Satterberg Foundation

This little library is making a huge difference in many,many people's lives ... "I know that books saved my life; they fired up my imagination and helped me develop the love of words and stories. I will always have libraries to thank for this..." Luis Rodriguez, poet. 

In the spring of 2006, The Seattle Public Library received a $30,000 grant from us to support the construction of the new South Park Branch of The Seattle Public Library. This branch is the 20th project completed under the “Libraries for All” building program. (Our grant helped meet the “public dollars” portion of this funding stream.)

The 5,019-square-foot branch has the capacity to hold 18,700 books and materials. Approximately one-third of the collection is Spanish-language, including bilingual children’s materials, and Spanish-language fiction and non-fiction. The branch has a large children’s area, a distinctive alcove for teens, 13 computers for the public (eight with Internet access), a study room, and parking for 10 vehicles.

The building was designed by Johnston Architects and built by Cope Construction Co. The architects designed the contemporary stucco and cedar-clad building to create a civic presence. A plaza at the corner of Eighth Avenue South and South Cloverdale Street provides a wonderful outdoor gathering place. …The spacious children’s area has been signed as the “Satterberg Foundation Children’s Area.”

The opening in September was a joyous neighborhood celebration attended by more than 5,000 people. On opening day, more than 100 new library cards were issued in the first hour. Patrons praised the architecture and the diversity of the collection. Families were especially grateful for the new branch, a safe place where their children can go to do homework or meet their friends after school. To date, the number of patron visits and the circulation figures are higher than staff anticipated.

Since it’s opening, the South Park Branch has become an integral part of the community. Most of the staff is bilingual which has helped make inroads among the various ethnic communities in the area. The staff also continues to make extra efforts to connect with the many community organizations in the area to produce programming and encourage library use - the South Park Community Center, Concord Elementary School, ECOSS (Environmental Coalition of South Seattle), Centro de Informacion Hispano, Sea-Mar Community Health Clinic, and the Southwest Youth and Family Services.

The branch staff began offering special library programs in January, concentrating on weekly story times for pre-school children, daily homework help tutoring for elementary students, and monthly family literacy nights. Each of these programs have been well attended, largely due to word of mouth referrals and connections within the community. In the coming months, the branch plans to start a book group in conjunction with the community center, offer children’s and teen summer reading events, and expand the branch’s equipment and materials for those who are studying English. Two specific programs sponsored by the Library and held in the South park neighborhood deserve special mention:

·      To recognize National Consumer Protection Week, the Library offered two Spanish-language consumer education workshops in February. Both sessions were very well received by participants who were mainly from the South Park neighborhood. The program was a partnership between the Library, the Washington State Attorney General’s Office, and Centro de Informacion Hispano.

·      In April, The Seattle Public Library Foundation funded a three-day residency by poet and activist Luis Rodriguez. Rodriguez delivered a very moving lecture entitled “Imagining Peace and Community in a Time of Violence and Chaos” to a packed house at the South Park Community Center. He talked about his struggles as a former drug addict and gang member and how caring adults helped him get back on track. Rodriguez was introduced by a group of teen poets from the South Park neighborhood chosen by the South Park young adult librarian.

It is clear that the South Park neighborhood has embraced and is using its new branch. This library is a destination for families, an after-school hangout, a place to study English, a comfortable place for everyone in the community who seeks information and ways to improve their lives. This is evidenced in a recent article that appeared in the Seattle P.I. about the efforts to renew South Park. The reporter interviewed a young boy who talked about the difference the new library has made in his life. He said he now goes to the library nearly every day after school for homework help and to use the computers to research school projects.

            This little library is making a huge difference in many, many people’s lives … “I know that books saved my life; they fired up my imagination and helped me develop the love of words and stories. I will always have libraries to thank for this…” Luis Rodriguez, poet

(from a report to the Satterberg Foundation by the Seattle Public Library - May 2007)