Library News
Bothell Police are currently investigating two reported incidents of voyeurism that occurred at the King County Library’s Bothell branch. In both cases, library staff and witnesses saw a male suspect entering the women’s restroom and taking significant steps to view and/or record females using the toilets. (Bothell-Kenmore Reporter, 4.19.13) http://www.bothell-reporter.com/news/202370121.html

In the Barge-Chestnut neighborhood, Mary MacKintosh has established Yakima’s first registered Little Free Library in her front yard. There’s also a Little Free Library at the Unity Spiritual Life Center to promote literacy and a sense of community. (Photo) (Yakima Herald-Republic, 4.20.13) http://www.yakimaherald.com/news/yhr/saturday/1056892-8/little-free-libary-promotes-reading-community

Whether it’s more than 140 people signing up for ID cards or city budgets remaining in line, Roy’s quarterly reports were, once again, positive. Library Director Cecelia Hanson said she spent a little more than $7,000 (35 percent) of the Roy City Library’s $20,199 budget, including $350 on library supplies. The library is waiting on four computers with wireless Internet. (Nisqually Valley News [Yelm], 5.3.13)

The Fort Vancouver Regional Library District has embarked on a facilities planning study and retained Vancouver planning consultants Berger-ABAM to lead the effort. The project timeline calls for a final report to be delivered to the library district in September. (The Skamania County Pioneer [Stevenson], 5.8.13)

White Salmon Valley residents now have the option of visiting the local library, a part of the Fort Vancouver Regional Library District, an additional day each week, made possible with the May 6th launch of Monday library hours. “We library staff are delighted to begin offering Monday hours,” said Community Librarian Jennifer Hull. (The Enterprise [White Salmon], 5.16.13)

Let’s say you’re a big public library. You want to kick off your summer reading program in style. You have energetic young folk hanging around a big ol’ stack of books. This being Seattle … What to do? You spend seven hours setting up 2,131 books (destined for a book sale) just right, and then knock them over. (Seattle Times Blog Online, 6.6.13) http://blogs.seattletimes.com/artspage/2013/06/06/seattle-public-library-sets-book-domino-record/

Elections
Most supporters of the new Ferndale Library (a part of the Whatcom County Library System) bond had good feelings going into Tuesday’s vote. It turned out to be a solid hunch based on that evening’s 62.15 percent approval tally from the Whatcom County Auditor’s Office. (Ferndale Record, 4.24.13)

The proposal for the city to annex into the Stevens County Rural Library District has been approved, receiving 85.98 percent of the vote (656 out of 763) as of Tuesday, April 23rd. The Libraries of Stevens County will be able to restore the hours for the Chewelah Public Library to six days a week beginning in January 2014 after the taxing district has been changed with the county. (The Independent [Chewelah], 4.25.13)

Buildings
The King County Library System presented to the Renton City Council Monday night a concept for a new downtown library that’s slightly smaller than the current one, an idea that was generally well-received by council members and the audience. (Photo) (Renton Reporter, 4.19.13) http://www.rentonreporter.com/news/203296001.html

Kyle Cox said libraries were magical places for him when he was a child. He now hopes a new library in west Pasco will do the same for local children and their families. Mid-Columbia Libraries opened its 13th branch on April 20th. It will be the library district’s first new facility in seven years and the second one to open in Pasco. (Photo) (Tri-City Herald [Kennewick], 4.19.13) http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2013/04/18/2362705/new-mid-columbia-libraries-branch.html

Storytime at the downtown Vancouver library, a part of the Fort Vancouver Regional Library District, is one of the building’s most bustling times. It’s also when library patrons might have the most difficulty finding a parking spot. The original plan was to build an underground parking garage at the same time the library was being built, but the Great Recession prevented developers from moving forward as planned. (Photos) (The Columbian [Vancouver], 5.11.13) http://www.columbian.com/news/2013/may/10/checking-out-library-square/

An architectural firm is sketching out ideas for expanding the Everett Public Library’s crowded south branch. The city has agreed to pay Dykeman Architects of Everett nearly $22,000 for the work. Within three months, the finished study should outline concepts for a bigger Evergreen Branch and how much construction would cost. (The Herald Online [Everett], 6.3.13) http://heraldnet.com/article/20130603/NEWS01/706039971#Firm-hired-to-study-library-branch-expansion

Letters & Editorials
The vociferous group that is now demonizing KCLS is acting on a false assumption. This assumption is that anyone who voted for the Cedar River site last year is also a KCLS opponent and against the process going on now with the City of Renton. I am a taxpaying citizen of Renton and this group does not represent me. (Renton Reporter, 4.19.13) http://www.rentonreporter.com/opinion/letters/203044971.html

The King County Library System has listened, proposing a 19,500 square foot library over the Cedar River that’s not much smaller than the current one. Maintaining the size of the library was one of two key concerns of citizens who have been watchdogging the library planning for years. (Renton Reporter, 4.19.13) http://www.rentonreporter.com/opinion/203688061.html?mobile=true

The Friends of the Mukilteo Library is almost 50 years old. I would greatly appreciate it if long-time Mukilteans could send me their memories of the library that was housed in the old post office. Please write down your memories and send (or bring) your work to Pat Colyer at the Mukilteo Library. (The Mukilteo Beacon, 4.24.13)

What a generous gift Bill and Pat Caldwell have offered to the city of Toledo – a building for a library branch. Earlier this month, the Toledo City Council voted unanimously to look into turning the building into a library during a meeting attended by more than 50 people. But I’m sure it’ll be up to the town’s voters to decide whether they want to join the five-county library system. (The Chronicle [Centralia], 4.30.13)

People
Having devoted 30 years working at the Dayton Memorial Library, a part of the Columbia County Rural Library District, Sue Hagfeldt quietly retired as branch manager in March, passing the torch to new manager, Amy Rosenberg. (Photo) (The Times [Waitsburg], 4.18.13) http://www.waitsburgtimes.com/news/2013-04-18/Front_Page/Hagfeldt_Retires_From_Dayton_Library.html

Programs & Displays
Children and teenagers will boost their reading skill and have fun earning prizes during Pierce County Library System’s Summer Reading program, which runs June 22nd through September 1st in all Pierce County Libraries. This summer children may read down fines they have accrued if they did not return books or other materials on time. (The News Tribune Online, 6.7.13) http://blog.thenewstribune.com/education/2013/06/07/pierce-library-launches-summer-reading-program-for-kids/

[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 Martha Shinners at 360.570.5567 or [email protected]]