Burien Library

History of the Burien Library

Facts & History

Burien's 1st library opened its doors in 1938 at SW 9th and 152nd SW, with its books coming from community donations. The fee was 25 cents per person per year and entitled the cardholder to take out two books and two magazines at a time. The librarian, paid by the WPA, varnished a desk, made draperies, and brought wood from her home each day to build and keep the fire going.

In 1943, the library moved into the caretaker's cottage at the Burien Playfield. The following year, Burien Library became a branch of the King County Library System. Margrette Lemon, for whom the multi-purpose room is named, became the head librarian in 1946 and remained in charge for over 20 years. Running out of room, the library moved to the corner of 4th Avenue SW and SW 153rd Street in May 1956 with 20,000 books, then to its current site (14700 6th SW) in Feb. 1970.

The Burien Library was enlarged and remodeled in 1992-93 and re-opened in May 1993 with an additional 5,000 square feet, for a total of 20,000 sq. ft. The library now houses over 100,000 books plus video cassettes, compact discs, documents, and more. We offer a wide range of informational, educational and recreational resources for users of all ages.

Burien Library opened in its new location at 400 SW 152nd St. on Saturday June 13th, 2009.

The City of Burien and the King County Library System formed a partnership to plan and build the new three story library and city hall building.

In 2004 voters approved funding of the $18 million library as part of the $172 million library capital bond measure. The library occupies 32,000 square feet on two floors. Burien City Hall is located on the third floor. Library features include expanded collections of books, music, movies, and computers as well as enhanced spaces for children and teens. A dedicated story time room for children is located on the first floor in the children’s area and a cyber-bar for computer connection can be found in the teen area on the second floor. Public meeting spaces, including a quiet study area, 4 small study rooms, and a conference room for smaller meetings are also located on the second floor. The large multipurpose room on the first floor is shared by the City of Burien and the Burien Library and is used for library programs and public meetings as well as City Council meetings.

The building was designed with the goal of qualifying for LEEDS certification, demonstrating that it is a sustainably-operated ‘green’ building. Natural daylight, efficient heating and ventilation systems, low-flow faucets and ‘green’ paint, carpeting, and other building materials were used throughout the building. Learn more about the sustainable features of the new Burien Library.

The State Legislature provided State funding for the public garage adjacent to the Library/City Hall.

Architects – Ruffcorn, Mott, Hinthorne, and Stine designed the building-
Landscape Architects –GGLO

Tours of the Library are available upon request

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Last Updated: July 14, 2009

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