Browsed by
Category: Public Services

Collage of library staff answering questions through the Ask a Librarian service along with the program logo.
Ask a Librarian: your friendly neighborhood state-government resource

Ask a Librarian: your friendly neighborhood state-government resource

How often have you heard someone tell you the information you are looking for is “on our website,” only to give up looking because you could not find it? More than likely quite often. Unfortunately, however, and despite the best of intentions, government agencies are not always immune to this issue. Over 190 agencies comprise Washington state government. Thousands of Washingtonians visit their websites every day, often for urgent reasons — whether to make an appointment, pay a fee, or…

Read More Read More

Khalsa Day celebration in Kent - image courtesy of Sangam Studios in Kent, WA.
Celebrating Khalsa Day in Kent

Celebrating Khalsa Day in Kent

On May 26, thousands of Sikhs gathered in Kent for Khalsa Day to celebrate the foundation in 1699 of the Khalsa, the community of Sikhs. This annual festival and parade has drawn Sikhs from all over Washington to Kent for more than 25 years. This year, Secretary of State Kim Wyman joined the celebration and told the audience of her admiration for the Sikh tradition of Seva. Seva, or selfless service, is part of the Sikh dedication to work toward…

Read More Read More

WSL Updates for February 16, 2017

WSL Updates for February 16, 2017

Volume 13, February 16, 2017 for the WSL Updates mailing list Topics include: 1) SIGN UP FOR SERVICE EXCELLENCE 2) VISUALIZING (AND FINDING!) LIBRARY FUNDING 3) NIH FUNDING OPPORTUNITY 4) NEW IMLS GRANT OPPORTUNITY 5) WE’RE WAY PAST PEAS – USES OF GENETIC INFORMATION 6) FREE CE OPPORTUNITIES NEXT WEEK

Russian Interference with 2016 Elections

Russian Interference with 2016 Elections

From the desk of Rand Simmons In the year 2017 “Fake News” is on everyone’s lips and lately the news has been dominated by speculation that Russia intervened in the US election.  As librarians we know to look for a reputable source and to verify information. Federal publications help keep the public informed. The Washington State Library is a federal depository library (Federal Depository Library Program, Government Publishing Office) and serves as the Regional Depository Library for the states of Washington…

Read More Read More

Here comes Santa Claus … There goes Santa Claus

Here comes Santa Claus … There goes Santa Claus

From the desk of Rand Simmons For those of us, yes even the most mature of adults, and those who through deductive reasoning have ruled out the possibility of a jolly old elf in a sleigh packed with toys pulled by flying reindeer traveling faster than possible delivering a gift to every boy and girl in the world in just one night, the child within each of us listens to hear the tinkling of bells on the roof top … Trudy Hawkins…

Read More Read More

WSL Remembers John Glenn and Library 21

WSL Remembers John Glenn and Library 21

From the desk of Mary Paynton Schaff American hero John Glenn died yesterday after an action-packed 95 years. Glenn was a decorated fighter pilot who earned the Distinguished Flying Cross five times, the first American to orbit the Earth in the Friendship 7 capsule, a 24 year public servant as a Senator from Ohio, and the oldest person to ever fly in space when he flew aboard the shuttle Columbia in 1998. It would be hard to underestimate Glenn’s impact…

Read More Read More

Pearl Harbor at 75

Pearl Harbor at 75

Pearl Harbor turns seventy-five From the desk of Rand Simmons Only five men are still alive that experienced the Japanese attack on the USS Arizona at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. All five are in their mid-nineties. One of them, 96-year-old Lauren Bruner, lives in Washington State. Yesterday all but one gathered in Hawaii to celebrate Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. Moments before 8 a.m. on December 7, 1941, the United States was ‘suddenly and deliberately attacked.’ Hundreds of Japanese fighter planes and bombers launched…

Read More Read More

2016 World AIDS Day

2016 World AIDS Day

From the desk of Rand Simmons Each year December 1 is designated World AIDS Day. Beginning in 1988 World AIDS Day has raised awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection. AIDS.gov reports there are 36.7 million individuals worldwide living with HIV/AIDS. 1.8 million are children who were infected by their HIV mothers during pregnancy, child birth or breast feeding.  By far the majority of individuals who have HIV/AIDS live in low- to middle-income countries. In addition…

Read More Read More

Washington State Library honors Hispanic heritage / Biblioteca del Estado de Washington rinde homenaje a la herencia hispana

Washington State Library honors Hispanic heritage / Biblioteca del Estado de Washington rinde homenaje a la herencia hispana

Información en español From the desk of Rand Simmons Need assistance finding information? Why don’t you Ask WA? “Ask WA,” you say. Ask-WA is a cooperative of more than 60 libraries throughout Washington State, both public and academic, that provide online reference services through chat, email, and instant messaging (IM). This statewide network is tied to a global network that provides access to online reference service, 24/7. So, when you enter the Ask-WA portal, no matter the day or time, you…

Read More Read More

The Tale of the Washington State Bird, Volume 2: Emma Otis the Bird Chairman, and the Garden Ladies

The Tale of the Washington State Bird, Volume 2: Emma Otis the Bird Chairman, and the Garden Ladies

From the desk of Mary Paynton Schaff Read Volume 1 here From 1943 until 1951, the matter of designating an official Washington state bird languished.  Legislators seemed reluctant to bring the matter to a vote and interested outside groups appear to have lost hope in forcing their lawmakers to act.  Finally in 1951, another wave of interest in making the willow goldfinch official broke ashore, courtesy of a group of determined women from the Washington State Federation of Garden Clubs….

Read More Read More