Turns out, it's easier said than done. I've inherited my mother's 'just-in-case' gene. My cluttered loft is testimony to a past life. Children's toys, dog paraphernalia, bits and pieces that just ...

At hidden hubs for the Seattle Public Library and King County Library systems, thousands of books a day begin their journeys across the region.

Called athenaeums, a Greek word meaning "temple of Athena," the concept predates the traditional public library.