Library News
The public is invited to join the fifth-birthday celebration of the Benton City library building, a part of the Mid-Columbia Library System, from 10-2pm, Saturday, February 19. A non-perishable food item is asked as donation to the Benton City Food Bank as a memorial to Bill Brazelton, a staunch library supporter who recently passed away. (Benton City Bulletin, 2.2011)

The Edmonds Carnegie Library, a part of Sno-Isle Libraries, will be celebrating its 100th anniversary with a free event at 5 p.m., February 17 at the Edmonds Historical Society. Edmonds Mayor Mike Cooper will open the celebration that features cake, sparkling cider and a display of the building’s history. (The Herald [Everett], 2.10.11) http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20110210/NEWS01/702109918

Martha Mullen of Pullman presents copies of her book, Reflections On the Road, to Whitman Library staffer Andrea Hergert. The book is now available at all 14 branch locations of the Whitman County Library thanks to a donation from the author. (Photo) (Whitman County Gazette [Colfax], 2.10.11)

Early this spring a new star will rise to shine on Sno-Isle Libraries. Its name is Polaris – the same as the North Star which has been guiding explorers for millennia – and the short story is that it’s your new online library catalog. With Polaris, library customers will have more control over their holds and a more powerful library experience with enhanced search, account management, and ratings and reviews features. (The Edmonds Beacon [Mukilteo], 2.10.11) http://www.edmondsbeacon.com/news/article.exm/2011-02-10_sno_isle_libraries_to_redefine_online_library_experience_with_polaris_system_

Touchet’s on the East Coast radar because of a family of readers from the Walla Walla Valley town who made it into a February 4 New York Times article, said Punkey Adams, executive director of the Walla Walla County Rural Library District, in an e-mail alert. Touchet Library, one of the Rural Library District’s branch libraries, has e-books as well as the standard variety. (Union-Bulletin [Walla Walla], 2.13.11)

High winds and a possible power surge Saturday were likely the cause of a system wide hard drive crash for the Kitsap Regional Library system this week, said KRL Director of Community Relations Jeff Brody. With the computerized system disabled, library staff, including those at the Bainbridge branch, were unable to check in books and media for four days. (Bainbridge Island Review, 2.18.11) http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/kitsap/bir/news/116434859.html

The City of Puyallup – which operates one of only three independent municipal libraries in Pierce County – may explore joining the Pierce County Library System. The City Council is expected to discuss the idea at a study session later this month. Puyallup residents would have to approve annexation into the library system through a public vote. (The News Tribune Online [Tacoma], 3.8.11) http://www.thenewstribune.com/2011/03/08/1574705/puyallup-considers-putting-library.html

Buildings
Branch manager Cindy Bonaro looked with satisfaction this week at shelves brimming with tens of thousands of books, CDs, and movies on the floor of the new University Place Pierce County Library. Saturday’s grand opening will not only be the first piece of the long-awaited Town Center development, it will be a reunion of sorts for Bonaro, her staff of 19 and the full-service library they’ve been missing. (Photos) (The News Tribune [Tacoma], 2.11.11) http://www.thenewstribune.com/2011/02/11/1539849/new-up-library-to-open-doors.html

A new branch library in Walla Walla will be among items on the agenda Tuesday for the Walla Walla County Rural Library District board. An opening date has not been set, but improvements at the site have been completed by the landlord and shelving is expected to be installed in April. (Union-Bulletin [Walla Walla], 2.14.11)

Friends of Whitman County Library are sponsoring a raffle to raise money for a complete renovation of the Endicott branch. To date, $10,000 has been raised for the $120,000 project including $5,800 from the Endicott Community Dinner and $4,200 from local donors. Raffle tickets are $1 and are available at any branch of the Whitman County Library. (Daily News [Pullman], 2.16.11)

Grandview City Council’s study session spilled over into its regular meeting February 8, as council members wrestled with the agreement between the city and Yakima Valley Community College related to the new library. The agreement was the sole subject for the study session, and City Administrator Cus Arteaga expressed concern that the agreement be finalized as soon as possible. (Grandview Herald, 2.16.11)

Audience members applauded after the approval of the $1.3 million bid award to build Quincy’s new public library. The city council approved the award during a recent city council meeting after more than two years of waiting. Sunnyside-based Mountain State Construction was the lowest bid of the 15 bids for the project. (Columbia Basin Herald [Mount Vernon], 2.18.11)

Library-goers have time to say goodbye to their cozy branch in Maple Falls, which will close at the end of the business day Saturday, February 19. Then they can ready themselves for the February 27 celebration of the replacement, the North Fork Community Library in Kendall. The new and larger space for the area’s book lovers was built after a big push from the community. (Bellingham Herald, 2.18.11) http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2011/02/18/1873429/long-awaited-north-fork-community.html

Since opening at Three Rivers Mall on Jan. 15, the Kelso Public Library has issued 280 new library cards, 54 of which went to residents of other cities, city officials said last week. Library Manager Cindy Donaldson said the new library’s additional space will allow expansion of children programs, technology and book selection. (The Daily News Online [Longview], 3.6.11) http://tdn.com/news/local/article_8b37597e-47a5-11e0-8a6a-001cc4c03286.html

Letters & Editorials
Timberland Regional Library’s five-county system’s new “freegal” music service puts the half-million songs of the Sony music catalogue online. Yes, they’re free to download. The library has decided to pay $55,000 a year to allow all its 300,000 patrons the chance to download three songs a week. Whether Timberland should be using its budget to buy music for its patrons is an interesting question. For now, free music sounds good to me. (The Chronicle [Centralia], 2.11.11)

I had been putting off going to the library to research an Olympian article from a few years ago about hip replacements. I recently went to the Olympia Timberland Library and was pleasantly surprised. The only negative aspect of the experience was the crowded conditions of the library and the need for more staff. Let me know if there is a fund I can contribute to. (The Olympian, 2.13.11) http://www.theolympian.com/2011/02/13/1541879/library-staff-helpful-in-spite.html

I’m a seventh-grader in the Evergreen district, and I’m very concerned because this district is planning to cut librarians. How can this be happening? The library is like the home, the center of the school, the place where every kid can connect and get help, and that’s thanks to our librarians. I am asking the district leaders to please change their plan. We don’t want to lose our librarians. (Columbian [Vancouver], 2.22.11) http://www.columbian.com/news/2011/feb/22/letters-to-the-editor/

Programs & Displays
The Edmonds Art Commission is pleased to present an exhibit entitled “Imagine That – Figments and Flights of Fancy” by Rob Brandt, who says he is especially interested in “quality of light.” The exhibit at the Edmonds Library, a part of Sno-Isle Libraries, runs now through March 15, 2011. (The Edmonds Beacon [Mukilteo], 2.10.11) http://www.edmondsbeacon.com/stepping-out/article.exm/2011-02-10_library_features_work_by_rob_brandt

Middle-and-high schoolers have delivered plenty of color and pizzazz to the walls of the North Bend Library, a part of the King County Library System. Charcoal, pencil, ink and photography were but a few media the youths used to let their talents shine. The pieces will remain in exhibit until February 28. (Photo) (SnoValley Star [Issaquah], 2.10.11) http://snovalleystar.com/index.php?s=young+artists+make+a+mark+at+the+library

Ron Gaul’s paintings of curvaceous female figures swirling in steam will perk up most viewers’ attention, even if they haven’t been sipping espresso. The Winlock-area resident paints with coffee grounds mixed with water. His works have decorated the walls at several coffee shops and now the Koth Gallery in the Longview Public Library. Works by Gaul, a featured artist at the library, will be exhibited through February 23. (Photo) (Daily News [Longview], 2.10.11) http://tdn.com/lifestyles/article_51397bfe-34b7-11e0-a8c3-001cc4c002e0.html

On Tuesday nights, native Spanish speakers and children who are learning their first words of a second language gather for Spanish Story time at the Carnation Library. Saleed Riviera, who runs the interactive program, starts out by reading from Spanish children’s books with title such as “Hands Are Not For Hitting.” The Story Time, part of King County Library System’s World Languages Program, is geared towards children eight years and younger. (Photo) (Valley View [Woodinville], 2.14.11)

Several book discussions are taking place in Pend Oreille County Libraries in February and March. Metalines Community Library will be discussing the book “City of Light” by Lauren Belfer. Meanwhile, readers will be meeting at the Ione Public Library for their Reader’s Group. “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien is the book for Calispel Valley Library’s book discussion. Copies of the book were given to the library free of charge from the Washington State Library. (Newport Miner, 2.16.11)

For the past six weeks, about 70 students have spent their Friday afternoon recess in the library to review the nitty-gritty details of books. For the second annual year, Issaquah Valley Elementary School students are prepping for the King County Library System’s Global Reading Challenge – a contest encouraging fourth and fifth graders to read 10 books and answer detailed questions about them. (Issaquah Press, 2.16.11) http://www.issaquahpress.com/index.php?s=timber+ridge+volunteers

For Women’s History Month, the Clallam County chapter of the League of Women Voters sponsors a series of meetings focused on reading and discussing the U.S. constitution. The series begins 1-3 p.m. on Wednesday, March 2, at the Port Angeles Library, a part of the North Olympic Library System, and will continue at the same time and place each Wednesday through March. (The Sequim Gazette, 2.16.11)

Gigantic book cover posters will begin popping up in Bellevue mid-month, part of an effort to turn buildings into outdoor art galleries, but with a twist. The 4’ X 6’ book jacket artworks will be installed on building exteriors. Placed by the King County Library System, each poster will be accompanied by an audio tour guide available by cell phone or MP3 download. (Bellevue Reporter [Kent], 2.18.11) http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/east_king/bel/community/115790749.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] ]