A year after being rebuilt, the Beacon Hill branch of the Seattle Public Library has yet to lose its brand-new sparkle. A celebration on Saturday, July 9, will commemorate the first anniversary of its new location.
According to branch manager Julie Ann Oiye, new people are visiting the library every day, and regular patrons say they keep finding more to love about the facility.
The new branch, which opened in July 2004, still attracts 26 percent more people than the old branch did before it closed. Along with increasing the amount of books on its shelves, the library doubled its number of computers and tripled the size of its DVD collection when it moved. The added computers and DVDs are "all heavily used," Oiye said.
But patrons say the most significant achievement of the new building is not its expanded collection, but its function as a community center.
The library entrance features a stone plaza with cafe tables that opens into a neighborhood office and a public meeting room. Patrons often sit in the entry alcove to read, eat, or meet friends, while others attend programs in the adjacent chambers. Inside, the library offers quiet study rooms and a language center for ESL students.
"It's amazingly well designed," said Fred Capestany, a Seward Park resident visiting with his wife, Sheila, and their two children. "You've got everything from a community center to a meeting room to a place to sit out here and drink your coffee. It's multi-use."
In particular, the casual seating area near the library entrance has been a big hit among library visitors, said Oiye.
"I know people who say, 'oh, meet me at the library,' now," Oiye said. "It's a place where people can have more conversation."
Damon Wysingly, a life-long Beacon Hill resident, said he likes to sit in the library's entry plaza and read the newspaper during the afternoons.
"It's a more open atmosphere," he said. "People sit down here and they eat their dinner or whatever."
From his table, Wysingly said he sees people of all ages and ethnic groups visiting the library.
"That's real good too," he said.
Meanwhile, the formal meeting space allows the library to host events that it never could before. Programs like author readings, storytelling performances, and city-wide book groups have attracted visitors from all around Seattle.
"I love the kids programs," Lauren Rayment said. "I try to bring my kids to story time whenever I can."
The large-scale programs help encourage people from other parts of the city to discover the library at Beacon Hill, Oiye said.
"To be able to be an active participant in that way was really important to community members when they were expressing their hopes and dreams for the building," Oiye said. "I think the fact that we have a meeting space has changed incredibly how people view the library."
Sheila Capestany said she first came to the Beacon Hill branch for a special program it offered. She said she now returns with her children about once a month.
"Our closest branch is Columbia, but I actually like this one better," said Capestany. "Because we have the small kids, we like the children's center here. It's very inviting and comfortable - a place where they can sit down."
Capestany said she sometimes takes her family to visit the Central Library downtown, but finds it lacks the friendly character of the Beacon Hill branch.
"When its raining and I just want to go someplace nice and warm, this is the library to come to," she said.
Adult Services Librarian Elizabeth Yee said a surprising number of the branch's visitors hail from West Seattle.
"They are still discovering it," she said. "I was really surprised. Invariably, people come in and say, 'This is my first time here.'"
The branch's collection will continue to grow as it settles into its new location, said Oiye. Since it opened, she noted the library has gained more than 3,000 new volumes, and has room for many more.
"We try to represent a wide variety of views and perspectives," Oiye said. "We include those that are recommendations from our users. The library tries to change with the times."
Yee put it a different way.
"You cater to your community," she asserted. "That's what we do here."
The anniversary celebration on July 9 will take place at the branch between noon and 3 p.m. The event will feature Vietnamese lion dancers, a dedication of library artwork and refreshments.
The Beacon Hill Library is located at 2821 Beacon Ave. S. Call 206-684-4711 for library hours and program information or visit www.spl.org.
Melissa Santos may be reached at editor@sdistricjournal.com.[[In-content Ad]]
