COVID-19 Rapid Testing Kits Available at Libraries

Starting this week, The Seattle Public Library will begin distributing a limited supply of COVID-19 rapid testing kits at all 27 of our locations. Public Health — Seattle & King County is providing these free self-tests to the community to make it easier for those most impacted by COVID-19 to test when they need to and help prevent spread.

Patrons can pick up a BinaxNOW rapid testing kit, take it home, and get results within 15-20 minutes.

Reduced Hours at Most Library Locations Starting Friday, Jan. 21.

Starting Friday, Jan. 21, open hours will be temporarily reduced at most locations of The Seattle Public Library due to staffing shortages related to the current surge of COVID-19 cases in our community. We are making these temporary reductions to provide more consistent and reliable operating hours for Library patrons.

Starting Friday, Jan. 21, Library locations will operate on the schedule listed below. Book drops will remain open on days that locations are scheduled to be closed. This temporary schedule was created based on factors such as geographic spread, neighborhood usage, and staffing availability in the region.

Please visit and bookmark spl.org/today, which we update daily with information about unexpected closures and schedule changes.

• Ballard Branch, 5614 22nd Ave. N.W.
  • 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Saturday
  • 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday
  • Noon to 5 p.m. Sunday
• Beacon Hill Branch, 2821 Beacon Ave. S.
  • 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday
  • Noon to 8 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday
  • Noon to 5 p.m. Sunday
• Broadview Branch, 12755 Greenwood Ave. N.
  • 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Saturday
  • 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday
  • Noon to 5 p.m. Sunday.
• Capitol Hill Branch, 425 Harvard Ave. E.
  • 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday
  • Noon to 8 p.m. Wednesday
  • Closed Friday and Sunday
• Central Library, 1000 Fourth Ave.
  • 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Saturday
  • 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday
  • Noon to 6 p.m. Sunday
• Columbia Branch, 4721 Rainier Ave. S.
  • Noon to 8 p.m. Monday and Wednesday
  • 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday
  • Noon to 5 p.m. Sunday
  • Closed Friday
• Delridge Branch, 5423 Delridge Way S.W.
  • 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday and Tuesday
  • 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday
  • Noon to 5 p.m. Sunday
  • Closed Friday and Saturday
• Douglass-Truth Branch, 2300 E. Yesler Way
  • 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday
  • Noon to 8 p.m. Thursday
  • Noon to 5 p.m. Sunday
  • Closed Saturday.
• Fremont Branch, 731 N. 35th St.
  • 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday
  • 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday
  • Noon to 5 p.m. Sunday
  • Closed Tuesday, Friday and Saturday
• Green Lake Branch, 7364 E. Green Lake Dr. N.
  • 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday
  • 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday
  • Closed Tuesday, Friday and Sunday
• Greenwood Branch, 8016 Greenwood Ave. N.
  • Noon to 8 p.m. Monday and Tuesday
  • 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday
  • Noon to 5 p.m. Sunday
  • Closed Saturday
• High Point Branch, 3411 S.W. Raymond St.
  • 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday and Tuesday
  • 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday
  • Noon to 5 p.m. Sunday
• International District/Chinatown Branch, 713 Eighth Ave. S.
  • 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday and Tuesday
  • 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday
  • Closed Saturday and Sunday
• Lake City Branch, 12501 28th Ave. N.E.
  • 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Saturday
  • 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday
  • Closed Sunday
• Madrona-Sally Goldmark Branch, 1134 33rd Ave.
  • 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday
  • 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday
  • Noon to 5 p.m. Sunday
  • Closed Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday
• Magnolia Branch, 2801 34th Ave. W.
  • 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday and Tuesday
  • 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday
  • Noon to 5 p.m. Sunday
  • Closed Wednesday, Friday and Saturday
• Montlake Branch, 2401 24th Ave. E.
  • 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday
  • 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday and Saturday
  • Closed Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday
• NewHolly Branch, 7058 32nd Ave. S.
  • 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday and Tuesday
  • 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday
  • Closed Friday, Saturday and Sunday
• Northeast Branch, 6801 35th Ave. N.E.
  • 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday
  • Noon to 8 p.m. Thursday
  • Noon to 5 p.m. Sunday
  • Closed Saturday
• Northgate Branch, 10548 Fifth Ave. N.E.
  • 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday and Friday
  • Noon to 8 p.m. Wednesday
  • Noon to 5 p.m. Sunday
  • Closed Monday, Thursday and Saturday
• Queen Anne Branch, 400 W. Garfield St.
  • 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday and Tuesday
  • 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday and Saturday
  • Closed Thursday, Friday and Sunday
• Rainier Beach Branch, 9125 Rainier Ave. S.
  • 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Saturday
  • Noon to 8 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday
  • Noon to 5 p.m. Sunday
• South Park Branch, 8604 Eighth Ave. S.
  • 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday and Tuesday
  • 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday
  • Closed Sunday
• Southwest Branch, 9010 35th Ave. S.W.
  • 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Saturday
  • Noon to 8 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday
  • Noon to 5 p.m. Sunday
• University Branch, 5009 Roosevelt Way N.E.
  • 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday and Tuesday
  • 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday and Saturday
  • Closed Wednesday, Friday and Sunday
• Wallingford Branch, 1501 N. 45th St.
  • 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday
  • 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday and Saturday
  • Closed Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday
• West Seattle Branch, 2306 42nd Ave. S.W.
  • 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and Saturday
  • Noon to 8 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday
  • Noon to 5 p.m. Sunday
  • Closed Friday

 COVID precautions

The Library continues to take many precautions to protect our patrons, staff and the community from the spread of COVID-19. We are a fully vaccinated workforce, and we require masks for everyone in our libraries, regardless of vaccination status.

We provide high-quality masks free of charge to patrons and visitors at all locations and provide a variety of masks, shields and other protective equipment to staff. We also require that staff maintain six feet of distance from patrons and each other in public areas and have increased the ventilation in our buildings, using higher-rated air filters in comparison to our pre-pandemic operations.

Finally, any Library patron can request Curbside service on an individual basis for pickup of their holds: Just call your branch’s phone number – found on signs at your branch or on our Hours & Locations page on spl.org – to let staff know you have arrived and need assistance with your holds pickup. We can bring your items to your vehicle or another nearby location.

Thank you for doing your part to protect others in your community.

More Information

If you have questions or comments, please let us know through our Ask Us service by phone at 206-386-4636 or by email or chat on our Ask Us page.

Pregnancy During Pandemic

The pandemic was a very odd time to be pregnant. All the ideas I had about community and gathering and connection was very different, but also in a way I didn’t have to share this time with anyone besides just my husband and I. I had a small bubble I could reach out to, I could share what I wanted to share, and read what I wanted to read without that added pressure of what peoples idea of this time is supposed to be. If there are silver linings to this – that would be it.

Here are a few books that spoke to me:

Before

Motherhood So White: A Memoir of Race, Gender, and Parenting in America by Nefertiti Austin

The thing about being a mother is that it’s different for everyone and hearing stories outside my world view was something I sought before I found out I was pregnant. Especially in a country that views parenthood from a white lens. Nefertiti finds her way to motherhood by adopting a Black child and faces the stereotypes of single Black motherhood, of the foster care system, and raising a child in this America.

Toolkit for Tough Times: A Sheltering Place

Happy Starts at Home.  These days, it can take a bit of doing to get to happy! For some it is, exactly, how to work with My Small Space and others, My Bedroom is an Office and Other Interior Design Dilemmas.  See what I mean?

It takes work to get to that Clutter-Free Home and to do so you might need to employ a Clutter Remedy. Everyone cannot Be Bold and bodacious enough to just Keep This, Toss That at the drop of a hat.

Help is closer than you think. If you’ve been wondering How to Make a House a Home or want to create a Beautifully Organized, Cozy Minimalist Home with Holistic Spaces, stay tuned. Even if you are renting and on a tight budget, there are options at hand.  You can Rescue, Restore, Redecorate and cozy up your place in fabulous Rental Style.

Ideas for making your space fit your needs without breaking the bank are possible. For starters, some neat ideas can be found in Affordable Interior Design.

From Small Space Living to Shared Living, from a house roomy with rooms to a rooming house, apartment, cottage or shed, every configuration of housing has a singular purpose, shelter. Every person needs a space to shelter in this world. For some, it is far more serious than simply decorating. Too many people are in the need of shelter, of finding shelter, right now.

Three on a Theme: Pandemic Philosophy

As we progress into what seems like the umpteenth month of this pandemic, the long-term effects of what it feels like to be isolated from loved ones, constantly exposed to news reports about death and infection rates are starting to feel quite exhausting. Even though some lockdown measures are slowly thawing (have you tried curbside holds pickup yet?), we are still far from returning to the way things were pre-pandemic. Here are some philosophical texts that deal with some of the psychological, political, and social struggles of being in a pandemic for the long haul.