Library News
An ad hoc group has been formed to come up with alternatives to library consolidation. With the King County Library board delaying their decision on consolidating the White Center and Boulevard Park libraries into one library in Burien, the group is discussing what, in a perfect world, the libraries would look like going into the future; whether they should consolidate or not; and whether Boulevard Park needs to stay open or not. (Photo) (Highline Times/Des Moines News/SeaTac News, [Burien] 1.13.12) http://www.highlinetimes.com/2012/01/06/news/city-manager-talks-annexation-library-consolidati

Local taxing districts on the hook for a $1.8 million tax refund to Grays Harbor Energy are starting to consider their options for repayment after the company won an assessment appeal in December. Timberland Regional Library District owes $57,410, but communications manager Jeff Kleingartner said it amounted to a fairly minor budget adjustment that will not affect library patrons or services. (Daily World, [Aberdeen] 1.15.12)

The Silverdale library and where a new, larger branch should be located was the topic of a Central Kitsap Community Council meeting Wednesday, January 18. Kitsap Regional Library representatives hoped the meeting would draw a crowd so they could hear from the public about what it wants to see in one of the library system’s most underserved communities. (The Kitsap Sun, [Bremerton] 1.16.12) http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2012/jan/15/public-invited-to-meeting-about-silverdale/

Kitsap Regional Library users now have access to thousands of genealogy books through a partnership with the Puget Sound Genealogy Society. New this month to the Sylvan Way branch is a genealogy center to house the society’s collection of 2,000 books. (Photo) (The Kitsap Sun, [Bremerton] 1.17.12) http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2012/jan/16/genealogy-center-now-open-at-kitsap-regional/

Quincy Valley residents were invited to enjoy a grand opening event January 19 at the Quincy Library, a part of the North Central Regional Library system. Those attending were able to take in the artwork by local students now on display. (Photo) (Quincy Valley Post Register, 1.19.12) http://www.qvpr.com/articles/open-house-new-library-tonight

At the urging of Mayor Jim Hemberry, the Quincy City Council approved a proposal by the North Central Regional Library to reimburse the city for its expenses in operating the new Quincy Public Library based on the square-footage of the building. (Quincy Valley Post Register, 1.19.12) http://www.qvpr.com/articles/city-agrees-library-districts-proposed-rate-reimbursement

Tim Hattenburg, chairman of the Spokane County Library District board of trustees, appeared before the Spokane Valley City Council with a new idea: partnering for land that would be divided between the library and the city. Hattenburg said the idea is for the library to build a 50,000-square-foot facility on the western portion of the land … and the city could use the eastern portion of the property to expand Balfour Park. (Valley News Herald, [Spokane] 1.20.12)

The City of Renton needs to do a better job of reaching the diverse populations of the Renton Highlands community if officials are to get real dialogue and feedback on plans to create a new expanded Highlands Library. That was the message repeated by community members at an open house for the project. City officials, King County Library System staff, developers and Portland-based THA Architecture team staffers all outnumbered the community members who attended the event. (Photo) (Renton Reporter, 1.20.12) http://www.rentonreporter.com/news/137326398.html

Elections
The Castle Rock Library levy appears to be passing according to Tuesday’s initial, unofficial results – welcome news to library officials who watched an identical measure fail in August. The $56,000 levy makes up the library’s entire annual budget. Results will be updated Friday, February 17 and will be certified February 28. (The Daily News, [Longview] 2.14.12) http://tdn.com/news/local/early-results-promising-in-castle-rock-library-levy-election/article_e93c2518-57a8-11e1-bd9c-001871e3ce6c.html

Buildings
The Manchester and Port Orchard libraries, both part of the Kitsap Regional Library System, were recently damaged by water. The Manchester Library closed after a burst pipe under the building caused water to seep through the floor, while water leaked down from the ceiling at the Port Orchard Library. No equipment or books were damaged in either library. (The Kitsap Sun, [Bremerton] 1.24.12) http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2012/jan/23/manchester-and-port-orchard-libraries-sustain/

Wanted: A temporary home for Cathlamet’s Bradley Memorial Library. Town officials plan to have the town hall building remodeled this year, and they want to move the library to temporary quarters while the work goes on. The renovation work will involve installation of new wiring and carpeting in the library. (Photo) (The Wahkiakum County Eagle, [Cathlamet] 2.9.12) http://www.waheagle.com/news/article.exm/2012-02-09_library_officials_looking_for_temporary_quarters_

Letters & Editorials
On Jan. 19th I attended a Boundary Review Board meeting at Cascade Middle School to listen to people make their cases either for or against a Burien annexation of what is known as “Unincorporated King County Area Y.” Only one thing was really clear when I left this meeting: I am really concerned about how this annexation is being approached. (Highline Times/Des Moines News/SeaTac News, [Burien] 1.20.12) http://www.highlinetimes.com/2012/01/23/letters-editor/letter-and-rebuttal-base-annexation-fac

On Sept. 29, something wonderful happened. The Poulsbo Friends of the Library provided funding ($2,700 to be exact) for brand new library furniture for the Poulsbo Library’s teen room. (North Kitsap Herald, [Poulsbo] 1.20.12) http://www.northkitsapherald.com/opinion/letters/137767473.html

There are a group of citizens in the North Highline, White Center and Burien areas that are nothing but a bunch of whiners. They seem to be encouraged on by their city officials who also write complaining letters. Many of these complainers pay less in taxes to the King County Library system but feel that they deserve more in services than the rest of us. (Highline Times/Des Moines News/SeaTac News, [Burien] 1.20.12) http://www.highlinetimes.com/2012/01/16/letters-editor/letter-quit-whining-about-libraries

Bars and strip clubs can’t be built within half a mile of a school or church, but an individual can watch porn publicly in a library? Our leaders need to step up and take a stand for society’s rights. (Seattle Times, 2.4.12) http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/northwestvoices/2017418175_motherprotestspornviewingatlibrary.html

I still feel sick to my stomach and sick at heart after reading Wednesday’s article by Erik Lacitis featuring the experience of the Seattle mom and her 10-year-old daughter who saw images of Internet porn being viewed at the Lakewood Branch of the Seattle Public Library. (Seattle Times, 2.5.12) http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/northwestvoices/2017418175_motherprotestspornviewingatlibrary.html

In my view, the Seattle Public Library was right last week when it said it wasn’t going to do anything about Internet porn. I would be fine if we banned porn from the library. The problem is we wouldn’t stop there. No, the Seattle Public Library has it right. Let it all in. That’s not clean or comforting. But it’s free and better than any alternative. (Seattle Times, 2.5.12) http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/dannywestneat/2017426332_danny05.html

When I was growing up, pornography was illegal – we didn’t stop it, but it was kept out of the public eye. Things change, of course, and today we find not only that pornography is legal, but that apparently people have a right to view it in our libraries at taxpayer expense. (Seattle Times, 2.7.12) http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/northwestvoices/2017442475_librarysdecisiontoblockporn.html

Libraries can reconfigure their computer bays fairly easily. Banks of computers near the children’s sections could be labeled as being limited with filters so children are not disturbed, and other computer banks can be labeled as unfiltered. Why must it always be all or nothing? (Seattle Times, 2.7.12) http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/northwestvoices/2017442475_librarysdecisiontoblockporn.html

Library porn is all over the news again, this time in Washington State. This story from Seattle last week mocks the Seattle Public Library for allowing patrons to view hardcore Internet pornography in full view of everyone. The opening is just the kind of publicity public libraries shouldn’t want: The Seattle Public Library has a long list of rules of things you can’t do in the library, to ensure “comfort and safety” of staff and patrons. But you can watch graphic porn on a public computer in front of kids. Ouch. (Library Journal Online, 2.8.12) http://blog.libraryjournal.com/annoyedlibrarian/2012/02/08/evergreen-state-library-of-porn/

Awards
The Lake Chelan Community Services Council donated $1,000 to the Chelan Friends of the Public Library to go towards the building fund for a much-needed new and larger library location – the Masonic Lodge building. (Photo) (Lake Chelan Mirror, 1.18.12) http://lakechelanmirror.com/main.asp?Search=1&ArticleID=5449&SectionID=13&SubSectionID=186&S=1

Livability.com has assessed the children’s area of the $38 million downtown Vancouver Community Library as the second-best children’s library in the nation. Fort Vancouver Regional Library officials say the Early Learning Center is the biggest library-based early learning center in the nation. (Photos) (Columbian, [Vancouver] 2.1.12) http://www.columbian.com/news/2012/jan/31/no-2-us-kids-library-vancouver-community-lauded/

Programs & Displays
Funded by a grant from the Wahkiakum Community Network, the Cathlamet Public Library provides a program for teens from 4 to 9 p.m. on Saturdays, when the library is closed to the public. Once they arrive, kids don’t leave until 9. Some of the teens just hang out while others paint, read, watch videos, or take part in other activities. (Photos) (Daily News, [Longview] 1.16.12) http://tdn.com/lifestyles/haven-and-hothouse-cathlamet-s-teen-library-program-nurtures-creativity/article_b83bf6f4-3fdf-11e1-a3c5-0019bb2963f4.html

The Port Townsend Public Library offers a course for women in transition as part of its Workforce Development Program. The course started February 1 and continues to March 21. The course has been made possible through a $2,500 grant from the Jefferson County Community Foundation’s Fund for Women and Girls. (The Leader, [Port Townsend] 1.18.12) http://www.ptleader.com/main.asp?Search=1&ArticleID=30742&SectionID=36&SubSectionID=55&S=1

William Woodward, professor of American history at Seattle Pacific University, presents “Those Mysterious Seacoast Forts: Doing Homeland Defense the Old-Fashioned Way,” as part of the 2011-2012 Inquiring Mind Lecture Series at the Jefferson County Library. The series continues at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 14 with “Trailblazing Photojournalist: Margaret Bourke-White,” featuring historian Lynn Iglitzin. (The Port Townsend Leader Online, 2.13.12) http://www.ptleader.com/main.asp?SectionID=36&SubSectionID=55&ArticleID=30898

[This summary of library news was created by Bobbie DeMiero and Leanna Hammond of the Washington State Library Division of the Office of the Secretary of State. It represents a selection of newspaper clippings about Washington libraries from all Washington newspapers received in the packets on the dates shown. For more information about any of these stories, contact Carolyn Petersen at 360.570.5560 or [email protected] ]