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Classics in Washington History- Bigelow Family mementos

Classics in Washington History- Bigelow Family mementos

From the Desk of Jeff Martin  The Bigelow Family mementos are a marvelous collection of memorabilia of an early Thurston County family.   The collection consists of a hand written journal (and transcription), photos, newspaper clippings, and birth, death and marriage records. Written by Daniel R. Bigelow Digitized version of the unpublished diary [Daniel R. Bigelow diary, 1848-1853] (118, [7] p.) — [Transcription of] the Daniel R. Bigelow diary, 1848-1853 / transcribed by Roger Easton — Reminiscences of the last survivor of…

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Olympics of the Mind and Body – July 2016

Olympics of the Mind and Body – July 2016

From the desk of Shirley Lewis  July 1 Explore historic forts: Fort Vancouver National Historic Site and Fort Nisqually Living History Museum are two examples which were established by the Hudson’s Bay Company in what later became Washington Territory. July 4 – Observe our nation’s independence by marveling at the scope of U.S. Government publications. Washington State Library is a regional Federal Depository Library for Washington and Alaska. We’ve got the day off to celebrate, but if you have questions…

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Bet you didn’t know!… Special Collections in Washington State Libraries – #1 The Virginia Woolf Library

Bet you didn’t know!… Special Collections in Washington State Libraries – #1 The Virginia Woolf Library

In May the Library Council of Washington held their quarterly meeting in Pullman at Washington State University’s Holland and Terrell libraries.  After the meeting they were given a tour of the library as well as a visit to Special Collections and Archives.  As part of the tour the members learned that WSU houses Virginia Woolf’s personal library.  How cool is that?  How did this happen? Questions, we have questions… This chance encounter got the wheels spinning.  How many interesting and…

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Summer Reading in Washington

Summer Reading in Washington

From the desk of Carolyn Petersen Schools are out and kids are signing up in droves to participate in their public library’s summer reading program. Research has shown that children who continue to read over the summer maintain their reading skills and that summer involvement with reading leads to better academic skills when children return to school in the fall. Summer reading isn’t just for grade school children. In addition to grade school children, preschoolers, teens, and adults can find programs…

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The Statewide Database Licensing Project has selected a vendor.

The Statewide Database Licensing Project has selected a vendor.

The Washington State Library and the Statewide Database Licensing Project Advisory Committee are pleased to announce that ProQuest has again been selected to provide a suite of database products to the nonprofit libraries of Washington State. The new contract with ProQuest is set to begin on July 1, 2016. The package includes a periodicals collection, a collection of Washington and national newspapers, and resources for children and students, to name just a few. A complete listing of the content in the new ProQuest…

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A day in the life of a chat librarian

A day in the life of a chat librarian

Aubri Keleman of Whatcom County Public Library was born to be a chat librarian.  Well honestly she was born to be ANY sort of librarian, but today I want to tell you about one of her evening shifts covering the Ask WA queue for WCLS.  Ask WA, you ask, what is Ask WA? Ask WA is a cooperative of public and academic libraries around the state which work together along with librarians around the world to provide 24/7 access to…

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Listen Up! Stories from the Northwest Corner

Listen Up! Stories from the Northwest Corner

From the desk of Evan Robb The National Park Service turns 100 on August 25, 2016.  In honor of that centennial celebration, the Port Angeles Public Library—located right on the footsteps of Olympic National Park—recently interviewed a number of its patrons about their experiences visiting, living in, and working at national parks throughout the U.S.  These audio recordings are now accessible online at: http://sos.wa.gov/q/listenup. We especially enjoyed ranger Dean Butterworth’s story of guiding troubled teens on a snowshoeing trip in…

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Olympics of the Mind & Body – Summer of 2016

Olympics of the Mind & Body – Summer of 2016

From the desk of Shirley Lewis This year’s summer reading theme is “Get in the Game – Read”.  Why should the kids have all the fun? Washington State Library presents suggested activities to help adults get fit, learn, and try something new.  So, exercise your brain and your body throughout the summer – try these “Olympics of the Mind & Body” ideas. June 1 Learn to play Pickleball; a game invented by the late Joel Pritchard, Washington’s Lieutenant Governor from 1989…

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On the Battle ground: Rosalia Wash. – Washington State Library Electronic Publications

On the Battle ground: Rosalia Wash. – Washington State Library Electronic Publications

From the desk of Jeff Martin Do your ancestors come from this area? While not always politically correct by 21st century standards, this publication is full of pictures and information about the early days of Rosalia. Author: Charles Thompson The Inland Press, of Inland Printing Co., Spokane, Washington Publication date: 1905 PEOPLE “Natives of almost every state people Rosalia and vicinity. It has profited from this circumstance just as the emigration from all nations has made the United States a…

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When the Akimotos Went to War

When the Akimotos Went to War

From the desk of Rand Simmons May is Asian-American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month and before time slips away here is a post about a Japanese-American family’s experience during World War II. The American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) and author Matthew Elms retell the saga of three brothers who nobly fought alongside one another in World War II. (Thanks to the Government Publishing Office for the text of this post: Government Book Talk, Family, Patriotism & Sacrifice, Trudy Hawkins, May 4,…

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