Clippings, June 5, 2009

The Clark County Historical Museum – housed in a former library – is heading up “Mr. Carnegie’s Grand Tour of Washington.”  The tour is designed as a theme for family road trips and to bring visitor traffic to heritage sites around the state.  Washington’s Carnegie library cities include: Auburn, Anacortes, Burlington, Edmonds, Goldendale, Pasco, Port Angeles, Port Townsend, Ritzville, Seattle (six sites), Snohomish, Spokane, Tacoma, Vancouver, and Walla Walla.  (Photo)  (Columbian [Vancouver], 5.31.09) http://columbian.com/article/20090531/NEWS02/705319970/

Elections:

Malden voters will be asked this November whether or not they want the town annexed into the Whitman County’s Rural Library District.  If voters approve the annexation, a library tax will be levied against property owners.  This year the library levy was just over $.45 per $1,000 assessed value.  (Whitman County Gazette [Colfax], 5.14.09)

Buildings:

The Burien Library (King County Library System) opens June 13 at the Burien Town Square.  (Highline Times/Des Moines News [Burien], 5.13.09)

With a construction project looming to expand the Coupeville Public Library (Sno-Isle Libraries), Sno-Isle Library officials are finishing up a deal for a temporary home starting this summer.  (Whidbey News-Times [Oak Harbor], 5.13.09) http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/whidbey/wnt/news/44838997.html

Battle Ground celebrates its new library (Fort Vancouver Regional Library) with a grand opening.  At 13,000 square feet, it’s more than three times bigger than the library it’s replacing, a 50-year old facility on the campus of Battle Ground High School.  (Photos)  (Columbian [Vancouver], 5.30.09) http://columbian.com/article/20090530/NEWS02/705309964/

Work is under way to clear the lot in downtown Vancouver for the future 83,000-square foot, $38 million main library (Fort Vancouver Regional Library).  It is set to open mid-2011.  (Vancouver Business Journal, 5.29.09) http://www.vbjusa.com/stories/2009-05-29/like_a_good_neighbor.html

Letters & Editorials:

Sno-Isle Regional Library System, which operates four libraries on Whidbey Island, has a tough job ahead of it trying to sell voters on a tax increase in the present economic climate.  (Whidbey News-Times [Oak Harbor], 5.13.09) http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/whidbey/wnt/opinion/44745627.html

Sno-Isle Libraries 2009 budget posted on its website calls for a 15 percent increase in administrative salaries.  This line item includes pay increases totaling $262,662 for Jonalyn Woolf-Ivory (library directory) and others in the “Leadership Team”.  The rest of us in Island and Snohomish counties should let Ms. Woolf-Ivory know that a Sno-Isle tax hike is unacceptable.  (The Daily Herald [Everett], 5.13.09) http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20090513/OPINION02/705139964

People:

Robin Braun will serve as new librarian of the Ritzville Public Library.  (Photo)  (Ritzville-Adams County Journal, 5.14.09)

Awards:

Mackenzie Gates and her mom, Katie Nichols, participated in Timberland Regional Library’s “Family Read Aloud” program at the Mountain View Timberland Library in Randle.  As a grand prize winner, Mackenzie won a suitcase full of children’s books that included title from the series Clifford the Big Red Dog, Amelia Bedilia, and Bionicle Chronicles.  (Photo)  (The East County Journal [Morton], 5.13.09)

The Ocean Shores Library (Timberland Regional Library) will receive $6,500 in grants from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation over the next two years.  The grants can pay for anything related to public access computing.  (The Daily World [Aberdeen], 5.15.09)

Programs & Displays:

An informational display in the Lynden Library (Whatcom County Library System) has been set up in honor of local residents who were killed in military action.  The map-style memorial marks the places of death of 15 of the 40 soldiers, sailors and airmen’s service and briefly tells the circumstances.  (Photo)  (Lynden Tribune [Lynden], 5.13.09) 

Add lattes to the many services offered by Port Townsend Library (North Olympic Library System) when the first adult summer reading program begins in June.  The program, sponsored by First Federal, includes a contest called “Literary Lattes” in which participants can earn a “Literary Latte coupon” good for one 16 ounce drink at The Vault coffee shop.  New at www.cityofpt.us/library, is a new map resource called A-Z Maps, which includes climate, geological and topographical information.  (The Leader [Port Townsend], (5.13.09)

Local author Savanna Mills, whose book “Destiny’s Shadow” was published in January by PublishAmerica, presented a reading at the Newport Public Library (Pend Oreille County Library District).  (Newport Miner [Newport], 5.13.09)

The King County Library System branch library at the Seattle Juvenile Detention Center provides poetry sessions.  One survey sponsored by the Soros Foundation “showed a significant reduction in the teens’ level of distress” once they’ve been through the program.  (Photos)  (The Stranger [Seattle], 5.14.09) http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/increasing-the-vocabulation-reducing-the-distress/Content?oid=1540629

The Liberty Lake Municipal Library hosts local author Sherman Alexie as part of its Let’s Read Liberty Lake Program.  The library will highlight his book “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian.”  (Photo)  (Liberty Lake Splash [Liberty Lake], 5.14.09) http://www.libertylakesplash.com/news.asp?id=18477

Summer Reading

Libraries of Stevens County are once again preparing for the annual Summer Reading program, complete with activities and prizes for adults and kids alike.  This year, the program’s theme is “Express Yourself at Your Library.”  (Statesman-Examiner [Colville], 5.13.09) http://www.statesmanexaminer.com/content/view/11036/60/

Information on the Summer Reading Program at the Connell Library (Mid-Columbia Libraries) is available at the library.  The program is free and open to the public.  (Franklin County Graphic [Connell], 5.14.09)

Book Sales:

Gather your books, DVDs, CDs, VCR tapes, and game cartridges and drop them off at the Maple Valley Library (King County Library System).  The Maple Valley Library Guild will sell them on the book cart at the back of the library to generate funds for adult, teen, and children’s programs.  (Voice of the Valley [Maple Valley], 5.12.09)

Economy/Hard Times:

Facing a $2.5 million deficit in 2010 Sno-Isle Libraries is looking to its public for feedback on cuts that would impact library service.  Feedback from public, staff, and community stakeholders will be shared with the Sno-Isle Board of Trustees at its June 22 meeting.  The meetings will provide customers with information on the library district’s budget and an opportunity to weigh in on service reductions under consideration.  (Lake Stevens Journal, 5.13.09)

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[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 date shown.  For more information about any of these stories, contact Carolyn Petersen at (360) 570-5560 or [email protected]]