26 years later kids open their Shoreline Library Time Capsule

Photo from the 1993 time capsule

By Carl Dinse

In the summer of 1993, the Shoreline Library was in the home stretch of a massive remodel.

1993.

Where's Waldo?

Cell phones the size of large bricks that weighed 5 pounds and only made voice calls.

Grunge music was putting the Seattle area on the map.

Dialup internet was a luxury.

Shoreline wasn't a city so we all just said we lived in Seattle.

And who could forget Pogs?

As part of the celebration for the new library building, a librarian and some parents whose kids were in a summer reading program devised a project to create a time capsule.

The page reads "I hope in 2015 there will be a
chickenpox shot!"
Photo by Steven H. Robinson

A little over a dozen kids from nearby elementary schools participated in the project, filling a large box with various relics from 1993. Some items were personal, whereas other items were commonplace things you could pick up at a local 7-11, or get with a kid's meal at a local fast food restaurant.

It was the intention that in 2015 the Library would have a time capsule opening. But the box was pushed to the back of a shelf and forgotten until someone found it this year and brought it up to a library manager.

Efforts were made to contact all of the "kids" involved, but the list was incomplete, as some names were difficult to read. A Time Capsule opening event was scheduled with invitations sent out to the original "kids" - now in their mid-thirties - plus their friends and family.

Time Capsule opening on February 8, 2020
Photo by Steven H. Robinson

A much larger crowd turned out than expected, with over 30 people in the room, mostly family and a few friends. Six of the original kids who participated in the time capsule were in attendance.

The turnout for the time capsule opening
Photo by Carl Dinse

Drinks and snacks were passed around that were popular in 1993. The six "kids" were invited up to open the box and start going through all the items. It was like a Christmas morning combined with a mini school reunion. Five of the six in attendance went to North City Elementary.

Opening the box
Photo by Steven H. Robinson

Many treasures were found, including photographs taken that summer from around the Shoreline Library, including their temporary location during the remodel.



Here are some other treasures. Ready for a flash back to the early 90's?

Several people gathered around to use their cell phones to capture their names written in the metallic wrapping paper.

Photo by Steven Robinson

Lori and Lisa find childhood photos
Photo by Steven Robinson

I could go on sharing photos of all the various items that were recovered from this time capsule but then this would start turning into a photo gallery instead of a story.

I'll end this story with a photo of three of the women who were proud to be involved in this project.

Chrystine Westphal, Sue Gagnon, Cheryl Shdo
Photo by Steven Robinson