Skip to content

King County and Seattle Public Library Systems Have a Netflix-Style Online Streaming Service (And It’s Free!)

New offerings from two local library systems go beyond books

By Danielle Hayden August 13, 2018

1-istock_0

This article originally appeared in the August 2018 issue of Seattle magazine.

This article appears in print in the August 2018 issue. Click here to subscribe.

The King County Library System is taking its encyclopedic book knowledge to the airwaves with King County Reads, its new TV program (King County TV Channel 22/322/722; streams at kcls.org).

Hosted by University Book Store public relations guru Terry Tazioli (a former Seattle Times editor and host of public affairs network TVW shows Author’s Hour and Well Read), each monthly half-hour episode explores the events, programs and services available at the library’s many branches. It also features author interviews and other reading-related entertainment available to all residents of King County.

Another viewing experience comes courtesy of both the Seattle Public Library (SPL) and King County Library systems with their online video-streaming service Kanopy (spl.kanopy.com and kcls.kanopy.com), available to any library cardholder.

After creating an account, viewers can access more than 30,000 films in a dozen categories, including Sundance selections and Academy Award winners. There’s a limit of five titles per month and three days to watch each selection once you press play, so don’t expect a Netflix-level binge.

But with commercial-free, free-of-charge videos, the service is worth—as they say at the library—checking out.

Follow Us

Barnes & Noble Is Coming Back to Downtown Seattle

Barnes & Noble Is Coming Back to Downtown Seattle

The bookseller will open a new flagship at 520 Pike, marking the largest retail lease in downtown Seattle since 2020.

Barnes & Noble is returning to downtown Seattle for the first time since early 2020. The national bookseller has signed a 10-year lease for a new flagship at 520 Pike Street, a 29-story tower, taking over 17,538 square feet on the corner of Pike and 6th Avenue. The store is expected to open in the…

Le Petit Chef Makes a Big Splash in Seattle 

Le Petit Chef Makes a Big Splash in Seattle 

The immersive, whimsical dining experience debuts at the Kimpton Palladian Hotel.

At a recent dinner, I sat across from a friend, smiling as a tiny orange-and-black butterfly landed on my empty plate. Just inches away, a small figure in chef whites and red boots strolled out of a greenhouse with a rake perched over his shoulder. He then proceeded to work a patch of dirt, plant…

A Citywide Toast to Sockeye

A Citywide Toast to Sockeye

40 Seattle-area restaurants are teaming up for the fourth annual Bristol Bay Salmon Week.

Seattle’s fishing culture is something to be proud of. Drive over the Ballard Bridge on any given day and you’ll see the fleet docked below. The weathered, working boats stacked with gear, waiting for their next trip north, are striking, aren’t they? It’s hard, dangerous work, and there’s something so compelling and fierce about the…

Restaurant Roundup: Halal Bagels and Mario Party

Restaurant Roundup: Halal Bagels and Mario Party

Here’s what was served up recently in the Emerald City.

OK, we’ll say it—we love Seattle Restaurant Week, but it also gives us a little bit of anxiety and a lot of FOMO. There are just so many choices. Hundreds of restaurants, food carts, cafes, and bars can be a tad overwhelming, but 10? That’s a much more manageable number. Thankfully, Secret Seattle put together…