On Thursday, July 16, District #28 representative Tami Green and the new hospital superintendant toured the Western State Hospital Library.

Washington’s legislators serve the state during legislative sessions. But legislators also have jobs or businesses. Representative Green was, and is, a psychiatric care nurse. She worked the night shift on the forensic wards at Western State Hospital and at the Child Study and Treatment Center at the hospital before accepting the challenge of lawmaker.

Dr. Jess Jamieson formerly held a position with a drug recovery center at the former Northern State Hospital campus. Both briefly toured the WSH Museum and reminisced about their earlier experiences in Washington state health care. Then they joined Laura Sherbo, Elizabeth Jahnke and Kathleen Benoun for a library tour.

Both had many questions about the scope of services provided. Tami Green asked the library staff at one point “what would you consider a critical need of the library?” “To stay in business!” was the prompt response, followed by more discussion about priorities for the institutional libraries.