Open House Offers Peek at Goldmark Library's Interior Design

Take a peek at the design for the interior renovation of The Seattle Public Library's Madrona-Sally Goldmark Branch during an open house from 4 to 7 p.m. Nov. 14 at the branch, 1134 33rd Ave.
Justine Kim, library project manager and designers from Heliotrope Architects will explain the design. Library patrons can stop by any time during the open house to view the design and ask questions.
The project will include new seating, upgraded technology services and equipment, better electrical, communication and computer connections, a more efficient interior layout, improved ventilation, a modern mechanical system and an upgraded book collection.
The branch will emphasize materials for children, popular fiction, DVDs and space for holds and pick-ups. The renovations are scheduled to be completed in 2007.
The 1,707-square-foot branch opened in a converted firehouse in 1973 and is heavily used by residents and schoolchildren. The building was upgraded in 1986 at a cost of $84,854, but problems remain with its layout, program and work areas and electrical ventilation systems.
The overall project budget is $392,213, which includes the library board-approved addition in June 2006 of $124,100 to pay for additional construction costs.
The renovation is part of the $196.4 million "Libraries for All" bond measure, approved by voters in 1998. The bond money, which can be used only for library construction, is financing new and improved branches, in addition to the Central Library.
To date, the projects completed include the new Central Library and the Ballard, Beacon Hill, Capitol Hill, Columbia, Delridge, Douglass-Truth, Fremont, Green Lake, Greenwood, High Point, International/Chinatown, Lake City, Montlake, NewHolly, North East, Northgate, Rainier Beach, South Park, Wallingford and West Seattle branches. Several other branches are in the planning, design or construction stage.
The Seattle Public Library Foundation continues to raise funds from private sources to enhance the public bond commitment and keep pace with the demands of patrons for a high level of library service. Every dollar raised will go to improve facilities, collections and programs that would not be possible through its tax-based support alone.
For more information, visit the library's Web site at www.spl.org.