Explore the Long and Interesting History of Seattle Public Library
One of the most remarkable buildings in the city of Seattle is the Seattle Public Library. It is a historically rich public library system that was established in 1890. There is a building and 26 branches across the city of Seattle. There are special systems for the disabled members including a Braille Library and a talking book system.
It was in the late 1860s that a handful of residents in Seattle planned to start a library. However, the venture was not much successful even after nearly 20 years. It was then that the Ladies' Library Association started to refocus on the various aspects of the library to assure effective running of the system, including fund raising and effective networking. This is a reason why the influence of women's group is clearly seen in the various library operations.
The library started off as a reading room and had a collection of over 6,000 books. However, the library building caught fire in early 1900s, thereby slashing all its precious collections. A few years later, the library received a grant of $200,000 to build a new infrastructure that was used for renovation, buying books and expansion. Although it was hit by The Great Depression, it survived the test of time and grew into one of the best library systems in Washington.
In the late 1980s, the library received a $2.3 million grant and expanded its system. Currently, the library has over 700 staff members. It has an extensive collection of books, CDs, video tapes, periodicals and other rare collections. The library is fully computerized and has recently moved to an RFID system, which encourages self-browsing.
