WA State Library News
This school year teachers and students at Oroville Elementary School greatly enjoyed the experience of teaming up with the Okanogan Borderlands Historical Society for several great experiences. The historical society, as well as the public library, teamed with teachers of grades three through six this year through a grant from the Washington State Library, “Supporting Student Success.” (Okanogan Valley Gazette-Tribune [Oroville], 6.23.11)

Library News
The Richland School Board has reversed last month’s decision to ban the use of a young-adult novel by a popular Northwest author in classrooms. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie now is cleared for any grade level in Richland high schools. The board Monday voted 4-1 to allow Alexie’s novel back into schools. Phyllis Strickler this time was the lone dissenter. (The News Tribune [Tacoma], 7.12.11) http://www.thenewstribune.com/2011/07/12/1741918/richland-school-board-reverses.html?story_link=email_msg

Sherman Alexie, who grew up on the Spokane Indian reservation, is the author of a best-selling book banned by the Richland, Washington school board last month. The novel, The Absolute Diary of a Part-Time Indian, had not been actually read by any of the board members when they voted at first to censor it. But on Monday of this week, the board reversed its decision. (The Examiner [Spokane], 7.14.11) http://www.examiner.com/political-buzz-in-spokane/sherman-alexie-s-banned-novel-is-re-instated-by-school-board

Inland Northwest Community Foundation recently awarded the Friends of the Whitman County Library $30,000 to renovate the Endicott Library with support from the Joe M. & Florence P. Smith Fund and the Spokane Foundation Fund. (Photo) (Whitman County Gazette [Colfax], 6.16.11)

The Cheney branch of the Spokane County Library District has a lot going on lately. Not only does the library have a new manager – former Airway Heights branch manager Pat Davis – and summer reading programs starting soon, but library district leaders have begun planning in earnest for a new, larger library to be built in Cheney sometime between 2015 and 2020. (Cheney Free Press, 6.23.11)

A library study spurred by contract disputes between the city and rural libraries will be reviewed at a public meeting this week. The study points to a system for operating area libraries that would result in a tax hike for city residents. What won’t be part of the “Models For Sustainable Library Services Report” is a fix for the contentious funding relationship between the city of Walla Walla and the Walla Walla Rural Library District. (Union-Bulletin [Walla Walla], 6.26.11)

If you’re looking for a free high-speed Internet connection, you’ll soon be able to find it at the Puyallup Public Library. The library will upgrade its Internet connection within the next two months, increasing speeds by 40 percent. The library gets its Internet access through the K-20 Education Network, a state-owned service that subsidizes communication infrastructures for educational institutions. (The Herald [Puyallup], 6.29.11) http://www.thenewstribune.com/2011/06/29/1724651/high-speed-internet-arrives-at.html#storylink=misearch

A public vote will decide the next Pierce County Library System’s library card, designed by a local teenager. Pierce County residents may choose the winner by voting online at the Library’s website, now through July 27. The Library will announce the winning design later this summer. (Bonney Lake Sumner Courier-Herald [Kent], 6.29.11)

The Seattle Public Library will close Monday, August 29, through Sunday, September 4, as part of its annual closure because of citywide budget cuts. The weeklong closure will save about $650,000 and help the library reach its $3.7 million cut for 2011. Most library services will be unavailable during the closure. (Seattle Times, 7.9.11) http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2015554134_libraryclosures09.html

Elections
The Langley City Council unanimously approved an agreement to finalize the city’s annexation into the Sno-Isle Library District at its meeting on Monday. Mayor Paul Samuelson praised Langley voters for approving the annexation in November, which passed with a 79 percent ‘yes’ vote. (South Whidbey Record [Langley], 6.25.11) http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/whidbey/swr/news/124494429.html

Eight years ago, the community members joined forces to save the town’s only central source of information – the library – and find it a permanent home. Now the group has met its goal. Sometime this fall, after countless fundraisers, the town will open a new, permanent Buena Library, a part of Yakima Valley Libraries, to replace the old, donated double-wide trailer that’s long since seen better days. (Photos) (Yakima Herald-Republic, 6.21.11) http://www.yakima-herald.com/stories/2011/06/20/new-chapter-begins-for-buena-library

The $38 million, 83,000-sqare-foot Vancouver Community Library is ready to go, and officials expect it to be successful. When the library hosts its grand opening, July 17, however, visitors looking out through the large atrium windows won’t see what planners had envisioned when the project began. The original master plan for the area, which included a boutique hotel, condominiums and office space, has been delayed indefinitely. (Daily Journal of Commerce [Portland, OR], 7.5.11)

Letters and Editorials
The location of the Renton Public Library is of vital importance to our many citizens. They should be congratulated for their involvement in planning. It would seem wise to preserve the library in its present location. (Renton Reporter [Kent], 6.17.11) http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/south_king/ren/opinion/letters/124016424.html

Recently the Port Townsend Public Library completed a Teen Community Read to address the topic of teen suicide. The Prevention Team at Jefferson County Public Health would like to praise the Library, the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation and especially Jody Glaubman for having the courage to choose this book and topic. (The Leader [Port Townsend], 6.22.11)

Walla Wallans have been – as they should be – supportive of the city library. But we don’t believe citizens will embrace the suggestions outlined in a $39,000 study on how to fund operations of city and rural libraries so they can serve all of the county’s residents. Getting residents to accept a new property tax to pay for a service they are already receiving falls somewhere between extremely difficult to impossible. (Union-Bulletin [Walla Walla], 6.28.11)

Reading has gotten too complicated. I downloaded a book from the Seattle Public Library a couple of days ago, and I did it partly because I was feeling bad about not using the library enough lately. Technological progress made the difference. I needn’t use the library out of nostalgia or loyalty, but because it is still necessary. (Seattle Times, 7.14.11) http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/jerrylarge/2015603247_jdl14.html

People
Two Eastern Washington University library faculty members have been elected to leadership positions in national professional organization. Carolynne Myall, head of the Collection Services division of EWU Libraries, is incoming president-elect of the Association for Library Collections and Technical Services. Jonathan Potter, library reference and instruction liaison to the Allied Health program at EWU, is incoming chair-elect of the Nursing and Allied Health Resources Section of the Medical Library Association. (Cheney Free Press, 6.23.11)

Su Alexander, who took over as manager of the Weller Public Library when Jan Cronkhite retired last fall, has resigned. Alexander, who had been an assistant to Cronkhite since March 2009, notified the city and the library board late last month that she would leave her position by the end of June. (Photo) (The Times [Waitsburg], 6.23.11)

Programs and Displays
Now through Wednesday, June 29, library users will have more than just books to browse. Hung across banisters of the second floor to the library are 30 to 40 hand-crafted quilts made by ladies of the Comforters Quilt Guild. This is the fourth annual Comforters Quilt Guild show at the Puyallup Public Library. (Photos) (The Herald [Puyallup], 6.22.11) http://www.thenewstribune.com/2011/06/23/1718287/quilts-decorate-the-library.html#storylink=misearch

An outdoor movie event is being put on through a partnership between communications company Inland Cellular and the Downtown Walla Walla Foundation in cooperation with the city Parks & Recreation Department, the Walla Walla Public Library and the Walla Walla Sweets. Movies will be shown July 23 and August 20. This year’s films will be shown in conjunction with the library’s Summer Reading Program series “Read the Book, See the Movie.” (Union-Bulletin [Walla Walla], 6.24.11)

For more than a decade, Richmond Beach Library has offered ESL classes, in addition to Talk Time for adults, helping people improve their conversation skills by discussing topics such as politics and job-seeking. After the long-running success of Talk Time for adults, the King County Library System located in Shoreline, has launched Teen Talk Time to help ESL kids communicate better in social situations. (Photo) (Northwest Asian Weekly [Seattle], 6.25.11) http://www.nwasianweekly.com/2011/06/teen-talk-time-no-adults-allowed-%E2%80%94-a-kcls-program-allows-esl-students-to-teach-one-another-english-as-well-as-how-to-update-facebook-statuses/

Last Saturday, one large bird of prey could be found at Josephine care facility, where Jill Wubbenhorst welcomed “readers and lovers of stores” to meet Jeff Guidry and Freedom the bald eagle at the kickoff of Stanwood Library’s, a part of Sno-Isle Libraries, Summer Adult Reading Program. Guidry, for those who don’t know, is an author and former Beach Boys guitarist. (Photo) (Stanwood Camano News, 6.28.11)

To help senior citizens with the costs of Medicare benefits, the Lewis-Mason-Thurston Area Agency on Aging will be hosting an event at the Centralia Timberland Library from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, August 24. Seniors will be given assistance on accessing programs that can help them on Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. (The Chronicle [Centralia], 6.29.11)

Popular author of “Where the Wild Things Are,” Maurice Sendak will bring a related art exhibit to the South Hill Pierce County Library from Saturday, July 9 through Friday, August 19. The traveling exhibit, “In a Nutshell: The Worlds of Maurice Sendak,” explores the influence of cultural heritage on the imaginative worlds of the award-winning author/illustrator of more than 100 books. (The Herald [Puyallup], 6.29.11)

Children and adults in the Mid-Columbia Libraries district can win rewards, including vacation getaways, for reading at least 15 hours this summer. The district’s summer reading program, which typically has been for children and teens, is open to adults this year for the first time, said Kate Holloway, MCL’s district communications director. (Tri-City Herald [Kennewick], 7.1.11) http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2011/07/01/1551515/summer-reading-program-prizes.html#storylink=misearch

Children in Kitsap County could get a recommendation to visit their local library at their next well-child checkup. Kitsap Regional Library is working with health clinics and the nonprofit organization Reach Out and Read to promote early literacy this summer through a program called Libraries Are Doctor-Recommended. The library launched the program last month, and it continues through Aug. 31. (The Kitsap Sun Online [Bremerton], 7.13.11) http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2011/jul/13/doctors-prescribe-regular-library-visits/

[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] ]