Magnolia library branch reopens, the last in Seattle's Libraries for All project

Under the faint smell of sawdust, librarians at the Magnolia branch of the Seattle Public Library walked through aisles earlier this week, sorting books on shelves yet to be finished, readying the library for its opening.

A hallway leads to a whole new wing of the building, complete with a study room and a high-ceilinged meeting room that opens to a back garden.

Now that $4.4 million in renovations, which closed the Magnolia branch for the past year, are finished, the public will get its first look at all the changes today when the doors are finally thrown open.

The event also represents a much larger milestone:

After 10 years, 14 renovations, nine building replacements, four new branches and nearly $280 million, the city's Libraries for All project will be complete.

The Libraries for All project began as a $196.4 million bond approved by voters in 1998 to overhaul the city's public libraries. The Seattle Public Library Foundation also pledged $83 million to the initiative. When it was approved, it was the nation's largest library-construction project.

The centerpiece of the project, of course, was the $165.5 million steel-and-glass downtown library. But improving neighborhood libraries and adding four new branches were also essential.

"They're really like gems in the neighborhood," said Bob Hageman, manager of the Magnolia and Queen Anne branches. "They're shined up and they're a contribution to the best of the neighborhood."

But as library officials close the book on this project, they say the future remains uncertain: Budget woes mean there's some worry whether there will be enough money to keep the expanded libraries running at levels the public has come to expect.

Big changes

Magnolia's renovations are typical of the changes that have come to Seattle's neighborhood libraries: more space, more books and more computers.

The 44-year-old building, a block from West Magnolia Park, grew by about 1,400 square feet, with the additions of the meeting and study room. The library had eight more computers, bringing its total to19, and added 6,000 new books, DVDs and CDs.

The building additions were made in keeping with the intent of the original architect, Paul Hayden Kirk, with large windows and low shelves for clear lines of sight. Some artwork will be added, most notably a 6-foot steel tree branch suspended from the ceiling in the meeting room.

Attendance at other branch reopenings has numbered in the thousands, so the librarians were confident today's event will be crowded.

"It's amazing the number of people," said library spokeswoman Caroline Ullmann. "It's like they come out of the middle of nowhere and just fill up the branch."

Using community input

Officials are quick to say the Libraries for All initiative has been an overwhelming success. Last year, for example, in-person visits to all the city's libraries increased by 200,000 to 6.6 million.

Changes at each branch have been made with community input influencing everything from architectural design to the focus of the services.

The Madrona branch, for instance, focuses on books for children and teens because of the large number of young families in the neighborhood.

The Libraries for All project brought four new branches to the city: Delridge, International District, Northgate and South Park. It replaced nine libraries, including the Central Library downtown.

In the High Point neighborhood, where a branch was replaced with a new building, Danger Kayutak, 38, said she visits at least twice a week because she doesn't have a computer at home. She lives just four blocks away, and moved there in part because of the proximity.

"I use libraries all the time, and I think libraries are a fantastic use of public money," Kayutak said. "I think it's certainly better than renovating KeyArena — hands down."

New challenges

But even as construction draws to a close, some financial questions remain.

Chiefly, it will be challenging to make sure libraries get enough money to maintain their hours and circulation, said City Councilmember Nick Licata.

"With the downturning economy, we're in a belt-tightening mode," he said.

Branch hours were expanded in 2006 after the city restored funding that had been cut in 2001.

It's too early to speculate on the funding levels in the next budget, said Councilmember Tim Burgess. But he was optimistic "we can maintain the same level of service."

But maintaining adequate staffing at the branches as use increases remains a difficulty, said Valerie Garrett-Turner, manager of the Madrona-Sally Goldmark and Douglass-Truth branches.

At the same time, those challenges are brought on because the libraries are successful and patrons expect great service, she added.

"There's nothing worse than to have a city where its residents do not appreciate the library [and] do not have knowledge of what a library can do for them," Garrett-Turner said.

"We in Seattle are very fortunate that we are in the exact opposite camp."

Sean Rose: 206-464-2292 or srose@seattletimes.com