Washington State Library News
The Connell Branch of the Mid-Columbia Libraries announced in August of 2011 that they received the Washington Rural Heritage Grant, awarded by the Washington State Library. The Washington Rural Heritage project will be getting underway this month. If you or your family has a unique piece of local history you would like to include in the project, please contact Helen Tobin at the Connell Library. (Franklin County Graphic [Connell], 1.12.12)

Library News
Finnish, Farsi, Pashton, Tagalong, Urdu and Haitian Creole are among several newly available languages through a Port Townsend Public Library database called Mango Languages. Offerings tripled last month when Mango, a 5-year-old language learning company, added 24 new languages, bringing the total to 37. (The Leader [Port Townsend], 1.4.12) http://www.ptleader.com/main.asp?Search=1&ArticleID=30704&SectionID=36&SubSectionID=55&S=1

Cassidy Hines has always loved to read. So when Camas High School teacher-librarian Rosemary Knapp talked to her about having a schools book club, Hines was all for it. Knapp and Hines applied for a Camas Educational Foundation grant to get the club started and received $250. Knapp did some additional fundraising, but it didn’t bring in enough money. After Knapp had a conversation with long-time friend and business owner Jack Kane of Pathfinder Logistics, he sent a check for $500 to cover the rest of the cost for book purchases. (Photo) (Camas-Washougal Post-Record, 1.10.12)

The Puyallup Public Library will open its history room archive for public consumption on a monthly basis. Residents can explore and research Puyallup-related topics from 5:30-7:30pm January 18. Volunteers will be available to help guide residents through the archives. The library plans to have the archive open on a monthly basis through the end of the year. (The Herald [Puyallup], 1.11.12)

MOHAI is inviting the community to explore the memories, memorabilia and myths of Seattle’s 1962 World’s Fair during a series of 50th anniversary workshops, running from January 14 through September 29. The events are co-hosted by the Seattle Public Library, King County Library System, and the Seattle Center Foundation. (Mercer Island Reporter, 1.11.12) http://www.mi-reporter.com/community/137101708.html

Thanks to the generosity of the Libri Foundation and Puget Sound Energy, Denny Ashby Library recently added 81 new books with a total retail value of $1,409.29 to the children’s collection. Librarian Lillian Heytvelt said Puget Sound Energy generously contributed $350, which the Foundation matched on a 2-to-1 ratio. Through an additional donation from Hal Berenson and Laura Ackerman, the library received an additional $350 worth of math and science books. (East Washingtonian [Pomeroy], 1.11.12)

The Ocean Shores Public Library is calling January24 through January 31 “Library Amnesty Week.” According to a release: “The Library knows the economy hasn’t improved much … So, overdue materials can be returned either inside the library or in the outside book drop, no questions asked, and late fees will be forgiven. This is not valid for lost items or replacement charges.” (The North Coast News [Ocean Shores], 1.11.12)

An application for Anacortes to receive an All-America City grade-level reading award is in the works through a partnership with Anacortes School District and Anacortes Public Library. The centerpiece of this effort is to make sure all children in Anacortes are reading on grade level by third grade. (Anacortes American, 1.11.12)

The Friends of the Longview Library invite the public to “Curl Up with a Good Book” from 10 a.m. to noon Tuesday, January 17-February 28 in the magazine room. Attendees can enjoy a fire, free warm beverages and homemade cookies while they read. People who live outside the Longview library district can earn a library card by volunteering time and cookies. (Daily News [Longview], 1.12.12)

“Wow,” Olivia Rankin said as she walked into the library at Robertson Elementary School on Wednesday. It was the first time she and her first-grade classmates had been in the room since a December 18 arson that destroyed 1,625 children’s books. The school lost about 10 percent of all the books in its collection. The rest of the books had to be sent to Spokane to be treated for smoke damage. (Photo) (Yakima Herald-Republic, 1.12.12) http://www.yakima-herald.com/stories/2012/01/11/robertson-elementary-school-library-begins-new-chapter

Seattle’s new City Librarian, Marcellus Turner, kicked off a series of community meetings on the future of the library system at the celebrated Seattle Central Library on Saturday, January 7. The stately Turner listened patiently, responding thoughtfully to ideas from the audience of about 200. But in tough economic times, adding more services, or even maintaining current services, is difficult. (Crosscut.com, 1.27.12) http://crosscut.com/2012/01/27/books/21852/The-plan-to-preserve-Seattle-s-beloved-book-sanctuaries/

She was so flabbergasted at what she saw on the computer screen at the Lake City branch library that Julie Howe, mom to two elementary school girls, remembers the exact time. The screen was displaying Internet porn of the nasty kind, and it was showing up on a public computer readily seen by people in the area. In recent days, Howe has gone public with her concerns, and, once again, the Seattle Public Library is explaining that it is not in the censorship business. (Photo) (Seattle Time, 2.1.12) http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2017387133_libraryporn01m.html

At a Seattle Public Library briefing yesterday, library leaders, including library director Marcellus Turner, told city council members that library users, especially those who use branch libraries, were suffering because of ongoing cuts to library hours and the library’s collections budget. The council is debating whether to put a property-tax levy to fund library operations on the August ballot. (Publicola.com, 2.7.12) http://publicola.com/2012/02/07/seattle-library-budget-cuts-are-impacting-library-use/

Buildings
Quincy Valley residents are all invited to attend the grand opening for their new public library on Thursday, January 19. The library has been open for about a month. The grand opening will give residents an opportunity to celebrate the new library with their friends and neighbors. The Quincy Valley Library Foundation will be selling tote bags to help raise money for the library’s children’s programs. (Quincy Valley Register Post, 1.12.12) http://www.qvpr.com/articles/library-open-house-next-thursday

A public celebration will mark the fifth anniversary of the current Westport Timberland Library building this Saturday, January 14. Before opening in a new building on December 5, 2006, the Westport Timberland Library was the smallest library in the 27-branch Timberland Regional Library District. The new library is three times the size of the old one. (Photos) (South Beach Bulletin [Westport], 1.12.12)

Letters & Editorials
There are many ways to create meaning and connection in one’s life, one of those ways is to donate time to a cause you care about. Volunteers make the library, and the community, a well-rounded place. If you asked them, they would probably say they receive much more than they give. From my perspective, the library is the winner, and, of course, so is our community. (The Herald [Puyallup], 1.11.12) http://www.thenewstribune.com/2012/01/12/1980498/puyallup-library-column-jan-11.html#storylink=misearch

Last week, I wrote an article about the Quincy City Council’s decision to explore the idea of ending the city’s relationship with North Central Regional Library (NCRL). My article had one significant error that I felt was too important to leave to a minor correction note. The city does not contract with NCRL for library service. The city is in fact, a part of the NCRL’s district. (Quincy Valley Post Register, 1.12.12) http://www.qvpr.com/articles/library-correction-and-comment

The Seattle Public Library has a long list of rules of things you can’t do in the library, to ensure “comfort and safety” of staff and patrons. You can’t eat, sleep, look like you’re sleeping, be barefoot, be too stinky or talk too loudly. But you can watch graphic porn on a public computer in front of kids. (Seattle Post-Intelligencer Online, 2.2.12) http://www.seattlepi.com/local/article/Seattle-libraries-No-sleeping-or-eating-allowed-2941216.php

People
Tina Smith joins the Stevenson and North Bonneville libraries as Community Librarian this month. Former branch manager Lee-Anne Flandreau is returning to the downtown Vancouver Library to manage the Information Services department. Smith has been with the Fort Vancouver Regional Library District since 1985. (The Skamania County Pioneer [Stevenson], 1.11.12)

Programs & Displays
The Sumner Public Library, a part of the Pierce County Library System, hosted Tea Madame Tea Shop owner LaDonna Olmstead for a public class on the wide world of loose-leaf teas. Olmstead, with the help of her husband and business owner, Tim, entertained attendees with 5,000 years of loose-leaf tea history condensed into one hour. (Photo) (The Herald [Puyallup], 1.11.12) http://www.thenewstribune.com/2012/01/12/1980475/loose-leaf-teas-get-top-bill-at.html

The Writer’s Roundtable will offer “Flowers for your Salad: Writing in the New Year” on Saturday, January 14 at the Orcas Island Library. Facilitator JoEllen Moldoff will also present “On the Threshold: Adventures in Poetry” from January 17 to February 21. The fee is $15. (The Island Sounder [Eastsound], 1.11.12)

Students in grades 3 through 5 can participate in science and engineering activities in free events at Piece County Library’s Graham branch in February and April. The one-hour events, hosted by Friends of the Libraries in partnership with KBTC Public Television, will have children working as teams on challenges from the PBS series “Fetch Club with Ruff Ruffman” on February 11 and April 7. (South Pierce County Dispatch [Eatonville], 1.11.12)

Free family-friendly films will be shown on the second Saturdays of January and the next four months at the Eatonville branch of Pierce County Libraries. The showings, sponsored by Friends of the Libraries, are scheduled for 2 p.m. on January 11, February 11, March 10, April 14, and May 12. (South Pierce County Dispatch [Eatonville], 1.11.12)

The Sequim Library Kids Book Club holds its first meeting of the New Year on Tuesday, January 17, at the library. The book selection is “Project Mulberry” by Linda Sue Park. Children ages 8-11 and their parents/guardians are welcome to attend. The book club will continue in February with “Chasing Vermeer” by Blue Balliett and in March with “Year of the Dog” by Grace Lin. (The Sequim Gazette, 1.11.12)

Who better to inspire an island-wide reading event than three-time Pulitzer Prize winner Thornton Wilder? Orcas Island Library is sponsoring “Orca Reads,” a month-long celebration of Wilder’s two famous works: the play “Our Town” and the novel “The Bridge of San Luis Rey.” The Friends of the Orcas Library and the Orcas Community Foundation are co-funding a production of “Our Town” at Orcas Center. “Our Town” will show from January 19 to 21. (Photo) (The Island Sounder [Eastsound], 1.11.12) http://www.islandssounder.com/news/137215598.html

For persons who enjoy a good read, discussion, and meeting others in the community, the White Salmon Valley Community Library, a part of the Fort Vancouver Regional Library District, invites participants to take part in this year’s monthly spring book discussion series. The book discussion series will continue monthly through April. (The Enterprise [White Salmon], 1.12.12) http://www.whitesalmonenterprise.com/archives/Story.aspx/13080/join-book-discussion

“This Western Life” is the theme for this year’s “Booked for Winter” adult reading program at the Walla Walla Public Library. This year’s theme inspired the three books making up the program. The program runs through March. (Union-Bulletin [Walla Walla], 1.12.12)

The Pierce County Library System’s Teen Writing & Art Contest, Our Own Expressions, is underway. Students can earn cash prizes and have their works published in books for distribution in Pierce County libraries. Teens in 7th through 12th grades who live or attend school in Pierce County may enter for free. The deadline to enter is March 2. (The News Tribune [Tacoma], 1.30.12) http://www.thenewstribune.com/2012/01/30/2004688/pierce-county-library-art-contest.html

The Tacoma Astronomical Society and Puyallup Library staff are praying for dry weather next week. Tuesday night is the fifth annual free Star Party in the park outside the library – and for the last four years it’s been too rainy to use the society’s big telescope. An outreach event for the TAS, the annual “Stomp Rockets and Telescopes” star party attracts adults and kids curious to see more of the night sky. (The News Tribune [Tacoma], 2.3.12) http://www.thenewstribune.com/2012/02/03/2010500/a-star-studded-evening.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] ]