Covid-19 Community Collection

Are you interested in helping the Library’s Special Collections Department document history? Please consider contributing to our new Covid-19 Community Collection!

We are asking you to tell us (and show us) how the events of the past few months have impacted you. We are looking for stories, photographs, signs, artwork, short videos and other materials that will help future generations learn what life was like in Seattle during this unique period in history. What has your daily life been like? What are ways you are staying connected with friends and family? What will you remember the most ten years from now?

Stories and materials submitted to the project through our online portal will be made available through the Special Collections Online website. We also welcome the donation of physical materials which can be mailed to the Special Collections Department. To learn more about how you can contribute to the project, please visit our Community Covid-19 Collection page online.

     ~ Posted by Jade D.

Revisit Past Events with Our Podcasts

Was there an author event you missed out on at the library? Did you miss a Thrilling Tales adult story time? Don’t fret! The library records many of its events, everything from author readings to theatre previews. Found under the Books and Media tab on our homepage, Library Podcasts are sorted by year at the top of the page and by some subjects at the bottom.

Here’s a few suggestions to get you started with this great online resource (you don’t even need a library card to listen!):

In 2018, Maxwell King discussed his new book, The Good Neighbor: The Life and Work of Fred Rogers, which is the first full-length biography of Mr. Rogers. Hear the story of this enduring Icon and read the ebook yourself, along with the ebook A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood by Fred Rogers himself.

Bringing the Outside In: Resources for Families Missing the Great Outdoors

This past weekend, major parks, beaches, and many trails were closed in an effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19. But fear not, many of our favorite parks and organizations are offering fantastic online content to help satiate our appetites for natural beauty, park history, and more.

First, be sure to check out this book list: Bringing the Outside In: Picture Books for Kids Featuring the Great Outdoors. This list features titles available through The Seattle Public Library’s Digital Resources. We hope sharing some wonderful outdoor themed stories with your kids will help bring some natural wonder into their lives.

One of the outdoor experiences my family will miss the most this year is the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival. Our family makes a trip up to Skagit every year to see fields of magnificent colors. It really is one of the most stunning natural wonders of Washington! But not to worry, you can still marvel at these rainbow fields through Roozengarde’s Facebook page,  videos, online photography tours, and even a photography contest! Be sure to check out the #colorsforcourage campaign from TulipTown.com, which offers the community an opportunity to donate bouquets to local hospitals, nursing homes, and front-line workers.

Photo courtesy of the author.

Upcoming Author Events for February

Check out these upcoming events with Livewire’s hosts Hameister and Burbank, open mic readings at the Columbia and Ballard Branches, Phillip H. Hoffman, Director of the Alki History Project, discusses the story of the Town of Alki at the Southwest Library, and Ginger Gaffney discusses their memoir.

The free programs listed below are held at a variety of library locations in February; please check our online Author and Books Events calendar for complete details on these featured events and more.

Writers Read
Sunday, February 9 at 2 p.m.
Columbia Branch
Join us for a monthly reading series featuring an open mic and selected author readings from local writers. Local writers will read from their diverse repertoires of poetry, short stories, novels and essays. The event will end with a Q&A session, followed by an open mic session.

Courtenay Hameister and Luke Burbank talk about ‘Okay Fine Whatever’
Wednesday, February 12 at 7 p.m.
Central Library
Join us to hear Livewire’s hosts Hameister and Burbank talk about Okay Fine Whatever, Hameister’s hilarious account of facing her fears. Refreshing, relatable, and pee-your-pants funny, Okay Fine Whatever is Courtenay’s hold-nothing-back account of her adventures on the front lines of Mere Human Woman vs. Fear, reminding us that even the tiniest amount of bravery is still bravery, and that no matter who you are, it’s possible to fight complacency and become bold, or at least bold-ish, a little at a time.

Thrilling Tales for the Holidays

Now that Hallowe’en is past, we approach the holidays with visions of murder dancing in our heads. We’re talking about the next few months of Thrilling Tales – Seattle Public Library’s popular Story time for Grownups, of course!

It all starts this Sunday: November 17, 7 p.m. with a Storytime for Grownups at Third Place Books, Seward Park of the story Plan 19, by Jack Ritchie
Fred and Hector have cooked up eighteen separate plans for their big prison break, but it takes Big Duke to add that one missing ingredient. This time, they can’t fail!

Monday November 18, noon: Dances With Ghosts, by Joseph Bruchac. Harley Bigbear is haunted enough, without the angry ghosts of white men banging on his trailer door. Gritty Indian Country noir by this prize-winning Indigenous author.