| Seattle Public Library | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Seattle Central Library in 2019 | |
 | |
| 47°36′25″N 122°19′58″W / 47.60694°N 122.33278°W | |
| Location | Seattle, Washington, U.S. |
| Type | Public library |
| Established | 1890 |
| Branches | 27 |
| Collection | |
| Size | 2.8 million (2023) |
| Access and use | |
| Circulation | 13.4 million (2023) |
| Members | 293,000 active patrons (2023) |
| Other information | |
| Budget | $93.9 million (2023)[1] |
| Director | Tom Fay (Executive Director and Chief Librarian since 2022)[2] |
| Employees | 675 (part- and full-time) as of 2023 |
| Website | spl |
| ASN | |
| References: The Seattle Public Library's 2023 Statistical & Financial Summaries[1] | |
The Seattle Public Library (SPL) is the public library system serving the city of Seattle, Washington. Efforts to start a Seattle library had commenced as early as 1868, with the system eventually being established by the city in 1890. The system currently comprises 27 branches, most of which are named after the neighborhoods in which they are located. The Seattle Public Library also includes Mobile Services and the Central Library, which was designed by Rem Koolhaas and opened in 2004. The Seattle Public Library also founded the Washington Talking Book & Braille Library (WTBBL), which it administered until July 2008.
All but one of Seattle's early purpose-built libraries were Carnegie libraries. Although the central Carnegie library has since been replaced twice, all the purpose-built branches from the early 20th century survive; however, some have undergone significant alterations. Ballard's former Carnegie library has since housed a number of restaurants and antique stores among other enterprises, while others such as the Fremont and Green Lake branches have been modernized and remain in use as libraries.
As of 2023, the library served 293,000 active patrons, 75,000 new cardholders, 124,000 borrowers of physical materials, and 175,000 borrowers of digital materials. The library answered 234,000 assisted information questions, and it hosted 3,500 classes, events and activities, as well as 341,000 public computer sessions.[1]