Everyone should be aware that the Seattle Public Library system will be closed from March 21 through March 27 due to city budget cuts. Even the online catalog will not be available during this week. Then on March 29 a wall will be built on the 3rd floor of the temporary central library to block off the reference books, including genealogy. Staff will still be there on the 3rd floor during April at the outer desk. This blocking wall is in preparation for the move to the new central library building at 4th and Spring. The new building will open on May 23. Thus genealogists will not have access to the SPL genealogy collection for 2 months. Fortunately there are other library research facilities in Seattle, including Suzzallo-Allen at the University of Washington, Seattle Genealogical Society, and Fiske Library. Suzzallo probably has as much material of genealogical value as SPL and is much stronger in some areas, such as European. Suzzallo is not organized for the benefit of genealogists, however. It is best to use the online catalog at home <http://catalog.lib.washington.edu/search/> and have your call numbers in hand when you walk in the door. Don't expect any staff help. Hours for Suzzallo-Allen are at <http://lib.washington.edu/about/hours/>. --Ida Skarson McCormick, idamc@seanet.com, Seattle (a longtime user)