A SLIDE TO THE -- THANK YOU SO
MUCH. THIS IS GOOD.
I WANT TO MAKE A REQUEST, I
SEE THIS SHIFT OVER TIME WITH
THE GENERAL FUND AND THE LEVY
GROWTH.
AND I BELIEVE IT IS 2020 IS
WHEN THE CURRENT LEVY STARTED,
IS THAT CORRECT?
>> CORRECT.
>> DO YOU HAVE INFORMATION
THAT GIVES US JUST MORE OF AN --
I DON'T EXPECT YOU TO HAVE THIS
NOW, CHIEF, BUT MORE OF
A HISTORICAL LENS SO
WE CAN SEE WHERE WE LEFT OFF IN
2019 TO
SEE THE CHANGE OVER TIME BETWEEN
LEVYS?
>> YES, WE DO.
I CAN PROVIDE THAT TO YOU.
>> THANK YOU,
CHAIR.
>> GO AHEAD, CHIEF.
>> THIS PARTICULAR ONE SHOWS
YOU THE PATRON TRAFFIC BY
LIBRARY
LOCATION.
SO, IF YOU KNOW YOUR PARTS
OF THE CITY, YOU CAN SEE
THE VARIOUS BRANCHES HERE.
AND SEE THE USE BUBBLES.
AS YOU MIGHT IMAGINE, CENTRAL
IS THE LARGEST AND, OF COURSE,
MOST VISITED LIBRARY SYSTEM.
THE NUMBERS HERE ARE
PRESENTED BY OUR PEOPLE
COUNTERSYSTEM.
EACH LOCATION HAS
POTENTIALLY MULTIPLE PEOPLE
COUNTERS, DEPENDING HOW MANY
DOORS IT HAS
TO MAKE SURE WE'RE CAPTURE, THE
FOLKS COMING IN.
THEY'RE VERY SENSITIVE.
IT IS NOT THE
OLD TECHNOLOGIES THAT HAD AN
INFRARED BEAM.
THESE CAN SEE -- NOT SEE,
BUT COUNT THE NUMBER OF FOLKS
COMING IN AND GOING OUT.
JUST A NOTE WHEN YOU LOOK
AT LAKE CITY IN NEW HOLLY,
WE EXPERIENCED SOME OUTAGES
WITH THE
SYSTEM. THOSE ARE A LITTLE BIT
ABNORMAL FOR WHERE THEY NORMALLY
WOULD
BE.
IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT
UNIVERSITY, IT HAS BEEN CLOSED.
SO ITS NUMBERS WILL BE LOW TO
ZERO.
AT THIS TIME I'M GOING TO
TURN OVER THIS NEXT SECTION TO
MY
COLLEAGUE KAI TANG.
>> THANK YOU.
GOOD MORNING.
I'M GOING TO CONTINUE
TALKING ABOUT HOURS AND ACCESS.
AND TO HELP INCREASE
PATRON ACCESS TO BOOKS AND
MATERIALS,
THE LIBRARY INSTALLED SEVEN
HOLDS PICKUP LOCKERS.
YOU CAN SEE THE LOCATIONS HERE,
BALLARD, BEACON HILL,
BROADVIEW, HIGH POINT, MONTLAKE
NORTHEAST AND RAINIER BEACH
BRANCHES.
WHEN YOU USE THESE HOLD PICKUP
LOCKERS, YOU'RE ABLE TO
USE THEM IN ENGLISH, CHINESE,
SPANISH,
AS WELL AS VIETNAMESE.
THESE WERE NOT A LEVY
PROMISE, BUT WE WERE ABLE TO
LEVERAGE LEVY FUNDS THROUGH
STAFFING
RESOURCES AND INCLUDING OUR CIP
AND I.T. TEAMS TO MAKE THIS
HAPPEN.
THE ACTUAL LOCKERS HAVE BEEN
FUNDED GENEROUSLY BY OUR
DONORS OF THE SEATTLE PUBLIC
LIBRARY FOUNDATION AS WELL AS
STATE
GRANTS. THE SERVICE HAS ALLOWED
US TO
EXPAND OUR HOURS AND
ACCESS SPECIFICALLY FOR OUR HOLD
SERVICES.
AND THIS CHART, YOU CAN SEE THE
GROWTH IN PATRON USAGE.
WE INSTALLED THESE LOCKERS
AT SELECT LOCATIONS TOWARDS THE
END
OF 2021 AND THEN ADDED MORE
IN THE NEXT TWO YEARS.
YOU CAN SEE THE ADOPTION AND
USAGE HAS CONTINUALLY STEADILY
INCREASED. WE EXPECT THIS TREND
TO
CONTINUE.
WE DID SEE A SLIGHT DIP IN
NUMBERS IN 2024 THAT IS DUE TO
THE CYBERATTACK THAT TOOK OUR
NETWORK DOWN T DID HAVE
AN EFFECT ON OUR CATALOG AND
THE SYSTEM THAT WE USED TO
CIRCULATE
MATERIALS.
THE HOLDS PICKUP LOCKERS
HAVE BEEN A STAPLE FOR MANY
LIBRARY
SYSTEMS ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
THEY'RE SIMILAR IF YOU
HAVEN'T USED THEM YET TO PICK
UP
LOCKERS FOR MAIL OR PACKAGES.
AND THEY MAKE THE LIBRARY,
AGAIN, SO MUCH MORE
ACCESSIBLE AND CONVENIENT FOR
FOLKS WHO
MIGHT WANT TO USE OUR SERVICES,
NOT NECESSARILY DURING OUR OPEN
HOURS.
OKAY. A LITTLE MORE ABOUT OUR
HOLDS PICKUP LOCKERS.
THIS HAS BEEN SUPPORTED BY
A VARIETY OF FUNDING SOURCES
SINCE
2021.
OUR FOUNDATION HAS
PROVIDED ABOUT $275,000 FOR OUR
DEVICES.
WE DID HAVE STATE FUNDS THAT
HELPED PURCHASE OUR LOCKER
FOR OUR BALLARD LOCATION.
THE CITY'S GENERAL FUND
HAS HELPED US FUND OUROUR
MAINTENANCE AND THE SERVICE
COSTS FOR THESE LOCKERS.
AND THE LEVY HAS SUPPORTED
OUR CONSTRUCTION AND
THE CONFIGURATION NEEDS WE HAVE
FOR THEM THROUGH OUR CIP AND
I.T.
TEAMS.
OKAY.
I LOVE THIS.
ANOTHER WAY THAT WE ARE SERVING
OUR COMMUNITY AS THROUGH
OUR MOBILE SERVICES, OUR
MOBILE SERVICES TEAM INCLUDE ONE
WALK ON BOOK MOBILE, FOR VISITS
TO THINGS LIKE PRESCHOOLS,
CHILD CARE CENTERS AND COMMUNITY
CENTERS.
WE HAVE TWO LOBBY STOP
TRUCKS AND ONE DELIVERY VAN
FOR MATERIAL DELIVERY.
THESE ARE FOR FACILITIES FOR
OLDER ADULTS, AS WELL AS
PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.
THE MOBILE SERVICES INCLUDES
BOOKS BY HOME AND HOME SERVICE.
THIS PROVIDES FREE MAIL
OR DELIVERY SERVICES FOR
PATRONS WHO ARE UNABLE TO TRAVEL
TO
THE LIBRARY AND I WILL GO INTO
MORE
DETAIL IN SUBSEQUENT SLIDES.
JUST SO YOU KNOW, RIGHT
NOW, ABOUT 66 PEOPLE ARE
UTILIZING
OUR BOOKS BY HOME SERVICE.
AND ABOUT 30 PEOPLE FOR OUR HOME
SERVICE.
SORRY, BOOKS BY MAIL.
OKAY.
A LITTLE MORE ABOUT OUR
BOOK MOBILE SERVICES.
WE HAVE DIFFERENT AGE RANGES
HERE.
AND FOR OUR KIDS WE PRIMARILY
VISIT PRESCHOOLS AND CHILD CARE
CENTERS.
THESE ARE MONTHLY VISITS
WITH ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
FOR THINGS LIKE BEING WITHIN
THE CITY LIMITS, HAVING AT LEAST
20 CHILDREN IN THE FACILITY, NOT
BEING WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE OF
THE LIBRARY.
THEY'RE FOR FREE LOW COST
OR SUBSIDIZED LOCATIONS OR
LOCATIONS THAT PRIMARILY
SERVE STUDENTS WITH
DISABILITIES.
FOR OUR OLDER ADULTS, WE'RE AT
RETIREMENT HOMES, SENIOR HOME
FACILITIES, AND SENIOR CENTERS.
AND FOR PEOPLE WITH
DISABILITIES WE VISIT THEIR
LIVING
FACILITIES, NURSING HOMES
AND GROUP HOMES.
AND FOR FUN, WITH THE GENERAL
PUBLIC, WE DO BRING THE
BOOK MOBILE TO SPECIAL EVENTS
AND COMMUNITY FESTIVALS.
OKAY.
A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT
OUR BOOKS BY MAIL AS WELL AS OUR
HOME SERVICE.
THIS SERVICE IS FOR INDIVIDUALS
AVAILABLE TO SEATTLE RESIDENTS
WHO ARE UNABLE TO TRAVEL TO THE
LIBRARY.
IT MAY INCLUDE INDIVIDUALS THAT
HAVE HAD AN ILLNESS,
AT LEAST SIX MONTHS IN DURATION
OR
LONGER, THEY COULD
BE LIVING WITH A DISABILITY.
AND THE MATERIALS ARE
DELIVERED ONCE A MONTH, EITHER
THROUGH
BOOKS BY MAIL OR THE
HOME DELIVERY SERVICE.
THE RESIDENTIAL SERVICE AND DAY
CARES THAT WE VISIT ARE
MONTHLY SERVICES AND, AGAIN,
THEY'RE AT
RETIREMENT HOMES, NURSING
HOMES, ASSISTED LIVING CENTERS,
FAMILY
HOMES, AND SENIOR CENTERS.
THIS IS WHERE A
SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF THE
RESIDENTS HAVE
REQUESTED OUR RESOURCES.
AND THAT CLIENTS ARE UNABLE
TO VISIT THE LIBRARY EITHER DUE
BY
AGE OR PHYSICAL OR INTELLECTUAL
DISABILITY.
THE FACILITY ALSO
MUST DEMONSTRATE INTEREST
IN PARTICIPATING IN THE PROGRAM
AS
PART OF THE RESIDENTS IN
THAT FACILITY AND THERE IS
AN APPLICATION
FORM. TWO OF THE TYPES OF
MONTHLY SERVICES THAT WE OFFER
TO
FACILITIES ARE LIBRARY STAFF
BRING CARTS
OF MATERIALS TO THE ACILITY,
WHICH
INCLUDES MATERIALS FOR BROWSING
AND
HOLDS PICKUPS THAT INDIVIDUALS
HAVE REQUESTED AND LIBRARY STAFF
ON SITE THEN CHECK THOSE
MATERIALS
OUT.
AND WE ALSO HAVE A SECOND
WHICH IS LIBRARY STAFF
DELIVERING A
DEPOSIT OF THE COLLECTION
AND THOSE ARE BASED ON THE
FACILITIES THAT REQUEST THEIR
PREFERENCES.
OKAY, IN THIS SLIDE, YOU CAN
SEE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF
FACILITIES INCLUDED
IN OUR MOBILE SERVICES MONTHLY
STOPS.
JUST GIVING A SHOUTOUT TO OUR
32 PRESCHOOLS AND CHILD CARE
STOPS FOR EARLY LEARNERS.
ADULT FAMILY HOMES,
ASSISTED LIVING FACILITIES, LOW
INCOME HOUSING COMMUNITIES.
WE HAVE TWO TINY HOME
VILLAGES AS WELL AS RETIREMENT
HOMES AND
MORE. WE DO NOT SEE MUCH CHANGE
WITH THESE NUMBERS OVER THE
MONTH.
NOR THE TYPES OF VISITS OR
STOPS.
SO THESE ARE PRETTY
CONSISTENT WITH OUR MOBILE
SERVICES UNIT.
AND HERE YOU'RE ABLE TO SEE
THE NUMBER OF PATRONS THAT WE
SERVED AS WELL AS THE
CIRCULATION
OF OUR MATERIALS.
IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT
THE NUMBER OF PATRONS IS ONLY
FOR THOSE THAT ARE
INDIVIDUALLY CHECKING OUT
MATERIALS.
THEIR PERSONAL LIBRARY CARDS,
WE DO OFFER INSTITUTIONAL CARDS
BY
FACILITY AND THAT DOES MAKE IT
A LITTLE HARDER FOR US TO
TRACK INDIVIDUAL PATRON USE FROM
THAT.
WE BELIEVE THE NUMBERS IN
2025 TO BE CLOSE TO AROUND 2,750
PATRONS.
YOU CAN SEE TO THE RIGHT THE MAP
SHOWS THE GRAPHIC
DISTRIBUTIONS OF THE STOPS BASED
ON ZIP CODE.
YOU MAY NOTICE WE DON'T HAVE
ANY STOPS IN THE BALLARD OR
MAGNOLIA
AREA.
THIS AREA DOES NOT HAVE AS
MANY QUALIFIED LOCATIONS.
AND WE LEAD TRANSITION FOLKS
TO BOOKS BY MAIL OR HOME
SERVICE DUE TO THE LOW NUMBER OF
PATRON
SINGLE FACILITIES.
>> THANK YOU, KAI.
I WANT TO SAY, I MENTIONED
THIS THE LAST WEEK, I WAS
VISITING WITH THE RESIDENTS AT
MERCY HOUSING AND THERE WAS
A LIBRARIAN THERE WITH A BUNCH
OF BOOKS AND KIDS WERE THERE
AND THEY WERE ENJOYING THE BOOKS
AND THAT WAS REALLY GREAT TO
SEE, WHICH GOES ALONG THIS
MOBILE SERVICE PIECE.
SO, THANK YOU FOR THAT.
>> THANK YOU.
THAT'S SO WONDERFUL TO HEAR.
HERE WE GO ON THIS SLIDE,
I'M EXCITED TO SHARE WITH YOU
ABOUT OUR LIBRARY EQUAL ACCESS
PROGRAM OR LEAP.
THIS IS A REALLY
IMPORTANT SERVICE
THAT WE PROVIDE TO SUPPORT
LIBRARY ACCESS.
THIS IS A PROGRAM OF
SERVICES FOR PATRONS
WHO NEED ACCOMMODATIONS OR
ACCESS TO
ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGIES.
THESE TECHNOLOGIES
INCLUDE THINGS LIKE REFRESHABLE
BRAILLE
DISPLAYS, CCTV
MAGNIFIERS, ADJUSTABLE HEIGHT
COMPUTER
DESKS. YOU CAN FIND OUR LEAP LAB
AT
OUR CENTRAL LIBRARY ON LEVEL
ONE.
THEY ARE OPEN MONDAYS FROM 2:00
TO 6:00 P.M. AND WEDNESDAYS
AND FRIDAYS FROM NOON UNTIL
6:00.
FOR ADA ACCOMMODATIONS,
PATRONS NEED TO CONTACT OUR TEAM
MEMBER
USING INFORMATION PROVIDED ON
THIS SLIDE.
AGAIN, WE JUST PROVIDE
ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGIES AND WE DO
HAVE
ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY AT ALL
OF OUR LIBRARY LOCATIONS AND
THOSE INCLUDE SCREEN READER
SOFTWARE, SCREEN READER
MAGNIFICATION
SOFTWARE, AND ACCESSIBILITY
TOOL KITS WITH MAGNIFIERS AND
WRITER GUIDES AND SPEECH TO TEXT
SOFTWARE.
>> THANK YOU, KAI.
I THINK THERE IS SOME QUESTIONS.
COUNCILMEMBER FOSTER, YOU'RE
RECOGNIZED.
>> THANK YOU, CHAIR.
MY QUESTION WAS ABOUT THE
ACCESS. AND FIRST, LET ME SAY,
IT IS SO
EXCITING. I LOVE IT.
I LOVE OF THE BOOK LOCKERS.
I USE THEM.
I TOLD THE CHIEF THIS, I
THINK IT IS SO COOL.
GOING BACK TO THE MOBILEMOBILE
PROGRAM, WHICH, AGAIN, I
THINK IS FANTASTIC, I WANTED TO
HEAR A
LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT HOW
IN PARTICULAR YOU SORT OF
IDENTIFY AND WHAT THE INTAKE
PROCESS IS FOR SOME OF THE
FACILITIES
THAT SERVE SENIORS.
WE JUST RECENTLY HAD HSD IN
ANOTHER COMMITTEE TALKING TO
US ABOUT THE AGE FRIENDLY
PROGRAM AND THE WORK THEY DO
THERE.
I'M CURIOUS IF THERE IS AN
INTEGRATION WITH HSD OR HOW
YOU BRING ON NEW FACILITIES?
>> THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
THANK YOU.
TOM, I DON'T KNOW IF
YOU WANT TO --
>> I KNOW THAT -- I KNOW
THAT OUR TEAM WORKS WITH THE
AGE FRIENDLY SEATTLE.
WE HAVE A LIBRARIAN -- NOT A
LIBRARIAN, PROGRAM MANAGER,
THAT WORKS WITH OLDER
ADULT PROGRAMMING AND SO SHE IS
IN
CONTACT WITH VARIOUS CITY
RESOURCES AS WELL AS KING
COUNTY TO MAKE SURE WE'RE IN
ALIGNMENT WITH WHERE SOME OF THE
NEED IS.
AGAIN, IT IS A LIMITED TEAM
ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT SERVICE
RIGHT
NOW.
BUT, YES, WE WORK WITH AGE
FRIENDLY SEATTLE, WE WORK
WITH KING COUNTY, I CAN'T
REMEMBER THEIR PROGRAM NOW, BUT
THEY
ALSO HAVE SEVERAL AS WELL,
ESPECIALLY AS WE, YOU KNOW, AS
THE
CITY BUTTS UP AGAINST KING
COUNTY AND
AREAS LIKE SOUTH PARK,
BROADVIEW, WE HAVE
OVERLAPPING PATRONS THAT COME IN
FROM
OTHER PARTS OF THE REGION.
SO, TRYING TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE
GET THE RIGHT RESOURCES.
>> GOT IT.
GO AHEAD.
>> I CAN ADD SOMING TO E ING
SOMETHING TO
THAT, WE HAVE BIG O OUTREACH
AND LITTLE O OUTREACH.
BIG O CAN INCLUDE MOBILE
SERVICES, OUTREACH PROGRAM
MANAGER, AND OUR LITTLE O
ARE WHAT WE CALL, LIKE, IN OUR
BRANCHES WHERE WE HAVE
FEELERS OUT FROM OUR LIBRARY AND
INFORMATION STAFF, OUR STAFF ON
SITE THAT ARE WORKING WITHIN
THE COMMUNITY.
AND ALL OF THOSE FEED INTO
PROVIDING INSIGHT TO ANY NEW
FACILITIES THAT MIGHT BE COMING
UP, FOLKS COMING AND
ASKING ABOUT THEM OROR WE'RE
OUT
IN OUR DIFFERENT OUTREACHES,
SO THOSE ARE ALL CONNECTION
POINTS THAT WE UTILIZE IN
DETERMINING
ADDITIONAL STOPS WE CAN
THANK OUR NEW PARTNERS THAT WE
HAVE.
>> IN MAKING SURE OUR
CITY DEPARTMENT HAVE THE STRONG
CROSS COLLABORATION AND I THINK
YOUR LIBRARY TEAM I'M SURE YOU
DO AN
EXCELLENT JOB OF OUTREACH. I
KNOW HSD HAS A SIMILAR
OUTREACH FOR SENIORS AND TRYING
TO UNDERSTAND THAT
COLLABORATION. SO I CAN FOLLOW
UP A LITTLE BIT.
I
SEE KIERSTEN TAKING NOTES. WE
CAN CHAT ABOUT THAT.
THANK YOU SO
MUCH. CHIEF, ON THE MOBILE SIDE,
CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE
IF
THERE IS ANY OTHER --
WHAT IS THE WORD I WANT TO USE
HERE --
INNOVATIONS OR PROGRESS WE CAN
EXPECT
ON THESE DIFFERENT KIND OF LS.
WITH THE LOCKERS, I GO
ONLINE AND REQUEST IT AND CAN
PICK IT
UP LATE AT NIGHT, WHICH I LOVE.
THERE IS OTHER KINDS OF
TOOLS THAT OTHER LIBRARY SYSTEMS
ARE USING THAT ARE
MORE INTEGRATED -- I DON'T KNOW
IF INTEGRATED IS THE
RIGHT WORD, ARE THERE OTHER
THINGS ON
THE HORIZON THAT WE MIGHT EXPECT
IN THE MOBILE OUTREACH SPACE?
>> YES, AND PROBABLY NOT SO
MUCH MOBILE, BUT FROM THE ACCESS
POINT.
SOME OF THE THINGS WE'RE
LOOKING AT ARE KIOSKS.
IT IS BASICALLY TECHNOLOGY THAT
YOU WALK UP TO A UNIT,
INSTEAD OF BEING A HOLD LOCKER,
YOU CAN
SEE THE BOOKS AVAILABLE, YOU CAN
PUT YOUR LIBRARY CARD -- TAP
YOUR LIBRARY CARD AND CHECK
OUT THE BOOK YOU WANT IN
THAT PARTICULAR KIOSK.
THEY MAKE THESE IN A VARIETY OF
SIZES.
SOME WOULD PROBABLY BE THE SIZE
OF THREE REFRIGERATORS AND
MAKE SOME THAT ARE THE SIZE OF
THE
REFRIGERATOR.
HOLD 300 ITEMS TO 700 ITEMS.
SO FINDING WHAT WE LOOK TO DO
HOPEFULLY WITH OUR
FOUNDATION PARTNERS THIS YEAR IS
BE ABLE TO
EXPLORE A COUPLE OF THESE
DIFFERENT OPTIONS AND THEN
LOOK AT DIFFERENT PARTNERS.
THAT COULD BE A SEATTLE HOUSING
BUILDING, IT COULD BE ONE OF OUR
OTHER PARTNERS THAT WE WORK
WITH, IT COULD BE A
COMMUNITY CENTER THAT IS NOT
ADJACENT TO A
LIBRARY. WE THINK IT HAS A LOT
OF
POTENTIAL.
ESPECIALLY IN AREAS WHERE
WE KNOW WE ALREADY HAVE AS KAI
POINTED OUT, THE LITTLE O, THE
OUTREACH FROM THE BRANCH,
IT ALLOWS US TO EXTEND THAT
ACCESS
ONCE AGAIN FARTHER INTO
THE COMMUNITY BUT ALSO PROVIDE
THAT ACCESS MORE EXTENDED HOURS.
SO, FOR EXAMPLE, IF IT IS IN
THE SEATTLE HOUSING BUILDING,
THAT
MIGHT BE AVAILABLE
24/7 DEPENDING ON THE MAKEUP OF
THE
BUILDING.
IF IT IS IN A TRANSIT AREA,
DOWN FOR LIGHT RAIL, IF THAT WAS
A
POSSIBILITY, THAT IS
AVAILABLE ALL THE TIME THAT
LIGHT RUNNING.
THOSE ARE THE TYPES OF
TECHNOLOGIES WE'RE LOOKING AT.
IT IS A COST EFFICIENT WAY
TO PROVIDE THAT ACCESS ANDAND WE
TO HAVE SOME TRUCKING AND
THINGS LIKE THAT TO MOVE MORE
MATERIAL
AROUND, BUT MUCH MORE
EFFICIENT THAN TRYING TO SAY,
WELL,
YOU'RE GOING TO SOMEHOW FIND
PROPERTY
TO BUILD A NEW FACILITY.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH, CHIEF.
I LOOK FORWARD TO THE
IDEA OF BOOK VENDING MACHINES.
THAT'S WHAT I'M GOING TO CALL
IT.
YOU DO NOT CALL IT THAT.
TOOK GREAT PAINS TO BE
THOUGHTFUL. THAT'S WHAT I'LL
BE REFERRING
TO IT AS.
BUT MY CONTINUED SUPPORT
FOUR OUR LIBRARY OPERATIONS AND
HOURS
BECAUSE I KNOW THERE IS NOT A --
WHILE WE CAN REPLACE THE
ACCESS TO BOOKS, WE CAN'T
REPLACE
THE SPACE THAT LIBRARIES PROVIDE
WHICH ARE ESSENTIAL.
THANK YOU, CHIEF.
THANK YOU, CHAIR.
>> THANK YOU FOR THE
QUESTION.
>> THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER
FOSTER. AND ACTUALLY, I WAS AT
THE
LANGSTON HUGHES HER FORMING ARTS
CENTER YESTERDAY AND THEY HAVE
A BOOK VENDING MACHINES AND IT
LOOKS LIKE A VENDING MACHINE.
BUT, YEAH, IT IS MORE WAYS
TO PROVIDE ACCESS TO
BOOKS, ESPECIALLY KIDS BECAUSE
THERE WERE A LOT OF KID BOOKS IN
THAT, IN THAT MACHINE.
THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION.
COUNCILMEMBER RINCK, YOU'RE
RECOGNIZED.
>> THANK YOU, CHAIR.
I APPRECIATE THOSE
QUESTIONS
FROM COUNCILMEMBER FOSTER. I
WANTED TO BUILD ON THIS
POINT AND
TAKE US BACK TO THE LIBRARY
EQUAL ACCESS PROGRAM I .
I TALKED TO YOU ABOUT MY
CONCERNS ABOUT THE CUTS AND
UNDERSTANDING IT IS NOT WITHIN
SPL'S PURVIEW, IT IS SOMETHING
OUR RESIDENTS DEPEND ON.
I DON'T KNOW IF THERE IS AN
UPDATE WITH WHAT IS HAPPENING
IN THE STATE LEGISLATIVE
SYSTEM, BUT I'M WONDERING ABOUT
HOW
WE'RE MEETING NEED AND IF YOU
ALL ARE ENGAGING WITH
THE DISABILITY COMMISSION OR
SOME
OF OUR DISABILITY JUSTICE
PARTNERS IF THERE IS AN
OPPORTUNITY TO
DO SO JUST TO SEE HOW WE CAN
MAKE
SURE THAT THIS PROGRAM
IS INFORMED BY FOLKS THAT ARE
USING THESE SERVICES.
>> SURE, I'LL TAKE PART OF IT
AND THEN I'LL ASK KIERSTEN
TO TALK ABOUT AN UPDATE.
OUR TEAM IS IN TOUCH WITH A
VARIETY OF PARTNERS ON
THAT FRONT.
AS KAI POINTED OUT,
THE HOURS WE HAVE ARE LIMITED.
THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT
I ULTIMATELY WOULD LIKE TO SEE
IS
THE ABILITY TO HAVE THAT ONE AT
CENTRAL EXPANDED MORE.
WHILE WE HAVE THE TOOLS AT THE
BRANCHES AND STAFF KNOW HOW
TO UTILIZE THOSE, HAVING TEAMS
THAT ARE WORKING VERY CLOSELY
WITH
PARTNERS EVERY DAY, BUT
ALSO PATRONS WHO ARE COMING IN
EVERY
SINGLE DAY LIKE THEY DO AT THE
CENTRAL LIBRARY JUST GIVES MORE
FLUENCY IN THE TECHNOLOGIES
AND THE NEEDS SO WE CAN BETTER
RESPOND TO THAT.
WE KNOW THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY
FOR IMPROVEMENT IN THAT
PARTICULAR AREA, AND I'LL
HAVE KIERSTEN GIVE YOU AN
UPDATE WHERE WE STAND AT THE
STATE
LEGISLATURE.
>> WE WERE VERY FORTUNATE IN
THAT REPRESENTATIVE THOMAS WHO
SUPPORTS WEST SEATTLE, SHE PUT
FORTH THE PROVISO TO FUND THE
TALKING BOOK AND BRAILLE
LIBRARY.
RIGHT NOW IT IS LOOKING VERY
POSITIVE.
WE HAVE A COUPLE MORE WEEKS OF
THE STATE SESSION BUT SHE HAS --
REPRESENTATIVE THOMAS HAS BEEN
A HUGE DRIVER OF MAKING SURE
THAT THERE IS SOME FUNDING BACK
TO THE WASHINGTON STATE
LIBRARY, ESPECIALLY FOR TALKING
BOOK
AND BRAILLE AS SHE REALIZES HOW
IMPORTANT IT IS.
>> FABULOUS.
IF I MAY FOLLOW UP ON THAT.
THAT'S FABULOUS NEWS TO HEAR.
DO WE KNOW IF THAT PROVISO IS
GOING TO GET THE TALKING BOOK
AND BRAILLE LIBRARY BACK TO
PRECUT LEVELS OR WHERE ARE WE?
>> IT WILL BE
PRETTY SIGNIFICANTLY
FUNDED. THERE WILL BE SOME
SLIGHT REDUCTIONS BECAUSE THE --
I
THINK THE ORIGINAL AMOUNT THAT
THE STATE LIBRARY WAS ASKING WAS
5 MILLION AND THE PROVISO IS FOR
3. 8 MAYBE, SOMEWHERE AROUND
THERE.
THAT WILL FOCUS JUST ON THE
TALKING BOOK AND BRAILLE.
THEY ASKED FOR OTHER SERVICES
AS WELL TO RESTORE THAT
WEREN'T INCLUDED IN THE
PROVISO, BUT
IT SHOULD BE PRETTY
SIGNIFICANTLY STEPPED UP TO
WHERE PEOPLE CAN
ACTUALLY ACCESS THE
LIBRARY, THAT PARTICULAR ASPECT
OF
THE LIBRARY
AGAIN.
>> BIG KUDOS TO REPRESENTATIVE
THOMAS.
PROVISOS WERE FEW AND FAR
BETWEEN THIS YEAR AT THE LOEGT
LEGISLATURE AND TO GET OTHERS
TO SIGN OFF ON THAT SAY BIG
EFFORT.
AS I TALKED ABOUT HERE
BEFORE, THE WORK THAT THEY DO IS
SOMETHING THAT WE CAN'T DO IN
LIBRARY LAND.
THEY HAVE DIFFERENT RIGHTS AND
PERMISSIONS TO PRODUCE THAT
WORK.
WE RELY ON THEM FOR OUR PATRONS
TO BE ABLE TO REFER THEM
TO THOSE SERVICES.
WE'RE VERY HAPPY.
I'M PROUD TO SAY THE TEAM
THAT WENT DOWN TO OLYMPIA THIS
YEAR WITH OUR ADVOCACY GROUP
WITH
THE FOUNDATION AND FRIENDS MET
WITH
REPRESENTATIVE THOMAS, WHO, I
THINK, OUR
PUSH AND OUR CALL FOR WHAT WE
NEEDED IN SEATTLE
REALLY RESONATED WITH HER AND
SHE WAS
ALREADY STARTING TO MOVE THAT
WAY.
APPRECIATE ALL THE
WORK GOING INTO THIS.
>> CERTAINLY.
I'LL BE SENDING A THANK YOU
NOTE. I'LL TAKE THE GOOD NEWS
WHERE WE
CAN GET IT.
THAT IS GREAT TO HEAR
AND FINGERED CROSSED AS WE MAKE
IT THROUGH THE LAST PART OF
SESSION.
I'LL CLOSE MY REMARKS AT THIS
POINT, CHAIR, JUST TO SAY
IT WILL BE GREAT IF THERE WOULD
BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO INTERFACE
A LITTLE BIT WITH THE DISABILITY
COMMISSION JUST ON THIS
PROGRAM IN THE FUTURE.
NOTHING URGENT, BUT I'M MINDFUL
THAT'S A GREAT BODY TO BE
ABLE TO ENGAGE WITH AND GET
FEEDBACK
FROM.
SO THANK YOU.
THANK YOU, CHAIR.
>> THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER
RINCK.
I'M JUST GOING TO TAKE
THE OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE A HUGE
KUDOS
TO CHIEF FAY AND HIS TEAM WHO
REALLY PARTNER AT THE
STATE LEVEL AND GO DOWN TO
OLYMPIA.
THIS ISN'T NEW.
THEY HAVE BEEN DOING THIS
ON MANY EFFORTS INCLUDING THE
eBOOKS ISSUE AND
OTHER INFRASTRUCTURE AND
CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT ISSUES AND
WE HAVE A
REALLY GREAT PARTNER IN SPL
TO DO THAT.
I WANT TO GIVE THEM KUDOS FOR
THAT.
IT IS IMPORTANT TO GO DOWN
TO OLYMPIA AND TELL THE STATE
LEGISLATORS WHAT WE NEED HERE
IN SEATTLE, PARTICULARLY RELATED
TO LIBRARIES.
ALL
RIGHT.
>> WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE
LITERACY, ENRICHMENT AND
EMPOWERMENT PORTION OF OUR
HOURS AND ACCESS.
THIS IS ABOUT ING OUR
SPACES.
WE'LL TURN THE ATTENTION TO
HOW THE LIBRARY LEVERAGES OUR
OPEN
HOURS TO ACTIVATE OUR SPACES
AND PROMOTE AND FACILITATE
COMMUNITY
LITERACY, ENRICHMENT AND
EMPOWERMENT.
WE DO THIS BY
DEVELOPING PROGRAMS THAT SERVE
ALL AGES AND
MANY NEEDS AND INTERESTS.
WE OPT INTO THIS IN
PARTNERSHIP WITH COMMUNITY-
BASED
ORGANIZATIONS.
LIBRARY PROGRAMS INCLUDE BUT
ARE NOT LIMITED TO STORY TIMES
AND PLAY GROUPS, TEEN DROP
INS, OLDER ADULT ACTIVITIES,
AUTHOR
EVENTS, CLASSES AND WORKSHOPS,
ARTS, CRAFTS, GALLERY
EXHIBITS, COMMUNITY CELEBRATIONS
AND
OUTREACH
PROGRAMS THAT BRING THE LIBRARY
TO THE COMMUNITY.
IN 2025, WE OFFERED OVER
5800 PROGRAMS TO OUR COMMUNITY.
MANY OF THEM SUPPORTED IN
PART BY THE LIBRARY Y AS WELL AS
PRIVATE FUNDS.
>> I'M GOING TO EXPAND ON
WHAT TOM JUST SAID IN THIS
SLIDE.
IT SHOWS A BROADVIEW OF
THE PROGRAM CATEGORIES, HOW
THEY'RE FUNDED AND THE SPECIFIC
TYPES
OF PROGRAMS THEY INCLUDE.
THERE IS A LOT OF INFORMATION
ON THIS SLIDE.
BUT WE'LL DIG INTO MORE OF IT
IN UPCOMING SLIDES.
HERE YOU CAN SEE IT REALLY
TAKES EVERY FUNDING SOURCE
THAT WE HAVE TO BRING THESE
PROGRAMS
TO OUR COMMUNITY.
THIS LIST OF PROGRAMS IS NOT
EXHAUSTIVE BUT IT IS A GOOD
OVERVIEW OF THE TYPES OF
PRACHLS THAT WE OFFER.
OKAY.
I'M GOING TO FIRST FOCUS
ON LITERACY PROGRAMS.
AND THOSE OFFERINGS INCLUDE
THINGS LIKE OUR EARLY LEARNING.
THESE ARE FOR FAMILY
STORY TIMES AND PLAY GROUPS,
RAISING A READER OUTREACH
PROGRAM.
WE'LL TALK MORE IN DEPTH
ABOUT THESE WHEN WE MOVE
ON TO HELPING CHILDREN SECTION
OF THIS
PRESENTATION.
WE ALSO HAVE STUDENT SUPPORT
PROGRAMS THAT INCLUDES LIBRARY
LINK.
THIS SAY FABULOUS
PARTNERSHIP WE HAVE WITH THE
SEATTLE PUBLIC
SCHOOLS.
IT PROVIDES INSTANT ACCESS
TO ALL OF THE LIBRARIES' ONLINE
RESOURCES FOR ALL SPF
STUDENTS AND TEACHERS.
THERE IS NO LIBRARY
CARD REQUIRED FOR THIS.
WE ALSO HAVE HOMEWORK HELP.
THIS IS AN AFTER SCHOOL DROP
IN SESSION THAT WE HAVE AT NINE
OF
OUR LOCATIONS.
THIS IS VOLUNTEER SUPPORT.
AND IT REACHES AN ESTIMATED
6,000 STUDENTS ANNUALLY.
WE HEAR THAT 80% OF
THE HOUSEHOLDS THAT PARTICIPATE
IN THIS PROGRAM SPEAK A
LANGUAGE OTHER THAN ENGLISH IN
THEIR
HOME AND THAT LEVY DOLLARS FUND
THE
LIBRARY STAFF THAT ARE
RESPONSIBLE FOR COORDINATING
THIS PROGRAM.
SOMETHING WE WANT TO
HIGHLIGHT IS THAT A SURVEY
OF PARTICIPATING STUDENTS
HAVE SHOWN THAT 76% OF
STUDENTS REPORT BETTER
UNDERSTANDING
OF HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS.
70% REPORT IMPROVED HOMEWORK
COMPLETION, AND 68%
REPORT BETTER GRADES.
THE LIBRARY ALSO PROVIDES
FREE ACCESS TO VIRTUAL TUTOR, AT
TUTOR.COM.
THIS IS ALSO A REALLY FANTASTIC
RESOURCE.
IF YOU HAVE CHILDREN
OR NEED SOME TUTORING, THIS
WAS INTRODUCED DURING COVID
WHEN WE WERE UNABLE TO PROVIDE
IN PERSON
SERVICES.
AND WE ALSO HAVE LITERACY
PROGRAMMING WHERE WE OFFER
READING CHALLENGES FOR BOTH
YOUTH AND ADULT.
SOME OF OUR PROGRAMS INCLUDE OUR
LONG-STANDING SUMMER OF
LEARNING PROGRAM THAT WILL BE
107 THIS
YEAR.
IT INCLUDES FREE
ACTIVITIES, PROGRAMS AND READING
CHALLENGES
ALL SUMMER LONG.
WE HAVE A POPULAR SUMMER BOOK
BINGO.
THIS IS A PROGRAM FOR ADULTS.
IN 2025.
1,741 PEOPLE PARTICIPATED
AND TURNED IN A BINGO
CARD. THAT MEANS WE HAD 29,300
BOOKS
THAT WERE READ OVER THAT SUMMER
IN THE PROGRAM AND WE HAD
REALLY SUPER READERS THAT
COMPLETED
845 BLACKOUT CARDS.
THAT'S IMPRESSIVE.
THE LAST CHALLENGE I WANT
TO HIGHLIGHT IS OUR GLOBAL
READING
CHALLENGE.
THIS IS FOR ALL SEATTLE
PUBLIC LIBRARY -- SEATTLE PUBLIC
SCHOOLS.
IN 2025, WE HAD OVER
3500 STUDENTS AT 72 SPS
ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS PARTICIPATE
AND
THEY FORMED MORE THAN 500 TEAMS.
WE'RE GOING TO GIVE A HUGE
SHOUTOUT TO THE LIBRARY
LINKS TEAM FROM QUEEN ANNE
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL WHO WON THIS
YEAR'S
ALL CITY TITLE.
LASTLY OUR DIGITAL LITERACY
EFFORTS.
THESE INCLUDES THINGS LIKE OUR
BASIC SKILLS CLASSES FOR ADULTS.
THESE ARE ESSENTIALS FOR
OLDER ADULTS AND ADULTS WHO
SPEAK LANGUAGES OTHER THAN
ENGLISH.
THEY INCLUDE THINGS
LIKE EMERGING TECHNOLOGY
CLASSES, WHERE TOPICS LIKE 3- D
PRINTING,
A.I., CLOUD COMPUTING AND
MORE ARE SHARED.
>> I WILL STEP IN FOR ONE
SECOND.
IF YOU HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE
TO COME TO GLOBAL READING,
WE'LL MAKE SURE KIERSTEN WILL
SEND YOU THE SEMIFINALS AND THE
FINALS,
JUST SO THAT YOU CAN SEE THIS.
THIS IS A GREAT PROGRAM.
THESE KIDS COME TO THIS HAVING
READ BETWEEN FIVE AND
SEVEN BOOKS KNOWING THEM INSIDE
AND
OUT.
AND THE BATTLE THAT GOES ON CAN
GO ON FOR HOURS
IN HOW MUCH THEY KNOW ABOUT
THESE BOOKS.
IF YOU GET A CHANCE, COME
DOWN AND JOIN ME.
IT CAN BE HEART BREAKING IF
THE TIEBREAKERS GO LONG AND
SOMEONE FINALLY LOSES.
IT IS A GREAT EFFORT AND
THE EXCITEMENT AND THE
ENTHUSIASM ABOUT READING IS
SOMETHING SPECIAL TO SEE.
>> I WILL SAY THAT I KNOW AS
A PARENT FIRSTHAND THAT
THE READING CHALLENGE -- THE
SUMMER
BINGO FOR THE KIDS, THEY
GET REALLY EXCITED TO FILL THAT
BINGO CARD AND I THINK IT
IS SUCH A GREAT WAY TO
PROMOTE LITERACY AND ENCOURAGE
KIDS
TO READ OVER THE SUMMER AND NOT
BEEN FANTASTIC.
THIS IS A REALLY
GOOD PARTNERSHIP WE'RE HAPPY TO
HAVE
IN PLACE
WITH PARKS.
>> KUDOS TO YOU AND PARKS FOR
MAKING THAT PARTNERSHIP HAPPEN.
SOMETIMES THINGS TAKE
LONGER THAN WE WOULD LIKE.
WHEN WE GET THERE, IT IS
WORTH THE EFFORT.
SO THANK YOU.
COUNCILMEMBER LIN, YOU'RE
RECOGNIZED.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH, CHAIR.
ON THAT, THE IDEA
OF PARTNERSHIPS WITH PARKS,
THAT'S
WONDERFUL TO HEAR. WITH THE
OFFICE OF ARTS AND
CULTURE, I SEE A LOT OF
ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES WITH
ARTS AND CULTURAL GROUPS, WOULD
LOVE TO ENCOURAGE, IF YOU'RE
NOT
ALREADY, TO MAKE SURE YOU'RE
COORDINATING
WITH THEM, THEY HAVE DEEP
RELATIONSHIPS WITH
OUR COMMUNITIES OR AS YOU PLAN
FOR NEW FACILITIES AND THINK
ABOUT ART WORK IN YOUR NEW
SPACES, JUST ENCOURAGE THAT
COLLABORATION.
THANK YOU.
>> YES.
WE MOST CERTAINLY
DO, COUNCILMEMBER LIN.
WE WORK WITH THEM ON A NUMBER OF
FRONTS.
MIGHT BE ARTIST IN
RESIDENCY, ALSO THROUGH SOME OF
OUR HUMANITIES PROGRAMS
WHETHER WE HAVE AUTHORS, IT IS
TIEING
IN THE ARTS TO THOSE.
THEY HAVE TO BEEN A
GREAT PARTNER OVER THE YEARS.
>> THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER LIN.
THANK YOU, CHIEF.
>> THANK YOU, CHAIR.
IN THIS SLIDE, YOU CAN SEE
THE CHART THAT SHOWS
THE DISTRIBUTION OF OUR
ENRICHMENT PROGRAMS ACROSS ALL
OF OUR WELL AS
THE AUDIENCES THEY SERVE.
AND, AGAIN, ON THE RIGHT IS
A MAP OF OUR CITY SHOWING
THE GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTIONS OF
ALL OF THE LOCATIONS AND THEIR
PROGRAMS.
ALL RIGHT, NOW WE'RE GOING
TO MOVE WITH OUR
EMPOWERMENT PROGRAMS WE LOOK AT
WAYS
TO HELP OUR PATRONS ACHIEVE
THEIR LIFE
GOALS.
THIS IS ALSO ONE OF THE
PILLARS OF OUR STRATEGIC PLAN.
THIS INCLUDES PROVIDING CLASSES
IN WORKSHOPS THAT HELP
FOLKS LEARN ABOUT THINGS LIKE
RESUME
ESSENTIALS, GET HELP JOB
SEEKING OR SKILL BUILDING, LEARN
HOW
TO SPEAK ENGLISH OR PURSUE
CITIZENSHIP. GET ADULT TUTORING
SUPPORT,
GUIDANCE ON COMPLEX SYSTEMS
LIKE REAL ESTATE AND MORE.
RECENTLY OUR SOCIAL
SERVICES TEAM AND OTHER LIBRARY
STAFF HAVE
HELPED HOST RESOURCE FAIRS AT
SELECT LOCATIONS.
AND I WANT
TO HIGHLIGHT IN 2025 THE LIBRARY
HELD
RESOURCE FAIRS THAT PROVIDED
FREE ACCESS
TO THINGS LIKE HAIRCUTS AND
CLOTHING, BUS TICKETS,
SOCIAL SERVICES REFERRALS,
HEALTHY
SNACKS AND MORE.
MANY OF THESE PROGRAMS RELY ON
SUPPORT AND EXPERTISE
FROM COMMUNITY PARTNERS LIKE
EVER
GREEN, GOODWILL,
ASIAN COUNSELING AND REFERRAL
SERVICES.
LITERACY SOURCE, THE UNITED
WAY, AARP, AND SO MANY MORE.
IN THIS SLIDE AGAIN, YOU CAN
SEE A CHART OF THE DISTRIBUTION
OF THESE EMPOWERMENT
PROGRAMS ACROSS OUR SYSTEMS AS
WELL
AS THE AUDIENCE.
AND OUR MAP SHOWS THE GEOGRAPHIC
DISTRIBUTIONS OF THIS OFFERING.
ALL RIGHT.
THE NEXT THING IN OUR
LITERACY ENRICHMENT AND
EMPOWERMENT WITH
LIBRARY PROGRAMS, IT TRULY
TAKES A VILLAGE.
WE HAVE 13 PROGRAM MANAGERS
WHO DEVELOP SYSTEM WIDE PROGRAMS
AND
OUR PROGRAMMING FRAMEWORK.
LIBRARIANS FROM ACROSS
THE SYSTEM SPEND ABOUT 6%
OF THEIR TIME SUPPORTING THIS
WORK AS
WELL.
OF THESE PROGRAMS, ABOUT 57
FTE ARE FUNDED BY THE GENERAL
FUND.
38 FTE ARE FUNDED BY THE LEVY.
AND 9 FTE PROVIDED BY PRIVATE
DOLLARS.
>> ROB, I'LL HAVE YOU TAKE THIS
ONE.
>> THANK YOU, TOM.
JUST A QUICK INTERVENTION
HERE FROM THE FINANCE GUY.
THIS SLIDE DIVES A BIT
DEEPER INTO THE PRIVATE FUNDING.
SO THE SEATTLE PUBLIC
LIBRARY FOUNDATION PROVIDES
DIRECT SUPPORT FOR PROGRAMMING
EXPENSES AND CONTRIBUTES FUNDING
FOR 12
PARTIAL OR FULL PROGRAMMING
POSITIONS.
THE CONTRIBUTIONS HAVE
INCREASED BOTH FROM THEIR
GENEROSITY AS
A FOUNDATION AND ALSO IN
RESPONSE TO COMMUNITY NEEDS AND
THE INTERESTS THAT HAVE
INCREASED
IN THIS AREA.
AND AS KAI MENTIONED,
THE GENERAL FUND IN THE LIBRARY
FUND, THE LIBRARY LEVY
SUPPORT THIS WORK THROUGH
LIBRARY
STAFFING HOURS.
THESE SOURCES DO NOT
PROVIDE DIRECT FUNDING WHICH CAN
BE LIMITING TO THE SCALE OF OUR
OFFERINGS.
WE ARE REALLY HIGHLY
GRATEFUL AND DEPENDENT ON
THE SUPPLEMENTAL FUNDS FROM
THE FOUNDATION TO EXPAND THE
EFFORTS AND REALLY BUILD ON THE
EFFORTS
OF THE LIBRARY STAFF IN THE
VARIOUS LOCATIONS.
>> THANK
YOU, ROB. I JUST WANT TO THANK
THE
FOUNDATION, BRIAN
LAWRENCE, YOU'RE HERE TODAY AND
BOARD
MEMBER WHO SPOKE DURING PUBLIC
COMMENT, REALLY
WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THE
SUPPORT OF THE
LIBRARY.
IT TAKES A VILLAGE.
WE'RE ALL WORKING TOGETHER
TO REALLY SUPPORT OUR LIBRARIES
AND IN TURN SUPPORT OUR LIBRARY
PATRONS.
AND I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THE
WORK OF THE FOUNDATION AS
WE MOVE FORWARD, YOU KNOW.
WE PULL FROM ALL SOURCES AND WE
REALLY PREACH THAT
AND INCLUDING PRIVATE FUNDING
FROM
SOME PATRONS AS WELL, WHICH IS
WHERE THE FOUNDATION GETS ITS
FUNDING
TO BE ABLE TO LEND TO THE
EFFORT.
THANK YOU TO ALL OF
OUR RESIDENTS WHO HAVE GIVEN
MONEY
TO THE FOUNDATION, TO HELP
WITH THESE WONDERFUL EFFORTS AT
THE
LIBRARY.
AS WE LEAVE THIS CONVERSATION
ON HOURS AND ACCESS, I WANT TO
ASK ABOUT SEATTLE READS, THE
BOOK
OF THE YEAR, WE HAVEN'T HEARD
THAT
YET.
I DON'T KNOW WHEN THAT COMES
OUT, BUT I ALWAYS LOOK
FORWARD TO
IT.
>> WE HAVE A -- YOU WILL
BE HEARING ABOUT THAT SOON.
THOUGH WE HAVE SOMETHING THAT IS
A LITTLE IN FRONT OF THAT.
>> OKAY.
>> AND I'LL HAVE KAI REMIND
ME AGAIN -- SHE'S BEEN
MANAGING PART OF THIS, BUT ONE
EVENING
I WAS CHATTING WITH
SOME COLLEAGUES AND ONE FROM
L.A.
COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY AND SHE
HAD AN IDEA OF CAN WE GET A
ONE BOOK ONE COAST.
I THOUGHT, WELL, WHY NOT?
SHE SAID, YOU'D JUMP IN ON
THAT?
I SAID, YEAH, YOU
DO KNOW THAT WE STARTED THE
WHOLE ONE BOOK
PROGRAM, RIGHT?
SHE'S, LIKE, NO.
I WAS, LIKE, LET ME EDUCATE YOU.
SHE IS GREAT.
DR. SKY PATRICK AT L.A.
COUNTY PUBLIC AND HER TEAM HAVE
BEEN
WORKING WITH LIBRARIES ALL UP
AND DOWN THE WEST COAST.
AND I
BELIEVE, KAI, WE'RE UP TO A
THOUSAND LIBRARIES
PARTICIPATING UP AND DOWN THE
COAST. IT IS AN EXCITING TIME.
I'LL LET YOU GIVE THEM A
SENSE OF THE BOOK.
>> YES, THIS IS SUPER EXCITING.
THANK YOU, TOM.
SO, WE ARE GOING TO BE
JOINING HUNDREDS OF LIBRARIES
ACROSS
THE WEST COAST AND WE WILL
BE READING "THEY CALLED US
ENEMIES" BY GEORGE TAKEI.
WE WILL HAVE A NEWS RELEASE
COMING OUT -- MIGHT BE TODAY
IF NOT THIS WEEK -- WITH
MORE
INFORMATION. IT WILL INCLUDE
PROGRAMMING AS
WELL AS A VIRTUAL AUTHOR
TALK WITH GEORGE TAKEI.
>> THAT IS AWESOME.
I'M GLAD I ASKED ABOUT SEATTLE
READS.
>> MY COMES AND MARKETING TEAM
MAY BE TALKING TO ME WHEN I
RETURN. BUT YOU GOT THE SCOOP.
>> WE GOT THE SCOOP.
NO WORRIES. NO ONE IS WATCHING,
SO --
THE FIVE PEOPLE THAT MIGHT
BE WATCHING ON SEATTLE CHANNEL,
I'M JUST KIDDING, IT MIGHT
BE MORE
THAN THAT. WE'LL KEEP IT
AMONGST US, FOLKS
WATCHING, KEEP IT AMONGST US.
>> ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU.
THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION.
THOSE ARE THE FUN THINGS FOR
SURE THAT WE GET TO PARTICIPATE
IN. WHEN IT COMES TO THE HOURS
AND ACCESS, THE ERVICES
PROVIDED, PATRONS SAY THEY ENJOY
THE SPACE
AS A THIRD SPACE, AWAY FROM
HOME AND WORK, THE COLLECTIONS
MAKE THEIR LIVES MORE AFFORDABLE
AND OUR PROGRAMS ARE ENRICHING
AND
EMPOWERING AND HELPING
THEM BUILD CONFIDENCE IN THEIR
LIVES.
AS WE LOOK AT
OPPORTUNITIES, POTENTIAL LEVY
INVESTMENTS IN A
2026 LIBRARY RENEWAL
COULD PROVIDE THE OPPORTUNITY TO
SCALE THE PROGRAMS AS WE
MENTIONED
HERE, CITYWIDE.
AND IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE
THE LIBRARY AND STAFF WOULD
HELP MANAGE OUR PROGRAMS ARE THE
SAME PEOPLE AND STAFF WHO ARE
KEEPING OUR DOORS OPEN,
PROVIDING SUPPORT TO ANSWER
PATRON
QUESTIONS, CHECKING OUT
BOOKS, ANSWERING PHONES,
PREPARING MEETING ROOMS AND SO
MUCH MORE.
WE BELIEVE THE VALUABLE
PROGRAMMING THE LIBRARY
PROVIDED FOR MANY YEARS IS
DESERVING OF
ADDITIONAL DIRECT INVESTMENT.
WE SEE THE OPPORTUNITY IN
NEW SPACES AND USES WITHIN OUR
LIBRARIES.
MANY OTHER SYSTEMS ACROSS
THE NATION HAVE INTRODUCED MAKER
SPACES, MEDIA CENTERS AND OTHER
PATRONS OF OTHER GENERATIONS.
WE SEE POTENTIAL FOR THIS AS
WELL.
BUT SUCH CHANGE AS WE KNOW
WILL REQUIRE ADDITIONAL
INVESTMENT.
>> THANK YOU.
SORRY TO INTERRUPT YOU.
COUNCIL PRESIDENT HAS A
QUESTION.
SOMEHOW SHE FELT OUR
TECHNOLOGY IS NOT WORKING TO
KEEP HER ON.
SHE SORT OF FELL OFF.
WE'RE TRYING TO GET HER
BACK BECAUSE I KNOW SHE HAS A
QUESTION.
>> OKAY.
>> GIVE US ONE MINUTE. SO SORRY.
COUNCIL PRESIDENT, IF YOU
CAN HEAR US, WE'LL TRY TO GET
YOU BACK ON AND GET YOUR
QUESTION
ANSWERED.
WE'LL CONTINUE,
CHIEF. THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU.
THIS NEXT AREA HELPING CHILDREN
IS A BUCKET IN THE LEVY.
THIS IS OUR FINAL LEVY
CATEGORY TO COVER IN OUR
PRESENTATION.
AND HELPING CHILDREN WAS A
NEW CATEGORY CREATED BY CITY
COUNCIL IN THE LEVY TO PROVIDE
DEDICATED FUNDING FOR ONE
PROGRAM IN
PARTICULAR.
THIS IS KALEIDOSCOPE PLAY AND
LEARN.
THIS SUPPORTS CHILDRENS,
PARENTS AND CAREGIVERS
IN DEVELOPING A LOVE OF READING
AT A YOUNG AGE.
PRIORITIZE COMMUNITIES MOST
IMPACTED BY SYSTEMIC
BARRIERS, SUPPORT SCHOOL
READINESS, LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT
AND SOCIAL
SKILLS.
THESE ARE WEEKLY 09- MUD
GUIDED PLAY SESSIONS HELD AT
SEVEN LIBRARY LOCATIONS ACROSS
THE
CITY AND OFFERED IN MULTIPLE
LANGUAGES.
IN THIS SLIDE, YOU CAN SEE THE
LOCATIONS, AND IN WHICH
THESE ARE OFFERED.
WE HAVE NEARLY 300 PLAY
AND LEARN SESSIONS EACH YEAR
ACROSS THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS,
BEACON
HILL, COLUMBIA, DELRIDGE, NEW
HOLLY, RAINIER BEACH AND SOUTH
PARK.
HAVE ABOUT 7,000 PARTICIPANTS OF
THIS PROGRAM.
SURVEYS SHOW HIGH
SATISFACTION WITH THE PROGRAM.
83% OF PARENTS AND CAREGIVERS
SAY IT HELPED THEM
UNDERSTAND THE KIND OF
ACTIVITIES THAT
WILL SUPPORT THEIR CHILD WITH
SCHOOL
READINESS. WE HAVE PARTNERS IN
THE
REGION WITH CAPACITY TO OPERATE
THE
PROGRAM, ALIGNMENT
WITH PRIORITIZED COMMUNITIES IN
THE
LIBRARY'S TEN- YEAR STRATEGIC
PLAN.
THE PROGRAM OFTEN PROVIDES
AN OPPORTUNITY IN THE
COMMUNITY WHERE NO OTHER
OPPORTUNITY
EXISTS.
THIS IS PARTICULARLY TRUE
IN SOUTHWEST SEATTLE WHEN
KING COUNTY GRANT THAT HELPED
SUPPORT
PLAY AND LEARN PROGRAM
PARTNERSED PARTNERS
ENDED IN 2022.
THANKS TO THAT SUPPORT, WE WERE
ABLE TO STEP IN AND HELP IN
THAT REGION, EXPANDING OUR
COVERAGE
TO DELRIDGE, NEW HOLLY AND SOUTH
PARK.
>> THANK YOU, CHIEF.
I HAVE A QUESTION BUT I
SEE COUNCIL PRESIDENT IS ON.
COUNCIL PRESIDENT, DID YOU
HAVE A QUESTION.
SO SORRY -- THERE YOU ARE.
>> I DID NOT HAVE A QUESTION.
THANK YOU SO
MUCH.
>> OKAY.
SORRY ABOUT THAT.
CHIEF, I HAVE A QUESTION
ABOUT THIS IN TERMS OF
YOUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND
EARLY LEARNING.
I KNOW THAT DEAL, YOU KNOW, WE
PUT THIS REALLY BIG FOCUS
ON EARLY LEARNING VIA OUR
CHILD CARE
EVEN PRESCHOOL PROGRAM, AWARD
WINNING PRESCHOOL
PROGRAM THAT WE'RE VERY PROUD
OF AND SO
I KNOW THAT KIDS ARE
GETTING EARLY LEARNING THROUGH
THOSE
AVENUES, SO WHEN YOU SAY THESE
ARE KIDS THAT AREN'T GETTING
IT, I'M A LITTLE CONFUSED BY
THAT.
CAN YOU EXPAND ON THAT AND
EXPAND UPON YOUR
RELATIONSHIP WITH DEAL.
>> I CAN'T TO SOME EXTENT.
I CAN PROVIDE MORE TO YOU LATER.
IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE,
WITH THIS PROGRAM, AS IT
WAS INITIALLY CONTEMPLATED
BY COUNCIL ALL THE WAY BACK IN
2019, IT REALLY WAS LOOKING AT
AREAS OF THE CITY THAT AT
THE TIME DEAL WAS -- DID NOT
HAVE PROGRAMS IN.
SCHOOLS MAYBE WERE QUITE A
BIT OF DISTANCE FROM PLACES
THAT KIDS LIVED THAT NEEDED SOME
OF THESE RESOURCES OR FAMILIES
NEEDED AND SO
THIS WAS AN
OPPORTUNITY AT THAT TIME TO
HAVEHAVE
OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE FOR
FAMILIES THAT WOULD
NOTNOT NORMALLY ACCESS TO
THIS. AS WE HAVE CONTINUED TO
PROVIDE
THIS SUPPORT, THEY ARE AWARE OF
THE PROGRAMS AS WELL.
WE MAKE SURE THEY KNOW
WHICH PROGRAMS ARE RUNNING AND
WE
HAVE
A GOOD IDEA OF WHAT THEY'RE
RUNNING AS WELL.
AND THIS IS WHERE WE SEE
FOLKS COMING TO US THAT ARE
AGAIN MAYBE COMING IN THROUGH
THE AND SEEKING RESOURCE
AND THESE OFFERINGS ARE
AVAILABLE TO
THEM IN LANGUAGE.
YOU CAN SEE IN THE NEXT
SLIDE HOW MANY LANGUAGES ARE
OFFERED
AND WHAT WE'RE SEEING AS A
PERCENTAGE.
WE KNOW THESE ARE
SERVING FOLKS WHO MAY NOT GET
THE
TRADITIONAL INFORMATION BECAUSE
IT IS NOT
IN LANGUAGE.
WE DO A LOT OF WORK IN
OUR LOCATES TO MAKE SURE WE
HAVE THESE SERVICES OR
OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE IN
LANGUAGE SO
THEY CAN ACTUALLY SEE IT WHEN
THEY WALK INTO A LOCATION, WHICH
IS REALLY KEY IN MAKING SURE
WE'RE SERVING THESE FAMILIES.
>> THANK YOU FOR THAT, CHIEF.
I'LL FOLLOW UP WITH YOU AND
DIRECTOR SO WE'RE WELL
COORDINATED.
THIS IS A NEED.
AS SOMEONE WHO LEARNED
ENGLISH IN KINDERGARTEN AND
FIRST GRADE,
I UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF
THESE TYPES OF SUPPORTS FOR
OUR KIDS IN THE CITY.
I FULLY SUPPORTEDED AND I WANT
TO MAKE SURE WE'RE LEVERAGING
OUR INVESTMENTS AND WE'RE
COORDINATED AS WE'RE DOING
THESE EFFORTS PARTICULARLY
BECAUSE AS
A PUBLIC -- AS
GOVERNMENT, PUBLIC ENTITY, YOU
KNOW, WE
HAVE LIMITED RESOURCES FOR ALL
THE THINGS WE DO AND WANT TO
MAKE
SURE WE'RE WELL COORDINATED
SO I'LL FOLLOW UP ON THAT.
THANK YOU.
>> I THINK HERE AGAIN, IT IS
IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT
MANY OF THESE, IT IS
MULTILINGUAL OFFERINGS.
YOU MAY HAVE ENGLISH AND THE
LANGUAGE SPOKEN, SO FAMILIES
IN MANY CASES EVEN IN OUR WORLD
STORY TIMES, ADULTS ARE LEARNING
ENGLISH AT THE SAME TIME AS THE
CHILDREN.
IT IS ALSO A GREAT WAY
FOR PEOPLE TO BOND OVER READING.
SO WE FIND THESE VALUABLE
AS DO THE PATRONS WHO
PARTICIPATE.
>> ABSOLUTELY, CHIEF.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE
WELL COORDINATED AS I SAID AND
THAT
WE KNOW RIGHT HAND, LEFT
HAND KNOWS WHAT WE'RE DOING AND
THEN SOMETIMES WHEN WE DO THAT,
WE'RE
ABLE TO IDENTIFY EITHER A
SHIFT TO A DIFFERENT WAY AS YOU
SAID IN 2019, THIS WAS
IDENTIFIED
GIVEN ALL OF THE LEVY
INVESTMENTS.
I DON'T KNOW IF THE NEED IS
EXACTLY IN THESE AREAS OR
IN THIS WAY.
AND SO WE JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE
WE'RE ALWAYS COORDINATING
WITH OUR SISTER DEPARTMENTS SO
WE ARE
BRINGING THE BEST TO ALL OUR
PATRONS ACROSS THE
CITY INCLUDING OUR KIDS AND OUR
FAMILIES WHERE ENGLISH MIGHT
BE A SECOND LANGUAGE AS I SAID.
I'M VERY -- THAT IS PERSONAL
TO ME AS SOMEONE WHO BENEFITED
GROWING UP FROM SUPPORTS.
I NEEDED THAT.
I DIDN'T KNOW ENGLISH.
SO, THANK
YOU.
>> AGREED, THANK YOU.
I'LL TURN THIS OVER TO ROB FOR
THIS NEXT
PORTION.
>> THANKS.
THIS IS THE SIXTH OF THE
BAR CHART SLIDES THAT SHOWS
THE PORTION OF THE LEVY THAT IS
IN
THE CATEGORY OF
HELPING
CHILDREN. AND AS YOU CAN SEE
QUITE
CLEARLY, THIS IS THE
SMALLEST INVESTMENT BY LEVY
CATEGORY.
AS TOM NOTED IN 2023,
FUNDING FROM A KING COUNTY
PROGRAM
WAS NO LONGER AVAILABLE.
SO THE LIBRARY LOOKED
TO INCREASE THE RESOURCE AND
THEN DUE TO THE POSITIVE
OUTCOMES OF
THE PROGRAM AND THE SUPPORT
OF THE CITY, AND THE
FOUNDATION, THE LIBRARY WAS ABLE
TO PICK
UP MORE OF THE COST OF THE
PROGRAM
TO CARRY ON THE GOOD WORK
IN EARLY LITERACY FOR SEATTLE
FAMILIES.
THIS SLIDE DEPICTS AS
OTHERS HAVE THE PORTION OF THE
LEVY
COMPARED TO THE GENERAL FUND
AND PRIVATE RESOURCES, THE
HELPING CHILDREN CATEGORY IS THE
ONLY CATEGORY PRIMARILY FUNDED
BY
PRIVATE DOLLAR S.
THIS NEXT SLIDE SHOWS THE
BREAKDOWN YEAR OVER YEAR OF
HOW THE DOLLARS ARE APPORTIONED
AGAINST THE THREE
DIFFERENT FUNDING TYPES.
AND I'LL TURN IT BACK TO KAI.
I'M SORRY, BACK TO
TOM.
>> WELL, YES.
THAT IS ME ON THIS ONE.
AS WE SHARED IN THE HOURS AND
ACCESS PORTION, LEVY
DOLLARS HELP SUPPORT LIBRARY
STAFFING NEEDS WHICH HELPS
SUPPORT OUR
OTHER CHILDREN'S PROGRAMS TOO.
THE ONES THAT ARE MOST
NOTE READY STORY TIMES.
IN 2025 WE HOSTED OVER
1100 STORY TIMES.
AND DREW TOTAL ATTENDANCE OF
42,000.
THIS INCLUDES STORY TIMES IN
ENGLISH, ARABIC, SPANISH AND
MANDARIN.
WE HAD A PROGRAM CALLED
RAISING A READER, WHICH IS A
PARENT ENGAGEMENT
INITIATIVE DESIGNED TO CULTIVATE
A LOVE OF READING
AND STRENGTHEN PARENT AND CHILD
INTERACTION RELATED TO READING.
EACH WEEK CHILDREN BRING HOME A
RED BAG WITH MULTICULTURAL AND
DEVELOPMENTALLY
APPROPRIATE BOOKS TO ENJOY.
FAMILIES RECEIVE SUPPORT
FOR BOOK SHARING AND
DEVELOPING SKILLS TO SUPPORT
READING
READINESS.
OUTREACH PROGRAMS THAT OCCUR
IN THE COMMUNITY PARTNER --
EXCUSE
ME, OUTREACH PROGRAMS THAT
OCCUR IN COMMUNITY PARTNER
PRESCHOOLCHILD CARE SITES, OVER
400 YOUNG CHILDREN PARTICIPATE
RAGING FROM 12 MONTHS TO 9
YEARS. A NEW PROGRAM THAT
WE'RE PILOTING IS ONE CALLED
STORY
SQUAD.
THE LEVY SUPPORTIVE COLLECTIONS
HELPED US START THIS PILOT.
IT IS A NEW EARLY
LITERACY PROGRAM WITH SEATTLE
PUBLIC
SCHOOLS.
THE LIBRARY PURCHASES AND
DELIVERS CLASSROOM SETS OF
BOOKS FOR GRADES TWO THROUGH
FOUR TO
TITLE ONE SCHOOLS.
WE STARTED IN ONE SCHOOL,
AND THE SECOND GRADE.
WE WILL EVALUATE THIS AND
EXPAND IT IN 2026.
THIS
WAS DEVELOPED AT THE REQUEST
OVER A NUMBER OF YEARS
WITH SEATTLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
MATERIALS IN THE CLASSROOM
SETS ARE CURATED BASED ON TOPICS
AND
THEMES TEACHERS EXPRESSED
INTEREST IN FOR THEIR CLASSES.
TEACHERS HAVE
REQUESTED THINGS THAT COORDINATE
WITH
CURRICULUM AS WELL AS USING
THESE KITS
AS PRIZES FOR STUDENTS.
>> I SEE HERE, CHIEF, YOU
HAVE ON THE RIGHT, RAISING A
READER, HOLD IT IN SETTINGS SUCH
AS
CHILD CARE CENTERS AND SEATTLE
PRESCHOOL PROGRAMS.
I SEE THERE IS
THAT COLLABORATION WITH DEAL.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IS
AS ROBUST A COLLABORATION AS
POSSIBLE.
AND IT IS PROBABLY HAPPENING
AND THEN WE DON'T GET TO HEAR
ABOUT IT SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE
THAT WE AND MORE IMPORTANTLY
THE PUBLIC KNOWS ABOUT ALL THE
THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING
AND THAT THESE ARE
COLLABORATIONS BECAUSE I
UNDERSTAND
MOST OF THIS IS FUNDING THAT IS
COMING THE FOUNDATION, IN TERMS
OF THE PROGRAM, BUT
LIBRARY STAFFING THAT IS LEVY
FUNDED, THIS IS ANOTHER ONE OF
THOSE
PARTNERSHIPS LENDS STAFF
TO IT.
>>
ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU FOR THAT.
>> WE'RE IN A HOMESTRETCH.
WE'RE GOING TO DIG IN A
LITTLE MORE ABOUT OUR STORY
TIME.
THIS IS A MAP OF THE
GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION OF OUR
STORY
TIME, INCLUDED AT OUR LIBRARIES
AND OUR OFFSITE LOCATIONS.
THEY'RE RIGHT IN THE CHART,
YOU CAN SEE THE LOCATIONS IN
THE LANGUAGE SERVED.
THESE LOCATIONS ARE
DETERMINED BY ASSESSING CRITERIA
SUCH AS
THE CITY'S RSJ AND DEMOGRAPHIC
MAP. THE SCHOOLS IN THE AREA,
FOR
EXAMPLE, IF THEY'RE TITLE ONE
SCHOOLS, ATTENDANCE AND
OPPORTUNITIES FOR
SIMILAR SERVICES IN THE AREA AS
WELL
AS FEEDBACK AND REQUESTS.
THIS TABLE, SPECIFICALLY
LOOKS AT OUR OFFSITE
PARTNERSHIPS WHERE WE HELD STORY
TIMES
OUTSIDE OF OUR
BUILDINGS IN 2025.
AS YOU CAN SEE, WE
PROVIDED STORY TIMES AT THE
VARIETY OF INCLUDE OVER
100 STORY TIMES AT HEAD
START SCHOOLS LIKE WE DO MANY OF
OUR SEATTLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND
AT 33
PRESCHOOLS ACROSS THE CITY.
I THINK COUNCILMEMBER FOSTER,
DID YOU HAVE A HAND
UP?
>> I DO, THANK YOU, CHAIR.
FROM A FEW SLIDES BACK.
I THINK SLIDE 48.
I LOVE STORY TIME, JUST LOVE
IT SO MUCH, TOOK MY KID THERE A
TON.
THANK YOU FOR THAT WORK.
WE HAD A SUPER
STRONG RELATIONSHIP WITH OUR
LIBRARIAN
FROM STORY TIME.
BUT MY QUESTION IS ABOUT STORY
SQUAD. CAN YOU JUST TELL US A
LITTLE
BIT MORE WHY IT WAS SELECTED
AND YOU MENTIONED YOU WOULD BE
DOING
A REVALUATION OF THE PROGRAM
AND CAN YOU TELL US MORE ABOUT
WHAT
YOU'RE LOOKING AT AS YOU'RE
CONSIDERING POTENTIALLY SCALING
THIS.
>> I'LL ASK KAI TO ADDRESS
THAT.
>> BAILEY GAPER WAS SELECTED
BECAUSE IT WAS A TITLE
ONE SCHOOL AND WE HAD
STRONG PARTICIPATION FROM THE
TEACHERS AND THE PRINCIPAL.
WE FELT IT WAS A SOLID
CHOICE FOR A PILOT PROGRAM TO
GET OUR
TEACHERS AND OUR PRINCIPALS
WHO WERE VERY INTERESTED IN THIS
TO GET A LOT MORE FEEDBACK
ON SEEING HOW WE COULD MAKE
THIS FEASIBLE AND SCALEABLE
THROUGHOUT THE SYSTEM.
>> GOT IT.
AND THEN I HEARD YOU SAY YOU'RE
EVALUATING IT THIS YEAR, IS
THAT CORRECT?
>> THAT IS CORRECT.
WE JUST STARTED DOING --
SENDING OUT OUR KITS AND SO
WE'RE LOOKING AT GETTING --
WE'RE GETTING FEEDBACK FROM THE
FIRST SEMESTER THAT WE HAD AND
IT
RATING ON THAT FEEDBACK TO
SEE HOW WE CAN MAKE
IMPROVEMENTS.
>> DO WE ANTICIPATE BEING ABLE
TO HEAR MORE INFORMATION
PRIOR TO LEVY GOING FORWARD THIS
YEAR?
I KNOW OUR SCHOOLS NEED A TON
OF SUPPORT AND OUR STUDENTS NEED
A TON OF SUPPORT AND
UNFORTUNATELY THERE IS CUTS
COMING LEFT,
RIGHT AND CENTER.
SO THIS FEELS REALLY IMPORTANT
IT MAKE SURE BOOKS ARE MAKING
THEIR WAY INTO THE CLASSROOM.
>> YOU WILL HEAR MORE ABOUT
IT FOR SURE AS WE PROCEED WITH
THE LEVY RENEWAL.
THAT WILL BE SOMETHING
WE'RE BRINGING TO THE TABLE.
I'VE BEEN HERE 11 YEARS NOW.
AND THROUGH THAT TIME THE
SCHOOL SYSTEM HAS BEEN THE ONE
THING THEY ALWAYS ASK FOR IS
THAT
MATERIAL, RIGHT?
WE KNOW THE LIBRARIES AND
SCHOOLS, SOME ARE VERY
WELL SUPPORTED, IF YOU HAVE PTO,
PTA,
ANY OF THE OTHER ACRONYMS,
AND IN SOME CASES THAT'S GREAT
AND
WE HAVE GREAT LOSS OF LIBRARY
AND LIBRARY STAFF AND SOME
SCHOOLS.
SO, OVERALL THESE YEARS AS
WE HAVE GONE BACK AND FORTH IN
THIS, THERE HAS BEEN THIS --
WE HAVE THE WORRY ABOUT MATERIAL
GOING LOST, ARE YOU
GIFTING PUBLIC FUNDS AND DOING
THAT, AND
THEN WE HAVE THINGS, YOU
KNOW, PEOPLE DON'T BRING BACK,
WE
GO THROUGH A PROCESS, BUT AT
THE END OF THE DAY, KIDS
ARE GOING TO HAVE BOOKS IN THE
CLASSROOM,
RIGHT?
IF ONE GOES HOME, IT WILL
PROBABLY COME BACK.
WE KNOW THAT.
AND I THINK TRYING TO
REMOVE THOSE BARRIERS TO THOSE
PHYSICAL BOOKS ARE SO
IMPORTANT, ESPECIALLY A YOUNG
AGE.
ELECTRONIC MATERIAL IS GREAT.
THERE ARE SOME THINGS YOU CAN DO
WITH SOME OF THE
NEW TECHNOLOGIES AND BOOKS THAT
ARE OUT THERE.
AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT IS
THE TACTILE EXPERIENCE THAT IS
IMPORTANT.
IT IS REALLY IMPORTANT
IT RESONATES WITH A KID, DO
THEY SEE PEOPLE WHO LOOK LIKE
THEM, DO THEY SEEING SOME THAT
REALLY INTERESTS THEM.
WHATEVER THE SUBJECT OR TOPIC
IS, AND THAT MAY OR MAY NOT
BE AVAILABLE IN YOUR LIBRARY.
SO IT IS SOMETHING WE REALLY
HAVE PUT A LOT OF THOUGHT INTO
HOW WE CAN BETTER SUPPORT THE
SCHOOLS WITH MATERIAL.
THAT'S OUR STRONG SUIT.
I CAN BUY MORE THAN THEY DO.
AT A DIFFERENT RATE AND I
THINK THOSE ARE ALL THINGS THAT
HELP AS WE TRY TO MAKE SURE
THAT WE'RE PROVIDING THE BEST
FOR
OUR STUDENTS AND THEIR SUCCESS.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.
I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING MORE
ABOUT THIS IN PARTICULAR SO
WE CAN MAKE SURE WE'RE SUPPORT,
THE TITLE ONE SCHOOLS AND JUST
A COMMENT WHILE WE'RE ON
THIS ABOUT BOOK ACCESS.
I LOVE THE YELLOW STICKERS
THAT I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT IS
CALLED.
IF YOU'RE IN THE LIBRARY THERE
ARE BOOKS WITH THE
YELLOW STICKERS IN THE KIDS
SECTION AND
THEY DON'T HAVE TO CHECK
THEM OUT THEY CAN GRAB THEM AND
TAKE THEM AND BRING THEM BACK
WHATEVER.
AND SO, AGAIN I WANT TO
COMMEND YOU GUYS FOR THE WAYS
YOU'RE BEING RESPONSIVE TO
THE WAYS THAT KIDS READ AND
ACCESS BOOKS.
THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU, CHAIR.
>> THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER
FOSTER.
DID I HEAR YOU SAY, CHIEF,
THAT SOME OF THE SEATTLE
PUBLIC SCHOOLS DON'T
HAVE LIBRARIES OR DID I
MISUNDERSTAND THAT?
>> THEY HAVE A LIBRARY SPACE,
MOST OF THEM.
THEY VARY
IN SIZE, THEY VARY IN THE
COLLECTION AND THE AMOUNT OF
MATERIAL THEY HAVE.
AND ALSO SOME THINGS ARE
WELL LOVED AND WELL USED AND
NOT EASILY REPLACED WITH SMALLER
SCHOOL LIBRARY BUDGETS.
>> GOT IT.
THANK YOU.
THANK YOU FOR THE CLARIFICATION
THERE.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.
I DO WANT TO ADD WITH THE STORY
SQUAD, WE WERE ABLE TO CREATE
A FORMAL MOU WITH SPS, THIS
IS OF THE FIRST TIME WE HAD THE
ORGANIZATIONAL MOU WITH BOTH
ENTITIES, WHICH IS REALLY
EXCITING
AND ALSO OFFERS ADDITIONAL WAYS
WE'RE ABLE
TO PARTNER MORE EASILY.
SO, I GET TO TALK ABOUT
REALLY WONDERFUL THINGS AND SO
WE
HAVE SOME FEEDBACK FROM OUR
PATRONS
IN REGARDS TO OUR EARLY LITERACY
PROGRAM THAT THEY ATTEND.
WHEN IT COMES TO THE LEVY
FUNDED KALEIDOSCOPE PLAY AND
LEARN
PROGRAM,
PARTICIPANTS TELL US THAT
THEY'RE MAKING CLOSE FAMILY
AND COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS.
THEY FEEL THEY'RE MORE
PREPARED FOR THEIR CHILD'S
FIRST DAY OF
SCHOOL.
AND THEY FEEL SUPPORTED AND
ACCEPTED. I JUST WANT TO SEE
THIS JOY
ON THIS LAST PHOTO OF OUR SLIDE.
WE SEE SO MUCH OPPORTUNITY
IN THE LEVY.
THIS LEVY CATEGORY, TO
INCREASE OUR COMMUNITY ACCESS TO
PROGRAMS
THAT SUPPORT CHILDREN, YOUTH
AND TEEN AS WELL AS THEIR
FAMILIES.
MANY OF OUR COMMUNITY
FAMILY STORY TIMES FILL OUR
LARGEST MEETING SPACES.
PARENTS EXPRESS GREAT
INTEREST IN EXPANSION OF
PROGRAMS LIKE
THESE.
AND WE ALSO SEE A REALLY
GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO IMPROVE
COMMUNITY LITERACY OUTCOMES,
WHICH IS AN
IMPORTANT GOAL OF THE LIBRARY'S
TEN- YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN.
>> AND WITH THAT, THAT
CONCLUDES OUR PRESENTATION.
>> THANK YOU, CHIEF.
THANK YOU, KAI.
YOU HAVE A GREAT JOB.
>> I DO.
I'M SO LUCKY.
THANK YOU, CHAIR.
>> THESE ARE SOME REALLY
AMAZING PROGRAMS THAT BENEFIT
KIDS AND
ADULTS ACROSS THE CITY.
AND IT IS -- AND IN PARTNERSHIP
WITH THE FOUNDATION,
I'M GOING IT KEEP GOING TO
THAT, AND
WITH ALL THE PATRONS THAT GIVE
THE
MONEY FOR IT, IT IS REALLY
A GREAT COLLABORATION, ALL
THESE PROGRAMS AND IT IS
SOMETHING THAT REALLY BRINGS NOT
JUST
LITERACY BUT A LOT OF JOY TO
A LOT OF FOLKS.
BECAUSE I KNOW STORY TIME IS
SO GREAT FOR THE KIDS.
I'M A PARENT, SO I
KNOW, I'VE TAKEN MY KIDS AS
WELL AND
I PARTICULARLY WANT TO GIVE A
LITTLE NOTE HERE WHERE YOU HAVE
A FIREFIGHTER STORY TIME.
IS THAT WHERE YOU BRING
A FIREFIGHTER TO READ A BOOK?
>> IT IS.
AND THOSE ARE SOME OF OUR
MOST POPULAR STORY TIMES.
I WILL SAY WE HAVE -- I THINK WE
HAVE ONE COMING UP AT THE END
OF THIS WEEK AND THEY ARE
STARTING AGAIN IN MARCH.
SO, IF YOU HAVE CHILDREN, BE
PREPARED, THE FIREFIGHTERS ARE
COMING.
>> I LOVE IT.
DO THEY BRING THE BIG RED
ENGINES?
>> OH,
YES.
>> I LOVE IT.
>> STICKERS, ALL THE
GEAR.
>> LOVE, LOVE, LOVE THAT.
WANTED TO GIVE A SHOUTOUT TO THE
FIREFIGHTERS.
I'M A BIG FAN OF ALL THE
WORK THEY DO.
THEY DO SO MUCH IN COMMUNITY AND
PROVIDE ALTERNATIVE RESPONSE
AS WE WERE TALKING ABOUT
SOCIAL SERVICES EARLIER.
SO THEY'RE A GREAT PARTNER
THERE AS WELL.
ALL RIGHT, COLLEAGUES, WE
HAVE COME TO THE END OFOF
PRESENTATION. BUT NOT THE
QUESTIONS.
COUNCILMEMBER FOSTER, I SEE
YOU HAVE YOUR HAND UP.
YOU'RE RECOGNIZED.
>> MY LAST ONE, CHAIR.
THANK YOU.
THANK YOU SO MUCH.
CAN I JUST ASK YOU TO SPEAK
A LITTLE BIT MORE TO YOUR
TEAM
PROGRAMMING? I HEARD YOU SAY
THAT IN THE
SUMMARY. I HEARD THE HOMEWORK
HELP WHICH
IS TEEN ORIENTED.
ARE THERE OTHER THINGS YOU WANT
TO BRING UP ON OUR RADAR?
OUR YOUNG PEOPLE DESERVE SO
MUCH SUPPORT.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE I HAVE THE
FULLEST PICTURE
OF IT.
>> I WANT TO GIVE A HUGE
SHOUTOUT TO OUR TEEN
LIBRARIANS, A SMALL TEAM, AND
THEY
DO AMAZING WORK.
WE HAVE A REALLY FANTASTIC TEEN
SERVICES PROGRAM MANAGER AS
WELL. SO WE ARE DOING THINGS
LIKE
RESOURCE FAIRS, YARF IS ONE OF
THE MOST POPULAR THINGS
THAT WE HAVE AND IT IS ANNUALLY
IT IS
THE YOUNG ADULT RESOURCE
FAIR, WHICH IS THE BEST ACRONYM
EVER.
AND WE ALSO HAVE THINGS
LIKE LEARNING BUDDIES WHERE WE
OFFER
INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES.
AND WE ALSO ARE GING
IN PROGRAMS FOR ALL OF OUR
TEENS.
AS WE LOOK TO THE SUMMER,
WE'RE LOOKING TO REFRESH OUR
SUMMER
PROGRAM.
AFTER 107 YEARS WE WANT
TO CHANGE IT UP A LITTLE BIT,
AND SO WE ARE LOOKING TO HAVE
ALL
AGES SO TEEN, YOUTH, AND
ADULT WILL HAVE A TRACK THEY
WOULD
BE ABLE TO FOLLOW DURING THE
SUMMER.
THOSE ARE JUST A FEW.
>> THANK YOU.
>> COUNCILMEMBER FOSTER,
ANYTHING ELSE?
JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE.
COUNCILMEMBER
LIN.
>> WANT TO FOLLOW UP ON THAT.
ARE THERE FOR
TEENS EITHER INTERNSHIP PAID OR
UNPAID
OR VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES?
ANYTHING, YOU KNOW?
COULD YOU GIVE US A STATUS OF
THAT OR WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE
AS THE SUMMER IS APPROACHING?
>> YES, COUNCILMEMBER LIN.
WE HAVE A FEW DIFFERENT
OPPORTUNITIES.
AGAIN, WE HAVE LEARNING
BUDDIES, AN INTERNSHIP PROGRAM
WE
PARTNER WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS
TO HELP
BRING FOLKS -- YOUNG FOLKS
ON FOR THAT EXPERIENCE.
WE ALSO -- I ACTUALLY HAVE
A MEETING TODAY WITH THE BOYS
AND GIRLS CLUB TO GET MORE
INFORMATION ON PARTNERSHIPS
AND INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
THAT THEY HAVE AND WOULD LIKE
TO PARTNER WITH US.
AND WE ARE CURRENTLY DOING
A FRESH OF OUR STUDENT
ASSISTANT -- STA PROGRAM.
THIS IS A PROGRAM WHERE WE HAVE
MANAGERS, SUPERVISORS,
ASSISTANT DIRECTORS WHO HAVE
COME UP AS
STUDENT ASSISTANTS THROUGH THE
PROGRAM.
AND ARE RUNNING OUR
LIBRARY SYSTEM NOW.
SO WE'RE VERY EXCITED TO HAVE
A REFRESH OF THAT AND REFOCUSING
ON HOW WE'RE CREATING
THOSE CAREER PATHS IN WAYS TO
HAVE
FOLKS TRADITIONALLY WHO HAVE
NOT BEEN REPRESENTED WITHIN
THE LIBRARY SYSTEM OR WITHIN
THE LIBRARY SCHOOL WORLD TO
HAVE BETTER ACCESS AND A CAREER
PATH
TO MOVE UP THROUGH THE LIBRARY.
>> THANK YOU.
JUST ONE FOLLOW-UP.
I'M NOT SURE IF YOU WORK VERY
CLOSELY WITH TEEN READ, THEY
OFTENTIMES DEPLOY
OLDER STUDENTS TO READ WITH THE
YOUNGER
STUDENTS.
I'M NOT SURE IF THEY DO THAT
AT ANY OF YOUR LOCATIONS
OR IF --
>> YES, THANK YOU SO
MUCH. THAT'S ONE OF OUR
PARTNERS.
ANNUALLY WE WORK WITH TEEN
READ AS WELL.
>> THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER LIN.
AND THANK YOU, KAI, FOR THAT.
I ALSO WANT TO SAY FOR TEEN
RELATED, I KNOW WE HAVE THE
SUMMER YOUTH EMPLOYMENT
PROGRAM OUT OF HSD AND I LOOK
FORWARD
TO HEARING ABOUT THAT PROGRAM
FOR
THIS YEAR.
IT IS REALLY CRITICAL.
I KNOW WHEN I WAS GROWING UP
IN NEW YORK CITY, I WAS A
CREW CHIEF FOR OUR SUMMARY
EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM IN NEW YORK,
SO I
SAW FIRSTHAND HOW IMPORTANT IT
IS
TO THE TEENS, MULTIPLE FRONTS,
AND THANK YOU FOR RAISING THE
QUESTION, COUNCILMEMBER FOSTER,
ABOUT TEEN ACTIVITIES BASICALLY.
AND LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING
FROM HSC ON THAT HOPEFULLY AT
SOME
POINT.
I DON'T SIT ON THE COMMITTEE.
I HOPE TO FIND OUT ABOUT IT.
COLLEAGUES,
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, I DON'T
SEE ANYONE ELSE'S HAND
UP.
SO I WILL JUST SAY THANK YOU,
AGAIN, FOR THE
PRESENTATION TODAY AND LAST
WEEK.
IT WAS TWO LONG PRESENTATIONS
BY DESIGN.
IT REALLY WAS TO SHOW OUR WORK.
AS YOU CAN HEAR, THERE IS A
LOT GOING ON AT SEATTLE PUBLIC
LIBRARIES AND BOTH SLIDE
DECKS WERE FOCUSED ON THE LEVY.
THERE WAS SOME OVERLAP WITH
SOME OF THE SUPPORTS WE GET FROM
THE FOUNDATION AND FROM GENERAL
FUND.
BUT REALLY THE POINT OF
LAST WEEK AND THIS WEEK WAS TO
SHOW YOU ALL COLLEAGUES AND
THE PUBLIC HOW OUR LEVY DOLLARS
ARE AT WORK.
AND VERY IN DEPTH DEEP
DIVE WAY. I THINK THAT IS
IMPORTANT.
THERE IS SO MUCH HAPPENING AND
SO MUCH TO BE PROUD OF WITH THIS
LEVY INVESTMENT AND I THOUGHT
IT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT TO
SHOW THAT WORK.
SO, THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT
YOU DID TO CREATE ALL OF THESE
SLIDES, ALL OF YOUR
TEAM MEMBERS THAT WERE INVOLVED.
I WANT TO THANK MY TEAM FOR
WORKING WITH YOUR TEAM TO MAKE
SURE THAT WE HAD ALL
THE INFORMATION TO REALLY SHOW
IN
A VERY ROBUST WAY WHAT THE 2019
LEVY WENT TO FUND.
AND WE DIDN'T FOCUS A LOT ON
THIS.
BUT I DO WANT TO MENTION
THAT SINCE THE LEVY WE PASSED WE
DID
HAVE THE PANDEMIC AND WE
ALSO HAD THE RANSOMWARE ATTACK
AND
THAT HAD A HUGE IMPACT ON
THE LIBRARIES IN 2024.
IT TOOK SOME TIME AND AT
THE TIME I EXPRESSED GRATITUDE,
I WILL EXPRESS GRATITUDE AGAIN
TO
YOU, CHIEF FAY, AND TO YOUR
STAFF, FOR ALL THAT YOU DID
IN RESPONSE TO THAT ATTACK
AND HAVING TO GET EVERYTHING
BACK ON
TRACK AND IN LINE.
AND I'LL COMPLIMENT THAT YOU
CAN
SEE COLLEAGUES FROM LAST WEEK'S
PRESENTATION AND THIS WEEK'S
PRESENTATION, THAT DESPITE
ALL OF THAT, THE LIBRARY SERVED
ACROSS THE CITY ALL ITS
PATRONS AND THIS VERY ROBUST
WAY.
WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR THE LEVY.
AND FOR THE FOUNDATION, FOR
THAT MATTER, AND FOR ALL THE
PATRONS THAT SUPPORT IT.
WE WERE ABLE TO DO A LOT SINCE
2019, SINCE THIS LEVY PASSED,
TO REALLY SUPPORT OUR PATRONS
ACROSS THE CITY.
SO, THANK YOU FOR THAT.
PLEASE THANK YOUR TEAM FOR ME.
THERE IS A BIG TEAM THAT
YOU HAVE AT THE LIBRARIES.
HOW MANY, AGAIN?
>> NEARLY 700.
>> 700 LIBRARY STAFF
THAT SUPPORTS SEATTLE
PUBLIC LIBRARIES AND WE'RE SO
GRATEFUL TO THEM FOR ALL THEIR
WORK.
SO, THANK YOU, AGAIN.
LET ME GET TO THE FINAL PART OF
MY SCRIPT HERE.
ALL RIGHT.
COLLEAGUES, ANY FURTHER
QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS?
SEEING NO FURTHER QUESTIONS,
THIS CONCLUDES THE FEBRUARY
25th MEETING OF THE
LIBRARIES, EDUCATION AND
NEIGHBORHOODS
COMMITTEE.
OUR NEXT COMMITTEE MEETING
IS SCHEDULED FOR WEDNESDAY,
MARCH
11th, AT 9:30 A.M.
IF THERE IS NO FURTHER
BUSINESS, THIS MEETING WILL
ADJOURN.
HEARING NO FURTHER
BUSINESS, IT IS 11:23 A.M. AND
THIS
MEETING IS ADJOURNED.
THANK YOU, COLLEAGUES.