In 2004, the Columbia Branch was expanded to twice its original size. The new portion of the building extends from the back of the original structure, maintaining the building’s original street presence.
The renovated Columbia Branch serves the neighborhood’s multicultural community with materials in Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese, Somali, Oromo, Amharic, Tigrinya, and Tagalog, as well as many materials designed to help people learning English as a second language.
Large fan windows flood the high-ceilinged rooms with plenty of light.
Getting to Columbia City
Columbia City is easy to get via Sound Transit Light Rail. Interestingly, in 1937 the original streetcar line in Columbia City was taken out of service. The community celebrated the removal of the rails with a three-day festival.
The Historic Walking Tour Map is a great resource for exploring the 37 different historic sites and buildings that make up Columbia City.
Other Blog Postings on Libraries
Here’s a list of other Redmond Library blog postings on libraries:
The Black Diamond: A Library Connecting with the Past |
The Suzzallo Library: A Case Study of Collegiate Gothic Architecture |
2 comments:
Interesting. I wasn't aware that there was a Carnegie Library in Seattle. I always thought that was more of an East Coast thing.
Thanks, Brian. In 1911, the philanthropist Andrew Carnegie gave $70,000 to Seattle to build two free libraries. Half went to build the branch on Queen Anne Hill and half went to Columbia City. For more info see:
Columbia Branch, The Seattle Public Library
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