(The Center Square) – Tax dollars helped the Seattle Public Library garner more books, e-books and audio books last year, making it one of the largest such collections in the nation.
In August 2019, Seattle voters overwhelmingly approved a seven-year, $219.1 million property tax levy to maintain and enhance Library services from 2020 through 2026. That vote renewed the seven-year levy approved in 2012.
Generated revenue specifically funds collections, children’s programs, technology and online services, and building maintenance.
The levy rate was originally proposed at 12 cents per $1,000 of assessed value, but changes throughout its seven-year span to collect the set amount of $219.1 million. The average Seattle homeowner pays approximately $8 a year toward the levy.
Seattle Chief Librarian Tom Fay provided the Seattle Libraries, Education, and Neighborhoods Committee with an update Thursday on the levy’s impact.
According to Fay, the levy provided $50.3 million, or 36.4%, of the library’s 2024 budget. The city’s general fund provides $87.7 million, or 63.4%, of the total $138.4 million dedicated to the library system.
Over 40% of the levy funds hours of service, nearly 20% funds collections, about 17% goes toward building maintenance, and 9% to 10% goes to technology.
The levy also funds 25% of all staffing positions within the library.
The Seattle Public Library now has one of the largest e-circulation libraries in the world. Since 2019, e-book and audio book checkouts have grown by 160% from 3.4 million in 2019 to 5.4 million in 2024.
Fay has high hopes for the library to continue expanding its digital collection, but notes that would require more money.
“I really want us to have the largest e-book and e-audio collection in the country, if not the world,” Fay said during the committee meeting. “It will require considerable funding.”
The library also added over 168,000 items to its physical collection in 2024. Fay believes the library is “probably close” to being at maximum levels of physical books.
In total, the library’s digital and physical collection now contains 2.9 million items, according to Fay.
Last year, the library was able to reopen its Green Lake branch after a seismic retrofit and remodel to improve building safety. This project was 65% funded by levy funds.
However, maintenance of the library network will continue to be a need through 2045.
“Over the next 20 years, we anticipate somewhere between $100 million to $150 million of basic building maintenance needs to occur,” Fay said.
The estimated cost does not include major improvements such as seismic retrofit projects.
In May 2024, the Seattle Public Library was hit by a cyber attack that impacted its website, Wi-Fi, online catalog and loaning system. It took several months for services to return for users of the library.
Fay reported to the committee that the library has since improved its cybersecurity by moving systems to the cloud, implementing multi-factor authentication, and hiring a new cybersecurity analyst.
Two levy-funded technology initiatives are set to progress more in 2025: a new library app and a replacement of the integrated library system.
The integrated library system helps manage books, checkouts and patron accounts.
“Our current system is outdated by a great number of years and limits what we can do for our patron experience,” Fay said.
The first phase of the new system is expected to be completed around mid-2026.
