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Donate with honor, not to a sham charity             

Donate with honor, not to a sham charity             

Would you donate to a charity called Help the Vets? The appeal says your donation will help wounded and disabled military veterans. What about in response to a robocall that asks you to donate your car to Veterans of America? Sounds like a charity, right? Unfortunately, donations to Help the Vets weren’t spent helping disabled and wounded veterans. Very little was spent helping veterans in any way. And, allegedly, Veterans of America wasn’t a charity at all – it was…

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How libraries serve veterans

How libraries serve veterans

On May 2, the Washington State Library sponsored a First Tuesday webinar titled “Thousands Eligible with Millions Unclaimed.” First Tuesday presentations are funded by the Institute for Museum and Library Services through the Library Services and Technology Act.    Presenters from veteran service organizations WestCare Foundation, WAServes, and the Washington State Department of Veteran Affairs described the array of social services and benefits available to veterans. Each of the speakers is an expert in coordinating services to veterans and their families….

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Winners of World War II writing contest announced

Winners of World War II writing contest announced

Four Washington students have been named state champions in an essay and letter-writing contest marking the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II. The competition, sponsored by the Office of Secretary of State’s Legacy Washington program, asked students in grades 8 through 11 to either write a letter to a veteran (living or deceased) or an essay describing what the war means to them. This year’s winners (and the names of their letters/essays) are: 8th grade: Remi Frederick…

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Wilderness, by Lance Weller

Wilderness, by Lance Weller

Wilderness: A Novel. By Lance Weller. (New York: Bloomsbury, 2012. 293pp.) Recommendation by PNW & Special Collections April 9, 1865 was the day that General Robert E. Lee surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia at the McLean House in the village of Appomattox Court House. This is often cited as the official date of the end of the Civil War between the Confederate and Union States, but when Brigadier General Stand Watie of the Trans-Mississippi Department surrendered his Confederate Indian battalion, a mix of Creek, Seminole, Cherokee, and…

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WTBBL reaches out to veterans

WTBBL reaches out to veterans

(Photo courtesy of Washington Talking Book & Braille Library) The Washington Talking Book & Braille Library in Seattle is nationally renowned for its outstanding services to any Washington resident unable to read standard print material  due to blindness, visual impairment, deaf-blindness, physical disability or reading disability. One of WTBBL’s key patron groups has been veterans. In fact, the library currently serves about 2,700 vets throughout the state. With Veterans Day coming soon, WTBBL is reaching out to even more veterans…

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Vietnam veterans honored at Capitol

Vietnam veterans honored at Capitol

Rep. John McCoy addresses a gathering of veterans at the Vietnam War Memorial on the Capitol Campus. (Photo courtesy of Benjamin Helle) On the 40th anniversary of the U.S. ending its involvement in the Vietnam War, about 100 Vietnam War veterans, several legislators and others gathered  at the Vietnam War Memorial on the Capitol Campus Friday morning after Gov. Inslee signed into law a bill honoring Vietnam veterans. House Bill 1319, unanimously passed by the House and Senate earlier this…

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Digital transition begins at WTBBL

Digital transition begins at WTBBL

The Washington Talking Book & Braille Library (WTBBL) started the transition from 4-track cassettes and cassette players to digital talking books and digital talking book machines last week. This long awaited transition is one of the biggest things to happen in library services for the blind, visually impaired, physically disabled, and learning disabled communities in over 35 years. The new technology includes a higher quality, smaller and more portable player and, best of all, an entire book (or multiple books)…

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