Books for Teachers
Since 2009, the Friends of The Seattle Public Library have been honored to receive annual grants from the Renee B. Fisher Foundation and the Ballard Elks to provide classroom books for teachers in high-need (Title I) Seattle public schools. Since then, we’ve helped put more than 130,000 books into the classrooms and hands of our youngest readers. If you’d like to support this program, please consider purchasing a book (or 10!) off our Target gift registry and our Books for Teachers list on Bookshop.org.
If you’re a teacher at a Title I school who would like to participate in this program, please write booksforteachers@friendsofspl.
Special thank you to Pegasus Book Exchange in West Seattle for donating to Books for Teachers!
Owl Totes for kids’ first library cards
With special funding from a generous gift, the Friends of The Seattle Public Library present Owl Totes for young children receiving their first library card! The program is for children six and under. Upon signing up for their first card at any Seattle Public Library branch, children receive a book bag with a special owl design celebrating this milestone. The bags are specifically chosen to fit picture books and accommodate the smaller stature of our young patrons.
In 2024 3,900 owl totes were distributed!
Freeway Park
Visit the Freeway Park Book Carts to purchase new and used books year round from the Friends. Books are sold for between two and four dollars. Visit the Freeway Park Association’s website to learn more.
Community book giveaways
The Friends work with branch librarians to identify local groups and organizations who benefit from having books available to their communities.
Please contact us at [email protected] if you work with a nonprofit in need of books!
In 2024 the Friends gave away a record 33,066 books to a wide range of recipients, organizations, and event-goers:
Seattle Public Library Social Work Team
Ages in Stages Childcare
AIDNW (Advocates for Immigrants in Detention Northwest)
Art teachers!
Ballard Senior Center
Burien Library Guild
Columbia City Farmers Market
Friends of the Redmond Library
Goodwill of King County
Japanese Cultural & Community Center of Washington
KIND (Kids In Need of Defense)
Maple Valley Library Guild
PATH with Art
Pride Festival–Capitol Hill
Rainier Valley Food Bank
Seattle/King County Clinic
Seattle Jewish Community School
Seattle Public Library Book Bingo prizes
Seattle ReCreative
Seattle Arts and Lectures
Urban Rest Stop
University District Food Bank
VA Hospital–Beacon Hill
Virginia Mason Hospital
Westside Baby
White Center Library Guild
Little Free Library book drops
We deliver used books to Free Little Libraries across Seattle. If you’ve got a Little Free Library and you’re a lucky host to one of these books, be sure to share it with our hashtag #friendsoftheseattlepubliclibrary!