August 27, 2012 – Seattle, WA – On Monday, there was only one library open in all of Seattle: the People’s Library. Located on the plaza outside of the Douglass-Truth Library in the Central District, the open air library has everything a library should have: books, computers, and even arts and crafts activities for the children. The library, organized by local activists, will be open the entire week while Seattle’s public libraries are in furlough.
Ten days ago, during a dinner among friends, the idea of opening an alternative library during the week of Library furlough came up in conversation. Quickly, the idea caught on and planning began. As word about the idea spread, book donations came pouring in from book shops – like the Couth Buzzard in Greenwood – to donations from neighbors and members of the community. Donations of the bookshelves, made from milk crates and repurposed wine display shelves, soon followed. Computers, WiFi hotspots, and batteries, came in, too. On Sunday, the finishing touch, curating the wealth of donated materials, completed the plan.
On Monday morning, at 10am, the library was open to the public. All the books were in place and the computers were turned on and connected to the internet. Moments later, the community stumbled upon the wonderful surprise and were excited to see an open library in front of their closed library. Children cheerfully browsed the children’s section and adults perused the non-fiction stacks in search of a gem. The computer terminal filled up with people checking their emails, working on resumes, and searching for work on Craigslist. Colorful chalk covered the sidewalks and people were deep in conversation with their neighbors. It was a fully functional library, outside, during the week of Seattle’s Library furlough.
The People’s Library will be open all week, from 10am-8pm daily at the Douglass Truth library, located on the corner of 23rd and Yessler in the Central District. You can find more information on the website, www.duetobudgetcuts.wordpress.com. Donations of books (most importantly Children’s and Young Adult books) are still being accepted onsite. Monatary donations can be made through the website, WePay, https://www.wepay.com/donations/seattle-peoples-library.
