South End Life: It's National Library Week; Time to Check Out South End Branches

It's National Library Week, a celebration of libraries and library workers that runs from April 19 to 25. The campaign was started by the American Library Association and the National Book Committee in 1958, in response to studies showing that people were engaging less with books and resorting to other forms of technology, like radio and television. Today, libraries embrace contemporary technology. Last year, The Seattle Public Library (SPL) had 7.2 million digital checkouts, which placed it in the Top 10 library systems for digital book activity.

At a time when some books are being taken out of school libraries, and other libraries are being threatened with closure, free access to books, periodicals, and programming helps the community stay informed and keep connected. In 2025, SPL clocked 3.4 million visits to its libraries. And earlier this month, the Seattle City Council passed a $480 million library levy; voters will consider an Aug. 4 ballot measure to approve the proposed levy. 

Here are some of the people in The Seattle Public Library or the King County Library System, and the South End branches where they work.

Beacon Hill Branch

Aaliyah Davis, a teen services librarian who worked in nonprofits and archival work before arriving at SPL, says they've been impacted by working at the library. 

"In a city like Seattle, where we have so much wealth and we also see neighbors who are not doing well at all, we can get jaded and lose our capacity for empathy. We have some patrons that we see all the time. We see them when they're doing well. We see them when they're not doing well. When we don't see some of our regulars for a while, I ask about them, how they're doing, where they've been. I ask them that so they know they're seen and not forgotten. The library has made me feel more human, more connected to other people."

Davis' book recommendation: The Seep by Chana Porter

Beacon Hill Branch programming includes:

• CoLab, a program run by Denkyem, in which a community-development financial institution and a business librarian help small businesses update their business plans, access market research, and meet with other entrepreneurs. 

• Conversation Circle, which increases confidence in speaking English. Circles are based on themes like idioms, terms for cellphone use, and other practical topics. 

• Story time in Spanish, Arabic, and Mandarin languages. 

• An e-sports program where coaches work skills, like team building and conflict resolution, into competitive gaming for teens, with video games like Valorant and League of Legends.

Columbia Branch

Amy Tooley is a teen services librarian who's been working at the Columbia Branch for five years. Tooley, who also lives in Southeast Seattle, says the branch partners with Reading with Rover (RWR), a nonprofit that offers certified therapy dogs for people to read to. She described it as an opportunity for kids to read aloud to a non-judgmental audience.

Tooley recounts hearing from a parent about the value of having the program at the library.

"The mom shared that they'd lost their dog that summer, and their child was sad about losing their pet. The Reading with Rover program allowed them to be with a sweet dog and fill that hole in their heart for a little while. It's not something you'd associate with a library usually. I love that we were able to be that place for that young person at that time."

Tooley says there are other services that a lot of people aren't familiar with, like a document scanner that's free to use. Patrons scanned nearly a half-million pages last year. 

Tooley's book recommendation: The Broken Earth Trilogy by N.K. Jemisin

Columbia Branch programming includes:

• Teen cohorts who create and run a library program. A teen group will host an escape room for other teens at the branch on April 24. More information will be at the branch.

• Homework help for K-12 students on Tuesdays. 

• Early literacy programs with families, in partnership with the Denise Louie Education Center.

International District / Chinatown Branch

Muhammad Appodolo is the temporary operations manager at the International District / Chinatown Branch. That means he coordinates staff schedules and materials for the branch's programs. Appodolo, who grew up in and lives in Rainier Beach, says he wanted to switch to a job where he could stay behind the scenes and also serve the community. 

"A regular patron was at the front desk asking if we had resources about pneumonia. He said he was sick, had shortness of breath, and had labored breathing. We said we're not medical professionals, but we urged him to get it checked out. I saw him a few days later and checked in on him. It turned out he had a type of pneumonia and got medication. It was important that he asked. He expressed how thankful he was for the library and for the staff who helped him. We build connections with people. We care about the community we serve."

International District / Chinatown Branch programming includes:

• Coffee and Conversation Circles, an opportunity for the community to gather, enjoy refreshments, and chat.

• Family crafting afternoons.

• Toddler storytime in Mandarin.

• Partnerships with organizations to provide information and resources.

NewHolly Branch

Daria Cal is a library supervisor at the NewHolly Branch. She manages the collections and schedules and works partnerships inside the NewHolly Campus of Learners building. Cal, who grew up in Beacon Hill, has been a librarian for more than 35 years, 25 of which have been spent working at South End libraries. 

Cal says libraries were important when she was growing up. "I was a prolific reader during high school, and I was a Judy Blume fan. One of Blume's books, Wifey, was about a housewife who considers her life choices as she explores her sexuality and what it means to be fulfilled. My school library didn't have it," said Cal. "I heard about the public library, but I didn't think they would let me check out an adult book. I went to the Rainier Beach library, and they had it. I checked it out. That resonated with me: that the library is a place where anyone could get a book they wanted." 

NewHolly Branch programming includes:

• East African Community Services English-language classes.

• Play and Learn in Somali.

• Seattle Parks and Recreation's Game-On role-playing program.

• LEGO Club.

• Somali Family Safety Task Force's digital literacy class.

• Seattle Housing Authority's career-readiness program.

Rainier Beach Branch

Alicia Garcia is the teen services librarian at the Rainier Beach Branch. Garcia says a good chunk of the branch's efforts are in getting people access to computers and printing services. Last year, SPL patrons spent 400,000 hours at library computers and printed more than 2 million pages. You can print 10 black-and-white pages or three color pages a week for free. (Other free services include computer use and Wi-Fi.)

Garcia described how the people at a library formerly supported her. "The library offered mentorship and a safe space for me. When I volunteered at a library as a teen, the majority of the staff were queer and BIPOC. When I was coming out, they supported and encouraged me. One of my friends had a difficult time with her family when she came out, so they gave her resources to find a safe place to live. For me, the library is a community space. It can be about saving lives." 

Garcia's book recommendations: Night Circus by Aaron Morgenstern and Naruto by Masashi Kishimoto

Rainier Beach Branch programming includes:

• Homework help on Mondays and Wednesdays. 

• Adult tutoring.

• Regular teen cohorts where participants choose a topic to research and create a display in the branch. 

• Free legal help for renters through Tacomaprobono.

• Assistance navigating medical insurance through International Community Health Services. 

• Toddler storytime.

• Kaleidoscope Play & Learn through the Denise Louie Education Center.

South Park Branch

Emely Perez is a teen and adult services librarian at South Park. A current resident of South King County, Perez spent four years during high school working in the Kitsap Regional Library system. The librarians there encouraged her to pursue a career in library sciences. 

Perez admits she wasn't an avid reader when she was younger. "What propelled me into reading in college was the book Caramelo by Sandra Cisnero. It was the first book with a character I could relate to, since my family's from Mexico, and I grew up speaking Spanish at home."

South Park Branch programming includes:

• The annual Dia de los Niños/Dia de los Libros will be celebrated on April 28. This year's celebration will highlight Indigenous languages from Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean. 

• Resources offered during school lunch breaks at neighborhood middle and high schools. 

• Information and books at SoDo's Recovery Café. 

• Homework help.

King County Library System, White Center Library

Destinee Sutton, children's librarian in the King County Library System's White Center Library, lives in the neighborhood. She loves seeing children grow up as they visit the library. "I've known some kids since they were a baby, because they have older siblings. I see how they change. I get to know the kids through the books they're interested in. I see them [go from] liking silly books to wanting math riddles later."

Sutton said, "There are a lot of offerings at a library that people may not know about. You can get The New York Times, including all of their games, for free with your library card. If you're shopping for something, you can read the Consumer Reports, a trustworthy source, before you buy."

Sutton knows what's popular in the White Center Library's children's section: Dog Man by Dav Pilkey, Captain Underpants series by Dav Pilkey, Who Would Win? by Jerry Pallotta, BThe Baby-Sitters Club series by Ann M. Martin, and the Pokémon series by Julia March

The King County Library System White Center Library programming includes:

• Three weekly in-person story times.

• One weekly story time online.

• Reading Buddies programs.

• Online book clubs and kids' English conversation programs.

• Tutoring.

• LEGO Club.

• A soon-to-come Pokémon club.

• A celebration is coming up for the branch's 10th anniversary on May 16, featuring a ukulele jam facilitated by Patrick Choy of Patrick's Café & Bakery in White Center. The neighborhood cafe will also cater the event with musubi and cookies.

Got an idea for a South End story you'd like to see us cover? Let me know: Yuko.Kodama@SeattleEmerald.org.