FOLLOWUP: Here’s when West Seattle (Admiral) Library’s three-month closure to install air conditioning will start

(Photo from spl.org)

1:03 PM: Back in March, we reported that the West Seattle (Admiral) Library was preparing for a three-month closure this year to install long-awaited air conditioning. The start date has just been announced, in a message to local library users:

The Seattle Public Library’s West Seattle Branch (2306 42nd Ave. SW) will be closed from Sunday, August 9 until early November 2026 for the installation of a modern, electric HVAC system to provide air conditioning and improved ventilation, prevent unscheduled branch closures during hot weather, and significantly reduce carbon emissions.

Service Impacts
Saturday, August 8 will be the last day of service at the West Seattle Branch before its temporary closure. The branch book return will be locked and its parking lot will be inaccessible for the duration of the project.

The historic 116-year-old library is one of five SPL branches installing new HVAC systems with a federal grant that we noted two years ago.

ADDED 3:07 PM: Some added information from the news release just sent by SPL:

Patrons may continue selecting the Fremont and West Seattle branches as pickup locations for new holds through Wednesday, July 29. On Thursday, July 30, these locations will be temporarily removed as options for new holds. You will be able to select them again when the branches reopen. You may change your preferred pickup location for new holds anytime through your online account.

On Friday, July 31, all pending Fremont Branch holds will be transferred to the Ballard Branch, and all pending West Seattle Branch holds will be transferred to the High Point Branch.

If you have holds pending for either the Fremont Branch or West Seattle Branch and prefer they be transferred to a different branch for pickup, please ask a Library staff member for assistance, call the Library at 206-386-4636, or reach out online through Ask Us.

HawkFan12 July 9, 2026 (1:28 pm)

3 months seems like a very long time…

Rhonda July 9, 2026 (2:03 pm)

That Carnegie building has no duct work so it has to have a major retrofit.
- Rob July 9, 2026 (5:39 pm)
  
  It will be nice . I’m sure it will be all exposed spiral pipe duct work. If done right it will look great. An im sure it will done by members of local 66 sheetmetal workers union.
North Admiral Cyclist July 9, 2026 (5:00 pm)

The building is 116 years old. Three months is not so long. As many of us know that have remodeled a hundred year old house or building, there can be numerous issues to overcome. From encountering materials not meeting modern safety standards (eg lead paint, asbestos etc.) to the need to upgrade electrical and plumbing used by HVAC systems. I’m just glad to see them making the improvements. Being a Carnegie library it stands tall reminding us of the contrast in civic and community contribution between industrial giants of yesteryear and today’s soon to be forgotten billionaires.
- Neighbor July 10, 2026 (5:15 am)
  
  I guess the Gates foundation is (was?) a good modern example of philanthropy? The Carnegie libraries are nice but it still would have been better if such wealth had never been accumulated in private hands. Many Carnegie Libraries were a curse to their communities. Like the Microsoft computer labs of the 1990s. The maintenance costs gutted the locality authorities. I’m thankful we have the ability to maintain a historic structure in our city but I find much more inspiration in the New Deal structures and projects like Camp Long, Alki Beach, Lincoln Park, and many others in the area. Those are programs that exemplify our potential as a society. Not the vanity projects of the ultra wealthy which came with burdensome maintenance costs.
- Frog July 10, 2026 (8:27 am)
  
  Today’s billionaires tend to spend give their fortunes to NGOs with a political or social change agenda, or endow specialized institutes with their name attached, rather than fund boring, neutral infrastructure for the masses.
WS sunce '54 July 10, 2026 (10:30 am)

Just a thought . . . installing a retro-fit HVAC System is not like getting a mini-split installed at home

Scarlett July 9, 2026 (3:56 pm)

I like warmer temps and I hope the air conditioning doesn’t go on and turn the place into a cold morgue every time it gets above the horrible, just horrible 75 degrees.

Daddio July 9, 2026 (5:18 pm)

On many summer days that branch is like an oven and the workers really suffer. They have to spend hours there and can’t leave where patrons can go somewhere cooler anytime they want. This is long overdue (pun intended).
Rob July 9, 2026 (5:44 pm)

The new ac system will do more then just cool the library. It also works to dehumidifi. Which I’m sure is important to all the books. This is often done for preservation an also prevent chances of mold.
- Scarlett July 9, 2026 (8:47 pm)
  
  True, though actually opening a book does wonders for its condition, too.
  - K July 10, 2026 (8:49 am)
    
    Until they add a line to the Library Levy for paying people to open all the books that haven’t been checked out each day, they’re going to have to rely on environmental humidity control. 😉
    - Scarlett July 10, 2026 (11:38 am)
      
      I was going to add hiring a “book fluffer” to my previous comment, but I thought that was a bridge too far. I do have to chuckle when Seattleites talk of humidity, though, after spending a summer in Atlanta many years ago. It was literally like moving through hot sticky toffee. Great for the sinuses, though.
Just wondering July 9, 2026 (8:20 pm)

Above 75 degrees is too warm, the webbing between our toes will start to crack!!!

Lafayette Neighbor July 9, 2026 (7:34 pm)

Thank goodness!

Jay July 9, 2026 (8:54 pm)

I wish they could fund more hours. It’s a shame that the library is open so little these days. it used to open until 8pm every night. This is where I studied for my degree after work every day and in weekends. Now there are no third places replacing it.

Kyle July 10, 2026 (2:48 pm)

The last library levy promised more hours, but they failed to hit the targets they promised. They did improve hours some though. This time they just didn’t include any specific new hour goals in the more than double levy renewal you’ll get to vote on soon.

Sorry, comment time is over.