Library News

Voters are to decide whether to increase their property taxes so the Whatcom County Library System can buy more books, better serve Sudden Valley readers, and keep its branches open for the same number of hours.  “It’s up to the voters; they’re going to tell us what kind of library services they want us to provide,” said Joan Airoldi, director for the library system that is comprised of nine branches in unincorporated parts of the county and its cities, as well as the Bookmobile.  (Photo)  (Bellingham Herald, 10.19.09) http://www.bellinghamherald.com/102/story/1120289.html

The King County Library System (KCLS) will be holding preliminary budget community meetings to discuss proposed strategic plans and budget allocations for the coming year.   www.klcl.org .  (Voice of the Valley [Maple Valley], 10.20.09)

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced it is giving $4 million in grants to legal aid services, libraries and community foundations across Washington to help people most affected by the recession.  “We understand the changes of a prolonged recession and cannot simply wait for conditions to improve,” said Gates Foundation co-chairman William H. Gates Sr., who announced the gift at the downtown Spokane Public Library.  (Photo)  The Spokesman Review Online, 10.30.09) { editor’s note: These grants add additional funds to the Targeted Competitive Grants for Hard Times which were just announced as  well.}http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/oct/30/grants-offer-relief-to-poor-in-region/

 

A retired Hall of Fame coach accused of hitting an autistic boy at the Richland Library is being cleared because video footage captured the incident.  Attorney John Jensen said videos from the library exonerate his client, Frank Teverbaugh, 76, and show he never hit Matthew Tolick, 7, in the face.  Those videos are posted on the Herald’s website. (Photo) (Tri-City Herald Online [Kennewick], 11.3.09) http://www.tri-cityherald.com/kennewick_pasco_richland/story/778084.html?story_link=email_msg

 

Elections

A tax increase proposal that would help maintain library services across Snohomish and Island counties gained a little breathing room Wednesday as another large batch of ballots was counted. The “yes” vote for Sno-Isle Libraries Proposition 1 inched up from 51.1 percent to 51.4 percent after another 10,000 ballots were tabulated. (The Herald Online [Everett], 11.5.09)

A proposition that would increase property taxes to maintain services in the Whatcom County Library System was holding on to its slim approval Wednesday, Nov. 4. It was passing with 50.8 percent of the 22,214 votes counted so far.  The measure was ahead by just 366 votes.  Thousands of ballots remain to be counted, but it was unknown how many of those are from voters eligible to vote on the proposition. (Bellingham Herald, 11.5.09) http://www.bellinghamherald.com/102/story/1144706.html

 

Letters & Editorials

Honestly, I envision passage of the Nov. 3 Library Levy Election (Sno-Isle Libraries).  Voting for it just makes sense.  Libraries are already significantly and responsibly cutting costs for staffing, materials and equipment, but that’s not good enough.  We must help.  Vote yes!  (The Edmonds Beacon [Mukilteo], 10.15.09) http://www.edmondsbeacon.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2503:library-is-where-real-life-begin&catid=88&Itemid=175

In a period when individuals are suffering the effects of economic and environmental instability, the deterioration of health and education systems and ongoing war, cutting the budget of the library is a quintessential case of biting the hand that feeds us.  Why choose to sacrifice the library when it is an institution that holds the tools of our collective survival and recovery?  (Bellingham Herald, 10.18.09) http://www.bellinghamherald.com/letters/story/1115891.html

Cooperation is one of the words to describe the Whatcom County Library System.  The system provides library services to nine communities in the county and bookmobile stops to other parts of the county.  I urge residents of Whatcom County to approve Proposition 1 on the Nov. 3 ballot.  (Bellingham Herald, 10.21.09) http://www.bellinghamherald.com/letters/story/1120655.html

Please vote “yes” on Proposition 1 for Whatcom County Libraries.  It’s a great bargain for all library patrons.  Don’t forget: It’s the first time the Whatcom County Library System has needed our help in 29 years.  (Bellingham Herald, 10.21.09) http://www.bellinghamherald.com/letters/story/1120682.html

We’ve gone to great lengths to build fine libraries (Sno-Isle Library System).  Now let’s keep them open and functioning.  Vote yes for the levy. (The Whidbey Examiner [Coupeville], 10.21.09)

It’s no accident that Lynden (Whatcom County Library System) has such a great library.  It was built by our community for our families, and the number of patrons who walk through its doors daily continues to break records.  The small tax increase in property taxes that will allow our libraries to continue offering the services, materials and hours we have all come to depend on is the best bargain I have found in a good, long while!  (Lynden Tribune, 10.21.09)

The Directors at Sno-Isle Library system want us to make up a $2.5 million shortfall in their budget for 2010.  Go find your ballot right now and mark NO on Proposition 1.  (The Mukilteo Beacon, 10.21.09) http://www.mukilteobeacon.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2587:library-levy-not-about-9-cents&catid=106:letters&Itemid=191

Awards

The Port Townsend Public Library will aim to be a resource for the unemployed by using funds from a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The organization awarded $47,500 to the library, said Theresa Rini Percy, library director. This will help the library increase materials, get job search resources, do staff trainings and pay for a consultant to create workshops for job seekers. (Peninsula Daily News [Port Angeles], 11.2.09) http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20091103/news/311039991

Programs & Displays

Northwest author William Dietrich and The Seattle Times columnist Nancy Leson are both featured in the book, “Literary Feast, The Famous Authors Cookbook,” which is a compilation of nearly 100 food, drink, and desert recipes from a variety of well-known authors and writers.  Both authors took part in a free author event at the Edmonds Bookshop.  Proceeds from the sale of books at the event went to the King County Library System for its system-wide literacy and reading programs.  (The Edmonds Beacon, 10.15.09) http://www.edmondsbeacon.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2482:edmonds-bookshop-to-host-two-authors-for-book-reading&catid=78&Itemid=186

Economy/Hard Times

Public schools are coping with less. The district’s three comprehensive high schools no longer have their own librarian; they share one.  The seven junior highs lost nearly four full-time librarians; the remaining positions are shared among schools.  (Photos)  (The Herald [Puyallup], 10.21.09) http://www.puyallupherald.com/100/story/4543.html

Tough economic times and the changing demographics of our community (Shelton) have created a wonderful opportunity for growing our nonprofit organizations and increasing the diversity of our community’s volunteer base.  Pat Chupa, circulation supervisor for the Shelton branch of the Timberland Regional Library system, offers a number of ways for library visitors to become volunteers from the Adopt-a-Shelf Program that offers a lot of flexibility to the Friend of the Library group that handles fundraising and advocacy on the library’s behalf.    (Shelton-Mason County Journal, 10.22.09)

[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] ]