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Women’s History: Selected Resources at the Washington State Library

Women’s History: Selected Resources at the Washington State Library

Women’s History: a sampling of resources at the Washington State Library Federal Publications : National Scope Alfonso, K. L. M., & Air University (U.S.). (2009). Femme fatale: An examination of the role of women in combat and the policy implications for future American military operations. Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala: Air University Press. Archive of Folk Song (U.S.). (1969). Sources for songs of the womans’ suffrage movement: With Library of Congress call numbers. Washington, DC: The Archive. Available at WSL! …

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Protecting the treasures of Washington State, or a peek into the vault.

Protecting the treasures of Washington State, or a peek into the vault.

The Washington State Library has a collection of very special books we keep in our “vault”.  This includes the Territorial Library Collection, as well as many other beautiful and rare books.  These books are old and fragile and special considerations need to be used to view them.  If you make an appointment and travel to Olympia during the library’s open hours, we would love to help you view these rare books. However thanks to the wonders of modern digitization many of…

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Echo Zahl that “Wild Young Female” – reporter to the Seattle Star

Echo Zahl that “Wild Young Female” – reporter to the Seattle Star

From the desk of Shawn Schollmeyer May 18, 1917 Echo Zahl starts work for the Star “Wild Young Female Person is going to tell Star readers how Seattle looks to Co-Ed fresh from University campus…” As the World War I began in Europe and the US began preparing for the eventual entry to the war in 1917, the Seattle Star was bringing a little levity to the front page news. In May they introduced, Echo June Zahl, a recent graduate…

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Electronic State Publications: Invasive Weeds of Eastern Washington

Electronic State Publications: Invasive Weeds of Eastern Washington

Thinking about your garden?  Look to State Publications for help. This time Jeff Martin has found another beautiful and informative State Publication. Prepared by Stephen M. Van Vleet, Ph.D. Washington State University Whitman County Extension Publication date: 2009 The rapid spread of invasive plants threatens natural resources across the United States, and the Pacific Northwest is no exception. Invasive species displace natural plant communities… The control of any weed begins with early detection. The objective of this guide is to…

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Statewide Database Licensing RFP released

Statewide Database Licensing RFP released

The Washington State Library announces the release of a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the Statewide Database Licensing (SDL) project. Proposals are solicited from firms interested in providing web-based digital products or services to nonprofit libraries in Washington State. The RFP solicits proposals for products in several categories: Aggregated periodical databases covering a wide variety of subject areas with content that will be of interest to all types of nonprofit libraries and their patrons; Newspapers both national and local, with…

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An eight hour workday for women

An eight hour workday for women

On March 2, 1911 the Washington state congress passed House Bill 12/Senate Bill 74 which limits women’s work day to an eight hour day.  While the cause had been championed for years, in 1910 Washington women gained the vote bringing new power (and votes) to the cause.  Several influential employers in the state came to Olympia to speak of the dire results this bill would have on their businesses, suggesting that manufacturers would move their businesses elsewhere.  Despite these objections…

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Washington State Bill Books, a piece of our state’s history.

Washington State Bill Books, a piece of our state’s history.

From the Public Services Desk Those of us who reside in the Olympia area are very aware that the Washington State Legislature is currently in the 2016 Regular Session. However, the very first session of our Legislature began shortly before Washington became a state on November 6, 1889. The bills introduced to the legislature are an important piece of our state’s history. It is fascinating to read what issues were important to Washington citizens in a given year. Each session…

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Gaining STEAM through Lego Robotics

Gaining STEAM through Lego Robotics

From the desk of Joe Olayvar Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math, also known as STEAM, is currently a catch phrase that personifies a push to elevate those topics into mainstream thinking (and coolness).  In its effort to further 21st Century learning, the Washington State Library (WSL) is doing its best to be part of that push.  What started out as a potential use of Lego Mindstorm EV3 robotics to bring STEAM topics to rural and tribal libraries, quickly became…

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Washington State Library Staff Helps Decipher the Writing on the Wall

Washington State Library Staff Helps Decipher the Writing on the Wall

Recently the Seattle Times published an article about handwriting and about one lawmaker’s efforts to mandate cursive writing instruction in our public schools. Does anyone write  in cursive in the 21st Century?  It’s an interesting question to be sure but the reason it caught our eyes is that Mary Schaff, one of the State Library’s reference librarians is quoted in the article. As a librarian who specializes in issues pertaining to Washington State, Mary contributed research as to whether or…

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New Deal-era Art Digitization at the Ellensburg Public Library

New Deal-era Art Digitization at the Ellensburg Public Library

From the desk of Evan Robb Washington Rural Heritage staff hit the road recently to help the Ellensburg Public Library digitize unique works by New Deal-era artist Ernest R. Norling. Known most widely for his important 1939 book on drawing, “Perspective Made Easy,” Norling also made a significant contribution to documenting Washington’s industry and history in the wake of the Great Depression. His murals depicting early pioneers, agricultural workers, Northwest logging crews, or CCC men at work, grace a great…

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