release date: 07/27/2021
The Seattle Public Library announced that the Fremont Branch (731 N. 35th St.) will reopen on Wednesday, Aug. 4. Today, July 27, is the 100th anniversary of the opening of the historic branch, the final Carnegie library to be built in Seattle. The Fremont Branch will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
With this reopening, 23 of the Library’s 27 locations will be open for patrons to browse collections and check out books, use a computer or Wi-Fi, charge devices, ask for assistance or simply sit and read.
The Library also announced that beginning Sunday, Aug. 1, the Queen Anne Branch will add Sundays to its current schedule. It will be open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Sundays from noon to 6 p.m.
The Queen Anne Branch is the first of the Library’s reopened branches to expand its operating schedule. The limited schedules of some reopened branches are due to staffing shortages related to citywide budget cuts during the pandemic. With restored funding from the Seattle Rescue Plan, the Library is now hiring additional staff; hours and days of operation will be restored at reopened Library branches as increased staffing levels permit.
A complete list of Library operating hours is provided below.
All reopened locations are open at 100% capacity and do not require physical distancing, which has made it possible to reintroduce additional computer stations and seating. All Library patrons and staff are required to wear masks regardless of vaccination status.
Meeting rooms, study rooms and in-person programs are not yet available for public use at reopened Library locations.
COMPLETE LIST OF REOPENED LOCATIONS AND HOURS
Reopened libraries will operate on the following schedule. Newly reopened libraries and recent schedule changes are listed in bold. Visit the Library’s Hours and Locations page (www.spl.org/Hours) for a complete list of locations and services currently available, and visit our Shelter page (www.spl.org/Shelter) for a list of libraries with air conditioning (also noted in the list below with the abbreviation A/C).
Libraries without air conditioning do sometimes close due to high temperatures; find updated status alerts on the Library’s website at www.spl.org.
ABOUT THE FREMONT BRANCH
The two-level Fremont Branch opened on July 27, 1921. It is a Mission Revival-style building designed by Daniel R. Huntington and funded by Andrew Carnegie as well as money raised by Fremont residents and the local Business Men’s Club. The branch is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and has been named a landmark building by Seattle's Landmarks Preservation Board. In 2005, a renovation of the branch was completed as part of the Libraries for All building program.
MORE INFORMATION
Check spl.org/hours for a complete list of hours and services at each branch. The Library’s Road to Reopening page shares the latest updates on our reopening process. Contact the Library’s Ask Us service by phone at 206-386-4636 or by email or chat at spl.org/Ask. Staff are ready to answer questions and direct you to helpful resources and information.