Friendly staff and FREE with free will donations. Great selection of exhibits and interesting art…read moreinstallations from past and current art students, as well as from teaching staff members. We had fun checking out the various art forms and the gift shop is pretty nice too.

Frankly I have never been into art as much until I visited BIMA. It changed my perspective on art…read moreand made me realize what I have been missing all these years. The art gallery is small but don't let that fool you. The staff and the docents took the time to explain their collection. It felt more like a guided tour and made all the difference. Their permanent exhibits feature many local artists like Aisha Harrison. While I don't have photos to post except a couple (Seattle during the pandemic), I would love for you to visit and experience it in person. There is no entrance fee though donations are encouraged. There is a bistro and a gift shop. On select days they have an outdoor market and a live band. What's not to like!!!

Quite and well made library. The perfect place you relax and work on school or job projects.read more

What a gem this library is!…read more Spacious, large and well-maintained, this establishment is very friendly and inviting. We arrived for story time but were a few minutes early and had the opportunity to peruse, participate in summer reading programs and talk to the staff, who were all very helpful. The story time was well-organized and easy to join for the first time. :) The children were engaged and the children's librarian offered helpful lessons on the alphabet and counting games/songs which reinforce what many children are learning either at preschool or at home.

We go to this library every week for Baby Story Time. Kathleen and Marcia are absolutely amazing…read more They are SO good with the kids and babies, and make it so fun. The best part is that they have a little play session afterwards. The kids love it so much and it's such a great group. The librarians all know my kiddos name, they remember us each week, they help suggest books and even get on the floor and play with her during the playtime. It's truly really wonderful and we love it so much.

Always nice staff plus huge building/selection of materials for loan = 5 stars in the making…read morealready. Add the large parking area, beautiful surroundings, good location, and neat layout/architecture of the space and I'm definitely sold. Another library I miss being close to!!!

Gorgeous, harry potter-like library! It reminded me of the library at the University of Chicago…read more The windows and lighting are beautiful.

If you are a book lover and are visiting Seattle, you have to stop by this library at the…read moreUniversity of Washington. This is free and open to the public and I swear it is giving Harry Potter vibes. The architecture in this library is so amazing. I can imagine being a student and doing all my studies in this amazing location. Im almost shocked they have it open to the public. It also has the world's largest book on display which is a sight to see! Dont hesitate, I will remember how beautiful it is forever!

There's so much to do at the library. From story time to craft days and teen days. We shouldn't…read morediscourage teens from enjoying the library. They have a safe place to hang out instead of running around out in the streets. Maybe once in a while they grab a book and that's great for the youth. The library is organized. The librarians are very helpful and nice. There are cute activities for the kids to do daily, from reading, coloring, playing with the felt, blocks, and hiding out in the tree house nook. There is a used book store inside that I'm dying to check out but always forget because they open on Mondays. There's computers to use on site and you can print papers if needed. There is a small playground outside to take the kids too. Please get a library card, it's never too late to read and never too late to encourage the youth to do the same!

Not loving the new library. The old one was small but had a lot of good books to choose from. The…read morenew library has way too many teens/kids just hanging out. They're not reading. Literally occupying seats talking with someone else/messing around. The kids nook area for younger kids/preteens has too many computers and too many adults sitting at tables back there without young kids. Would be nice to have a real library not a hang out place for 12 to 18 yr olds. They need a much bigger selection of books. They also need way more copies. Everything is always checked out.

I am so glad this is my neighborhood library. It's the library Goldilocks would want - not too big,…read morenot too small. There is a good selection of materials for all ages, ample computer access, plus a dedicated space for children. The art deco design makes the library stand out and I hope it will never get renovated! This is a library for people who just wish to visit an actual library. Too many public libraries want to embrace fads and trends that distract from the fundamental mission (i.e. supporting access to ideas and entertainment). It is so refreshing to visit a library that emphasizes the basics.

Such a great resource for a parent with young children. Check out the stem games they have at the…read moreresource desk.

Incredibly deigned library by Architect Rem Koolhaas. When I lived here I remember coming here and…read morethinking the interior and exterior were amazing so I made it a point to bring my family here to show them how cool it was. The funny thing is we came to explore the space and I don't think a single one of us opened a single book. You park in the underground parking and you can go up multiple stories and explore. The first floor has the most traffic and it is where a lot of homeless people will use the bathrooms. There is a small store and cafe here right at the entrance. The kids loved riding up and down the neon green elevators, something I remember myself when coming here 14 years ago. There is also an interesting floor that is all glossy red. Its a dream for photography and lighting as well! I would definitely come visit if you are into that and architecture.

This being my third or fourth time here, the architecture and interior design of this library still…read morenever fail to impress me. It's one of Seattle's landmark buildings, and a place that's on the must-see list for visitors if you're a fan of unique design. This relatively new building was constructed in 2004, funded in part by a $196.4 million bond approved by Seattle constituents in November 1998, and in part with a $20 million donation from the Gates Foundation. The location replaces the two consecutive libraries that stood in the same location, the Carnegie Library which stood for about 50 years, and the Bindon and Wright Library which stood for 41 years. The design was conceived by the Dutch firm Office for Metropolitan Architecture in conjunction with Seattle firm LMN Architects (Loschky, Marquardt and Nesholm), and involved creating space to house 1.5 million books, which was 600K more than its predecessor, while simultaneously aiming to dispel the stereotype of libraries being stuffy and closed off. I think they succeeded! The exterior almost appears to covered in a web of steel mesh, with over ten thousand custom-sized glass windows; the inside floors look like floating open layers inside the building, Entering the building from Fourth Avenue into the main lobby, this is the 3rd floor of the building with a gift shop, small cafe, books on hold, an auditorium, and spacious reading rooms. Up a floor to the "red floor," the 4th floor uses thirteen shades of red paint and includes meeting rooms, computer labs and more public meeting spaces. The Books Spiral is a seminal format for shelving of books according to the Dewey Decimal system without breaking up the order over different levels; it progresses at a two degree sloped incline spread over the 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th stories. Other facilities include music practice rooms, genealogy collection, map rom, and a couple small gallery rooms for temporary exhibits. The 10th floor is highest level and also offers views of the surrounding blocks and over the reading/meeting rooms below. The biggest gripe most people have is probably the parking, which is exorbitantly expensive even coming from NYC. There's a structure under the library, though at $7-8 an hour it's not cheap.

My friend and I were on Bainbridge Island for a few hours and happened upon this bookstore. I love…read moreto read and usually carry my kindle for every day convenience but I also love to hold a book and turn the pages. This bookstore was inviting and well laid out. We arrived too close to their closing time for me to wander around the way I would have liked to, but I did walk out of there with 2 new books! The staff was friendly and even helped us find a nearby ice cream shop that was still open.

Eagle Harbor Book Company feels like the kind of place that would show up in a rom com or cozy…read moremystery. A sweet, attractive independent bookstore on a beautiful island, where you might meet a handsome stranger, a dastardly murderer, or even a handsome stranger who turns out to be a dastardly murderer. I spent a few hours on Bainbridge Island during a family trip to Seattle, and we enjoyed a leisurely browse at this bookstore. It was well stocked with books of every genre, as well as a strong selection of gifts and toys. My Seattle friend told me Eagle Harbor had carried my book, at least when it first came out, so I forgave them for no longer having it on the shelves six years later. I was very happy to see my friends Kara Loo and Jennifer Young's novel in the romance section. It's their first book, and I think it's a good sign that the store stocks new releases by debut writers. I really just love a good bookstore, and being in Eagle Harbor Book Company made me happy, even as my children demanded I buy them every colorful thing that entered their field of vision. I'd be a regular if I lived on the island. I could rent a space next door and start solving crimes.

I love this library branch. My family discovered it over 20 years ago when we first moved into the…read morearea. It's a far smaller branch than what I was used to back in California but it had more than enough books sate my constant reading hunger. I always need to be reading a book and frequently I've got the next 2-3 books to read lined up after I finish reading the current one. The branch manager supported my then school age daughter's reading habit which was far more voracious than mine. I think back then you couldn't check out more than 3-5 books at one time. However, that limit was relaxed for my daughter who could check out 7-10 books and finish reading them within a week. She did this for years until she insisted on growing up and moving away to finish college and start her teaching career. At this branch read my fill of Louis L'Amour, was introduced to the likes of Elmore Leonard and Elmer Kelton, T.H. White, Amor Towles, and many others, books of different subject matter. I've been able to check out many movies on DVD which saved me TONS of money in rental fees. It's a great little branch in a beautiful location in town. I don't spend much time there anymore except to pickup or return books and DVDs I placed holds on online. But this branch is representative of how great the Kitsap Regional Library system is. It's one of the reasons I enjoy living here.

I mainly came to get a library card for printing services. $10 a month of printing for free with…read morethe card versus buying a printer. This library is great! Lots of computers, a huge children's section plus cd's dvd's and a seed catalog!

Seattle U's new library opened last September 2010 and it is fantastic!…read more Six, yes SIX, floors of state of the art computer labs, study (group and private) rooms, a cafe, conference rooms, and also an outdoor seating area. You just have to walk through it to fully appreciate the design and layout of it all. Aside from the aesthetics, it also offers a few services for research, math, tutoring, and writing. There's just too many things details to list in a review, so visit the website!