The Greenwood Library, 8016 Greenwood Ave. N., will close temporarily on Monday, Feb. 13, until sometime in April for renovation. The 15,000 square foot library, which was completely rebuilt in 2005, has seen heavy use and needs new carpet and remodeling that will improve public spaces and increase access to technology.
Seattle Public Library is holding an open house from 5-6 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 30, to explain more about the renovations and answer questions. City Librarian Marcellus Turner and other library staff members will be on hand.
The book drop also will close during renovations. As always, patrons can return library materials to any Seattle Public Library branch. When placing a hold on items, patrons can choose another library location for pickup. If patrons don’t select an alternate branch by Feb. 3, the library will automatically redirect holds to the Broadview Library, 12755 Greenwood Ave. N., for patrons whose zip codes are 98177, 98133 and 98125; and to the Ballard Library, 5614 22nd Ave. NW for all other patrons.
The Green Lake Library, 7364 E. Green Lake Dr. N., is normally closed on Fridays but will be open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. beginning Feb. 24 to accommodate Greenwood Library patrons. Some regular Greenwood Library programs will be provided at alternate locations. Check the Library’s calendar of events for a complete schedule.
After 12 years of heavy use, the interior will be improved to make the branch more enjoyable for patrons, who say they want quiet study spaces, areas where they can use a multitude of devices and collaborate with others, and spaces where they can sit with their children to read or use technology. Improvements are designed to make it easier for patrons to interact with one another, create flexible, open, welcoming spaces and improve access to technology.
Specific improvements include upgrading the meeting room, adding a laptop bar in the teen area, combining service desks, increasing seating options, adding electrical outlets to tables, and repositioning the public computers to reduce glare. The worn carpet in the branch also will be replaced.
An indoor-outdoor boulder that comes through an exterior glass wall into the children’s area will be removed due to ongoing moisture problems. The boulder will be moved across the street to a parcel designated to become a community park.
The improvement project will be conducted in two phases because it will take time to fabricate a new exterior glass wall for the area where the boulder was located. Most of the construction work will occur while the branch is closed in February and March. The branch is expected to reopen in April with a temporary exterior wall and briefly close again in May or June for about a week so the custom glass can be installed.
