I had the great pleasure of visiting America's newest membership library, Folio: The Seattle Athenaeum, on May 11. It's in a beautiful upper-level space smack-dab in the middle of the city's famous Pike Place Market. I wandered around and around taking in all the sights and sounds and smells and finally had to ask at the information booth to be directed to the library. I turned out to be standing right in front of it.

Inside, Folio was as peaceful as its surroundings were exciting. It was founded in 2014 (260 years after the Society Library!) and moved into its current space in 2018. The collection is moderate but growing, serving the reading needs of all sorts of Seattleites:

Speaking solely for myself, I was a little envious of this gloriously sunny event space with a built-in screen and a grand piano (though I wouldn't trade it for our beautiful Members' Room, I promise). Plenty of cozy reading/writing spaces with great views of the city, too.

And here's a thing we New Yorkers can't boast about: where we have a skylight, Folio's (shared) building has a...wait for it...squid. 

And there in a staff office, I spotted a familiar logo - NYSL tote bags really can be seen in all the finest places. Membership library sisterhood is the best.

Many thanks to Folio for a wonderful visit. Visit their website to learn more about them and plan your own visit the next time you're in Seattle.