At a special meeting this afternoon, the Seattle City Council will vote on whether to forward a seven-year city property tax to voters that would raise over $122 million to bolster the ailing budget of the Seattle Public Library, beef up its book collections, expand anemic operating hours, and provide maintenance for the city's 26 neighborhood branches.

If forwarded and approved by voters on the August ballot, the levy could raise $17 million in 2013 alone. Among other things, the funds would be used to increase library collections by 14 percent, e-book content by 45 percent, and restore 6,551 library hours annually, mostly by eliminating the current week-long closure and adding Sunday hours to all branches.

"We're not only going to prevent cuts in the future, we're going to reverse cuts in the past," Mayor Mike McGinn explained at a presser held this morning at the Seattle Public Library.

The levy, which would impose an annual 15-cent tax for every $1,000 of assessed property (or $15 for a $100,000 home), would also allow branches to replace and upgrade their computers, printers, and other technology equipment used by patrons, and cover maintenance costs.

"The integrity of the library collection depends on steady funding, so that people who aren't born yet can find articles from our era," Seattle author Kathrine Beck said during this morning's presser.

"Libraries are the hearts of our communities," added council member Richard Conlin, who's office has been instrumental in shaping the levy.

In 2011, the Seattle Public Library reported 6.7 million visitors across all its branches. Nevertheless, its capital budget has been cut by 50 percent since 2009, with more cuts currently projected for 2013.