Library News

A group of municipal and county leaders proposed dramatic ideas for consolidating government services during a meeting about how Cowlitz County and its five cities can save money.  Officials recommended that cities surrender control of libraries and parks to new metropolitan organizations that would oversee them.  The also suggested the adoption of new technologies and sharing staff to reduce costs.  (Daily News [Longview], 9.24.09)

Woodinville High School has a new library.  Currently, the library has 21,000 volumes, which serve academic and personal interests.  Parents of students in the school are being invited to donate a book in their children’s names.  Teacher-librarian Dione Garcia explains “Not only will the books help increase our collection in a physical manner, but they will be living monuments to education and to an individual’s love of learning.”  (North Lake News & Woodinville Weekly, 9.28.09)

The Friends of the Grand Coulee Library continue to campaign to raise $5,000 in the Coulee community before seeking larger grant support in the spring of 2010 to improve library facilities and provide more resources, education, and activities to the people in the Coulee community.  (The Star [Grand Coulee], 9.30.09)

The Cathlamet Library will be open from 1-4 p.m. on Saturdays on a trial basis October through December.  At the end of the year the experiment will be evaluated and based on Saturday customer usage as well as volunteer staffing levels, it will be determined whether or not to extend the additional hours into 2010.  (The Wahkiakum Co. Eagle [Cathlamet], 10.1.09) http://www.waheagle.com/2/comm.html

Kitsap County Library officials met with staff and patrons of the Port Orchard Library to find out how the branch could serve its community better, most agreed it was already doing an excellent job, especially with so little space to work with.  This meeting is part of a series of branch library meetings in which the Kitsap Regional Library District is gathering input from the public to create a Strategic Plan.  (Independent [Port Orchard], 10.2.09)

Kitsap Regional Library is offering patrons a new way to listen to audio books – pre-loaded onto a portable listening device.  The players are called Playaways and are already being given to patrons who either cannot read or struggle to.  (Independent [Port Orchard], 10.2.09)

Ferndale Mayor and City Council continue to discuss plans to move forward on library and police station improvements.  A new plan would allow the library to continue fundraising through October 2010.  If the library were successful with its fundraising, construction of a new library would begin immediately.  If it’s not, the library would be moved into the old Boys & Girls Club, which would be remodeled in order to temporarily house the library.  At that point, a remodel of the current library would begin in order to ready if for the police department.  (Westside Record-Journal [Ferndale], 10.7.09)

A former coach accused of hitting a young autistic boy at the Richland Library in August made his first appearance in court Wednesday.  Frank Teverbaugh, 76 is accused of swearing at and striking 7-year-old Matthew Tolick, who was kicking and screaming as his caretaker tried to lead him out of the library. Mr. Teverbaugh denies all claims and will be back in court on Dec. 2. (The Daily News Online [Longview], 10.15.09) http://www.tdn.com/articles/2009/10/15/breaking_news/doc4ad73dde98d67323910322.txt

Letters & Editorials:

Since the first of 2009, the Kittitas City Library has been operating strictly by a number of volunteers organized by Mary Lou Gilmour.  As of August 2009, compared to the same time period in 2008, library attendance is up 18 percent and circulation is up 54 percent and yet the council refused to fund the library. The mayor (past and present) as well as most of the council members (past and present) have not supported the library.  Effective immediately I am resigning my position on the Kittitas City Library Board.   (Daily Record [Ellensburg], 10.7.09)

Programs & Displays

Kitsap Regional Library is hosting its second annual “One Book One Community” program, a reading initiative designed to bring all Kitsap County residents together by reading and discussing the same book.  This year’s book is John Steinbeck’s “Cannery Row.”  (Central Kitsap Reporter [Silverdale], 9.25.09)

The event “Everett & Its Library:  A Celebration of Remarkable History” was both a party to celebrate the Everett Public Library’s 75 years at the corner of Hoyt and Everett avenues and a fundraiser to help pay for the library’s new teen room and an expanded story time room for infants and toddlers.  Events included a presentation and discussion of the library vault by historian Melinda Van Wingen as well as a guided tour of the library’s art collection by historian David Dilgard. (Photos)  (The Daily Herald [Everett], 9.29.09) http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20090929/LIVING/709299994

Hesseltine Public Library started the new Study Zone Program which will be in session from 2:45 to 5:00 p.m. each Tuesday and Thursday.  The purpose of the program is to give students a great place to study, do homework, and get help with their questions.  The program is open to all students in grades K-12.  (Wilbur Register, 10.1.09)

Actor/Author John Lithgow will be the featured guest at the Fort Vancouver Regional Library Foundation’s 2009 Authors & Illustrators Dinner and Silent Auction Fundraiser. He may be best known for his acting credits but he has also penned seven New York Times best-selling children’s picture books since 1998. The Fundraiser will be held at the Hilton in Vancouver on November 17^th. The money raised supports library programs, services and building projects for the entire Fort Vancouver Regional Library System. (Photo)  (Columbian [Vancouver], 10.3.09) http://columbian.com/article/20091003/NEWS02/710039963/-1/NEWS

Economy/Hard Times

The Seattle Public Library System is facing a 23 percent reduction in branch hours next year under the mayor’s 2010 budget proposal.  Twenty-one branches could be closed on Fridays and Sundays to meet the cost-cutting goal set by Mayor Greg Nickels. The city council is holding a series of public hearings over the coming weeks on the budget and inviting the public to share their concerns.  (The Seattle PI Online, 9.30.09) http://www.seattlepi.com/local/410656_library30.html

[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] ]