Thursday, October 22, 2009

Not All Our Libraries are Sleek and Modern. . .


Not All Our Libraries are Sleek and Modern
Photo & Text Copyright 2009 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.
. . .but they have all been renovated, upgraded, and refreshed, top to bottom, in the past 10 years thanks to the popular Libraries for All $196,000 bond measure passed by Seattlites in 1998. Each branch is a unique, inviting, well designed and well utilized space. The massive project of remodeling or replacing every branch was completed last year. The charming Columbia City branch dates from 1915 and was a Carnegie funded library designed in the Beaux-Arts Georgian Revival style. In 2004 an addition was added to the back of this, the smallest of all Seattle's original Carnegie endowed libraries. It is much loved by its community. For a view of the entire front elevation, please click my More Seattle Stuff page.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I love these libraries. Greenville, where I used to live and the home of Annie Oakley, more or less, had one such library that has been added to several times. I don't think it is as neat inside as it used to be when there were large tables and newspapers and gentlemen came inside puffing on cigars and sat down to read the newspapers. Of course one of the first things to go were the ashtrays and spittoons and then smoking was banned inside.

I am glad your city has a lot of people who are proud of their libraries.

T. said...

I love this library -- and was relieved when the remodel/addition didn't mess with the ambiance of the original design.

Stefan Jansson said...

Great to see. A library close to me celebrates 40 years today.I will probably stop by for some cake and a photo or two.

Kate said...

I prefer classical, Carnegie-like, libraries. Great photo and information. PS. Still not back permanently. Stay happy while I'm on sabbatical.

Julie said...

If you have the time and the opportunity, it would be great to see pictures of the interior.

Maya said...

I love the Seattle libraries. Each one is unique and beautiful in it's own way!