Food & Drink

How Seattle Libraries Are Helping the Homeless

A new Seattle library service connects the homeless with resources.

By Ambreen Ali June 25, 2017

seattle-central-library

This article originally appeared in the July 2017 issue of Seattle magazine.

It’s not surprising that people who live on the street or in temporary shelters are frequent visitors to the library. Over the past few years, the Central Library has been seeing more of these patrons, who come in with questions like “Where can I stay tonight?” That’s why today, there’s a social service provider on site at the Central Library.

Hallie Cranos has been serving as that community resource specialist since March 2016. Ninety-five percent of the questions she’s asked have to do with employment and housing. She’s asked where to get clothes or if there is a place to store belongings. As a result of her work, patrons who are homeless or in temporary housing say they feel more welcome at the library.

Cranos’ position is funded by a two-year grant from the Seattle Public Library Foundation. The program’s success makes it likely that proponents will advocate for it to be renewed, but its continuity remains uncertain.

It’s just one example of how Seattle libraries are reinventing themselves and staying relevant in the digital age.

 

Follow Us

Seattle: Again The Place To Be

Seattle: Again The Place To Be

Seattle nears pre-pandemic visitor levels in impressive turnaround

Visit Seattle released preliminary figures for 2023 at its annual meeting Wednesday, and found that the region hosted 37.8 million visitors last year, an 8.9% increase from 2022. That’s just 10% less than in 2019, the last full year before the pandemic.

Foot Traffic Rises Again in Downtown Seattle

Foot Traffic Rises Again in Downtown Seattle

Downtown Seattle Association: Slow recovery continues

Nearly 1.9 million visitors came downtown last month. Downtown averaged 85,000 daily workers, a 16% increase from February 2023. That, however, is only 57% compared to the same period in 2020, right before the pandemic.

Cream of the Chop: Top Chef Kaleena Bliss

Cream of the Chop: Top Chef Kaleena Bliss

Washington native competes on popular Bravo cooking competition

Seattleites will spot a familiar face on the latest season of Top Chef, set in Wisconsin this year. Chef Kaleena Bliss competes for the coveted title on the longstanding cooking competition franchise, now in its 21st year.

Washington’s Woeful Gender-Pay Gap

Washington’s Woeful Gender-Pay Gap

Women across the state earn significantly less than men

Women across the state made $18,4000 less in average wages than men in 2022. New research from the National Partnership for Women and Families found that only Utah has a larger discrepancy, at $20,649.