Is Seattle Public library Free? Library Card & Museum Pass
Is Seattle Public Library free? The vast majority of individuals who live, work, or attend school in King County are eligible for a free Library card, which gives them immediate access to a variety of Library services and publications.
What is Is Seattle public library?
The Seattle Central Library is the main branch of the Seattle Public Library. On May 23, 2004, the public was allowed to enter the 11-story (185 feet or 56.9 meters high) glass and steel structure in downtown Seattle, Washington.
It is the third big Library building to be built on the same location, 1000 Fourth Avenue, which is surrounded by Fourth and Fifth Avenues, as well as Madison and Spring Streets.
The building was ranked #108 on the American Institute of Architects’ list of the top 150 buildings in the United States in 2007. It was one of two Seattle constructions listed on the list of 150, the other being T-Mobile Park.
Seattle Library card requirements
You may apply for a Library card online, and we will check your address to ensure that you are eligible for a free card. You may use your Library card immediately when it has been validated. You do not need to pick up a physical card, but if you do, bring a piece of ID from this list to any open branch.
Valid Identification
Identification must be current. Acceptable forms of identification include:
- Driver’s license from the state of Washington
- Washington State Identification Card (issued by Department of Licensing
- Out-of-state driver’s license or state identification
- Driver’s license from another country
- Passport from the United States or a foreign country
- Green Card/Permanent Resident Card
- Employee identification card or badge
- Military or Merchant Marine Identification
- Signature credit or debit card
- ID card for school
- Card for voter registration
- Certificate of Birth (original or certified copy)
- Registration of vehicles
- Membership card for an organization with pre-printed name and picture or signature
- Bus ticket (with photo)
- ID for an emergency or communal shelter
Other forms of identification that are not on this list will be accepted if they are provided by a government agency, school, institution, or company and include a pre-printed name and picture or a pre-printed name and signature.
Parents and legal guardians of children under the age of 13 may apply online for a card for their children. If you want a tangible card for your kid, you may get one from any open branch.
Proof of Address
If your current address is not on your ID, you must provide proof of it. Documents that may be used to verify a person’s residential address include:
- A driver’s license or a state identification card
- Paycheck
- Receipt
- The utility bill
- Recent mail
- Cashier’s check
- Card for Voter Registration
- Registration of vehicles
- Lease or rental contract
If you are presently homeless, Library personnel can help you with address verification methods.
Evidence of Employment, Student Status, or Taxpayer Status
You may receive a free Seattle Public Library card if you are not a Seattle resident but work, attend to school, or own property in one of our free service zones. To get your Library card, please provide evidence of employment, student enrollment, or taxable status.
Examples of employment documents (must contain applicant’s name and employer’s name and address):
- Company Card
- Identification of Employees
- Payroll stub
- Employer letter on company letterhead
Documentation of current school enrolment examples:
- Valid school identification card
- Receipt for current tuition
- Documentation from the school on official letterhead proving the student’s enrollment
- Registrar’s Class List
Documentation of taxpayer status examples:
- Statement of current property taxes
Is Seattle public library free?
Yes, it free if you may receive a free Seattle Public Library card if you is free for anyone who lives, works, owns property or goes to school in the Library’s service in one of our free service zones.
Free things to do through the library without a card
- Visit a new Library location: Learn about the collections, unique art, and features of our 27 separate sites across the city. Each provides free Wi-Fi, a unique collection, services such as printing and copying, sitting and working places, children’s areas, and more.
- Participate in the Library’s citywide reading initiative, Seattle Reads.
- Your Next 5 Books provides individualized book suggestions.
- With a lesson plan from Your Next Talent, you may learn a new language, hobby, or skill.
- Find Your Next Job with one-on-one assistance from a librarian in nine languages in resume writing, job skills, and more.
- Participate in a virtual story time with your kid or a virtual event just for you.
- The Library is also resuming in-person author events; look for forthcoming events at spl.org/calendar.
- Using Library podcasts, you may listen to an author reading, an exciting story, or a seminar.
- Fill out the form below to submit your pandemic tale to the COVID-19 Community Collection.
- Request a free one-on-one video meeting to receive free assistance with your small company.
- Microsoft Imagine Academy can help you become an Excel spreadsheet expert.
- Learn about Seattle’s culture by browsing the Seattle Culture & Local History online collections, which include photography, art, and more.
- Discover local artists: The Library collaborates with local artists on initiatives such as Summer of Learning on a regular basis. Jorge Villavicencio’s painting honoring the amazing discoveries that await you at the Library is now featured in our Year of Wonder campaign.
- Ask anything: If you need assistance with any of these resources or services, or if you have any other queries, our staff can assist you in a variety of languages. Simply dial 206-386-4636 or use Ask Us, the Library’s email and chat service. You may also seek assistance at your local Seattle Public Library branch.
Things to do for free with your Seattle Public Library card
- Seattleducation offers free, individualized one-on-one virtual instruction in English, Vietnamese, and Spanish.
- You can read The New York Times online for free and search their entire historical record.
- NovelList provides novel recommendations.
- Explore the Library catalog using the Lists feature, where you may find Staff Picks, Bestsellers, and more.
- With Northstar’s Digital Literacy classes, you may learn anything from Word to Excel to PowerPoint.
- Borrow a Kill-A-Watt gadget, which will tell you what is using all of your home’s electricity.
- Allow your children to read along with virtual novels using TumbleBooks.
- BookFlix provides animated tales and interactive activities in both Spanish and English.
- Instead of Netflix and Disney Plus, try Kanopy, Hoopla, and Access Video to watch movies and TV programs.
- From the Museum of Flight and the Seattle Aquarium to the Museum of History and Industry and the Seattle Art Museum, reserve a free museum pass via the Library’s revitalized Museum Pass program.
- Borrow a Discover Pass from our Outdoor Recreation resources to visit a Washington State Park for free.
- Discover how to publish your e-book.
- As a K-12 student or an adult, you may get assistance with your coursework.
- Hoopla allows you to stream digital comic books and graphic novels.
- We can assist you with your cover letter and resume. It is not just for students, but also for career hunters!
- Music may be downloaded and streamed for free via sites such as PlayBack and Freegal.
- Mango can help you learn a new language. We have around 70 to select from!
- Participate in citizenship lessons, ESOL programs, or an English Circle.
- O’Reilly Complete Public Library has over 5,000 books to help you learn programming, business skills, and web design.
- On your next visit to a branch, look for a Peak Picks book – bestseller titles with no holds and no waiting.
- Get in shape with easy-to-read health and medical periodicals.
- Consumers’ Checkbook, a directory to Puget Sound services and retailers, may help you save money.
- Consumer Reports may help you research your purchases.
- Investigate your ancestors with our genealogical tools or a video session with a genealogy librarian.
- Look into a Wi-Fi hotspot for use at home or on the move.
- Digital creation lessons will motivate you. Learn to operate a camera or sell your creations on Etsy!
- Dive into exclusive online research for Library users.
- Browse our Exploration Guides on topics of particular interest to students in grades 3–12.
- Use OverDrive’s “Always Available” e-books and e-audiobooks to host book discussion groups.
- Local, national, and worldwide publications and newspapers should be read.
- PressReader provides access to over 7,000 foreign periodicals.
- Access the entire archives of the Seattle Times and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer to stay up to date on local news (and history).
- Get yourself another Library card! SPL patrons may get a card from adjacent library systems via reciprocal use agreements, which lets you to check out books from their catalog as well as access their online services.
- Use the Oxford English Dictionary to look into the origins of terms.
- Before investing, use Morningstar and Value Line to research companies and funds.
- LinkedIn Learning offers online courses to help you learn new business, creative, and professional skills.
- Browse our extensive range of books, e-books, audiobooks, e-audiobooks, and DVDs.
8 surprising perks of SPL card benefits
You are already aware that you can use your library card to borrow books. But did you know that your Seattle Public Library may also provide you with additional benefits? Here are eight underutilized resources available to cardholders:
- Museum admission is free. You may use your library card to reserve a free ticket to one of nine Seattle museums, the zoo, or the aquarium once every 30 days.
- To explore Washington State Parks for free, borrow a Discovery Pass. A park pass may be borrowed for two weeks at a time.
- For up to three weeks, you may use a WiFi hotspot.
- Music may be downloaded or streamed.
- With access to Consumer Reports, you may research items before purchasing them.
- Use virtual consultations to get advise on starting your own company, or use Morningstar and Value Line to examine companies before investing.
- Learn new skills by enrolling in LinkedIn Learning online courses. The O’Reilly Complete Public Library may also help you brush up on programming, web design, and business principles.
- With free access to the Mango app, you can learn a new language.
Feel free to ask questions or leave comments below, and be sure to check out Seattleducation for further information and resources. We are thankful for all of your support and encouragement.
