Salmon Bay Park (2001 NW Canoe Place) will host its first community book exchange on Saturday, July 18, inviting neighbors to swap books and meet fellow readers.
According to event organizer and Salmon Bay Park Stewards volunteer Marc J. Sachnoff, the idea for the book exchange came after another volunteer saw a similar event at a park in Santa Monica, California.
“Seems everyone around here loves books and has way too many of them,” he said. “It’s a simple, easy, and fun way for neighbors to connect and get rid of some extra books while finding new reads.”
The exchange is designed to be simple and informal. Participants are encouraged to bring unwanted books along with a blanket to display them on. Neighbors are then free to browse one another’s collections and take home books that interest them, creating an opportunity to swap stories, discover new reads, and connect with fellow book lovers.
Salmon Bay Park Stewards is a neighborhood volunteer group that formed before the pandemic to support the park through community events and stewardship efforts. The group partners with Groundswell NW, which provides financial and legal support, and the volunteers also work with Seattle Parks and Recreation, Seattle Department of Transportation, and the Seattle Police Department on park events.
The Salmon Bay Park Stewards have previously organized two Holiday in the Park celebrations and recently hosted their first Fourth of July neighborhood picnic.
Sachnoff said several volunteers have stepped into leadership roles as the group’s founders have become busier with family and other commitments.
Salmon Bay Park has seen renewed attention in recent years. In 2025, Seattle Parks and Recreation completed a major renovation of the park’s playground, adding new nature-themed play structures, improved ADA accessibility, accessible picnic tables and benches, and other upgrades while preserving the park’s popular zip line. The design was selected through a community input process.
The book exchange is open to the public and will take place on Saturday, July 18, from 2 – 4 p.m.
Photo: Salmon Bay Park, by SBP Stewards