The Central Library Vertical Map - Seattle Public Library

Tour the Central Library
Start on Level 1 at the Fourth Avenue entrance. The public elevators are located in front of you.
Turn left to see:
1 Faye G. Allen Children’s Center. The fanciful wall sculptures by artist Mandy Greer are based on folk tales.
Turn right to see:
2 Overhead, high-tech book-handling system, which checks in and sorts items. (Under the sound dome, watch the video that
explains the whole system.)
See the maple floor by artist Ann Hamilton, which is made up of 556 lines of reversed raised text in 11 languages found in the
collection.
3 275-seat Microsoft Auditorium for programs and special events.
4 Literacy, ESL and World Languages Department.
Take the bright yellow escalator to The Norcliffe Foundation Living Room on Level 3 and the Fifth Avenue
entrance.
5 FriendShop, a gift shop operated by the Friends of The Seattle Public Library, coffee cart and the top of the auditorium.
Head west across the floor to see:
6 Starbucks Teen Center, including materials and computers reserved for teens only.
On the north side of the floor you will find:
7 Fiction collection, new books/media and staff members who can recommend good books to read.
LEAP (Library Equal Access Program) provides adaptive equipment for people with disabilities.
Take the bright yellow escalator in the middle of the floor up to the Charles Simonyi Mixing Chamber on
Level 5.
8 See artist Tony Oursler’s talking video sculptures inside the escalator wall, which is a comment on the library as a transmitter of
information.
9 The Mixing Chamber is the primary reference service center in the library. Library staff members can answer your questions.
See artist George Legrady’s electronic installation above the reference desk, which shows title, subjects and numbers of materials
checked out one hour earlier.
10 145 computers are available for the public.
Walk west and you will see another bright yellow escalator overhead. Take it to the top to the Betty Jane
Narver Reading Room on Level 10.
11 Levels 6-9, the Books Spiral, an innovative design of gentle ramps that allows the nonfiction collection to be laid out in a
continuous run.
12 As you go up the escalator, you will stop on Level 7, gateway to the Books Spiral where the nonfiction Dewey collection starts.
13 At the top of the escalator, you will see the Reading Room on your left.
14 Go to your right, around the corner and pass the Hugh and Jane Ferguson Seattle Room (local history collection).
15 Next to the elevators is the highest public viewpoint in the building overlooking the Map Room and the Writers’ Room.
From the perch viewpoint overlooking the atrium, around the corner from the elevators, you can see video art by Gary Hill
– slow-moving, computer-generated 3-D images projected onto the white atrium wall.
You can choose to retrace your steps and walk through the Reading Room down the ramp to Levels 9, 8, 7,
6 and take the stairs or elevator to Level 4.
Or, you can take the public elevator to the Meeting Rooms floor on Level 4.
16 The red, circular corridors on Level 4 open into meeting rooms that are painted calm, neutral shades.
From Level 4, walk down the red stairs at the east end of the floor to Level 3 and exit to Fifth Avenue, or
continue down the escalators to Level 1 and the Fourth Avenue exit.
Please return the map to the Welcome Desk on Level 1 or 3 as you exit.
Thank you for visiting the Central Library! For more information, visit our Web site at www.spl.org.

Map and tour route of Central Library
Follow description on back for information on numbered highlights.
Highest
View
Point
11
10
Administration, Human Resources – Monday - Friday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Seattle Room Collection
11
History
Travel
9
9 South
Map Room
Reading Room
Genealogy
10
Arts
Music
Science
Business
Newspapers
Magazines
8
7
6
Elevator
5
4
8 North
8 South
7 North
7 South
6 North
6 South
Public
Computers
Stairs
Music CDs
Fiction
LEAP (ADA)
New Books - DVDs
303 Nonfiction 001
Current magazines
800 Nonfiction 999 Biography
799 Nonfiction 747
304 Nonfiction 746
Stairs
Escalator
Newspapers
Meeting Rooms
Living Room
Bound Magazines
Mixing Chamber
Nonfiction Reference (Ask a librarian)
Escalator
Escalator
Media - Nonfiction
Goverment Documents
Stairs
Finish
Checkout
Stairs
9
8
7
6
5
4
Books Spiral
3
Teen Center
Coffee Cart
FriendShop
3
Fifth Ave.
Entrance
Start
tour
here
Fourth Ave.
Entrance
2
1
P
Checkout
Staff Floor – Materials processing
Children's Center
Start
Escalator
Auditorium
Parking
Literacy
ESL
World Languages
KEY
Restrooms
Drinking
fountain
Library tour route
Please return the map to the Welcome Desk on Level 1 or 3.
Coffee cart
Stairs