Branching Out

Our Favorite Libraries In and Around Seattle

Books, get your books here.

03/20/2025 By Seattle Met Staff

Book Time

When in Doubt, Trust a Peak Pick

The cult classic library program has won over Seattle readers. Who is making the selections?

02/20/2025 By Taylor McKenzie Gerlach

Know Your Place

Renton Is Home to a Secret Architectural Marvel

This midcentury library is literally a bridge over the Cedar River.

11/20/2024 By Meg van Huygen

Book Lust

Nancy Pearl Shares Her Favorite Seattle Spots

Our superstar librarian dishes on the joy of the Lake City Fred Meyer, the evolution of the Burke-Gilman Trail, and her favorite place to read.

10/25/2023 By Eric Nusbaum

Third Place Nooks

What’s Up with All of Seattle’s Little Free Libraries?

The community boxes have spawned creative counterparts, from mini art galleries to an auto trading garage. But they’re more than just sidewalk ornaments.

08/01/2023 By Taylor McKenzie Gerlach

Bookkeeper

Bill Gates Shares His Holiday Book List for 2022

And a literary scavenger hunt awaits.

11/21/2022 By Angela Cabotaje

Parental Controls

What Banned Books Week, 40 Years After Its Founding, Means for Seattle Readers

Our liberal bubble doesn’t shield us from a rising tide of book bans nationwide, nor should it foreclose critical engagement with controversial titles.

09/23/2022 By Sophie Grossman

Explainer

The Seattle Public Library Has a Long, Illustrious History

(Practically) everything you’ve ever wanted to know about our bookish institution—including the levy on your ballot.

07/23/2019 By Jaime Archer

One-Sentence Stories

Sweet Sun, Global Ichiro Fandom, and Busmageddon

Your weekly dose of city news in short.

03/22/2019 By Haley Gray

Guide to the San Juans

What to Do on Shaw Island—Also Known as the Holy Island

The nuns who live on this quiet San Juan island have been busy farming their bucolic acres, and there's camping right on a sandy beach. And if you can't find something at this island's only store, you probably don't want it anyway.

08/01/2014 By Allison Williams

Morning Fizz

Morning Fizz: The Latest Battlefield

Caffeinated News & Gossip featuring library funding, hockey, and employment.

07/07/2014 By Morning Fizz

Article

Books Over Troubled Waters

Since 1966, Renton’s main library has stood over the Cedar River. But when the city threatened to close it, Renton’s residents mounted a civic uprising that involved Tim Eyman, threats of a lawsuit, and the start of two political careers.

11/01/2013 By Matthew Halverson