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Category: Site Visits

The Shoalwater Bay Tribe has a beautiful new museum/library.

The Shoalwater Bay Tribe has a beautiful new museum/library.

From the desk of Carolyn Petersen Congratulations to the Shoalwater Bay Tribe on their new museum library location! On Friday, September 8, the Shoalwater Bay tribe realized a long held dream of opening a museum to highlight their cultural contributions to their community.  Tribal Library Consultant Carolyn Petersen conveyed a letter of congratulations on their achievement from Secretary of State Kim Wyman which was presented to tribal members. Some of the highlights of the collection: a cedar hand dugout canoe,…

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Lively Art @ the Ellensburg Public Library

Lively Art @ the Ellensburg Public Library

Many libraries are embellished with significant pieces of art found in the building or on the immediate grounds, enhancing their attractiveness to patrons and visitors. Not too long ago I had the opportunity to visit the Ellensburg Public Library, where I encountered quite a remarkable collection of art works. If you’re in Ellensburg, it’s worth a visit to the library just to check them out! Many of the art pieces there grace the exterior building and grounds. These ranged from…

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The Roslyn Library Inhabits a “New” Space.

The Roslyn Library Inhabits a “New” Space.

Jail door from original Rosyln city jail Formerly the library was shoehorned into a series of small rooms on the main floor of the Roslyn City Hall. A combination of civic fundraising and grant writing allowed the City of Roslyn to jack the historic building up and rebuild and renovate the space beneath the main floor. The City Library now inhabits a spacious portion of that ground floor with the Roslyn City Council Chambers.  These quarters are only temporary as…

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Spokane Indian Tribal Early Learning Center

Spokane Indian Tribal Early Learning Center

Recently I visited the Spokane Indian reservation at Wellpinit, Washington, to conduct training on math and science readiness for the tribe’s early childhood center staff. The Pauline Stearns Early Learning Center is only a year or so old.  In addition to providing a bright spacious up to date and modern learning center for their children with the latest equipment, the tribe did some other things which impressed me as well. Mindy Flett, the Child Development manager for the tribe, related…

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Summer Library Reading and Lunch in Sprague, WA

Summer Library Reading and Lunch in Sprague, WA

From the Desk of Carolyn Petersen, Assistant Program Manager, Library Development How many libraries would be willing to take on the challenge of providing an hour long summer reading program four days a week for 8 weeks– and then top off that challenge with the additional duty of providing lunch to the children immediately after the program? That challenge would daunt most libraries who have multiple library staff. Sprague City (population 441) librarian Judy Boutain knows what her community’s kids…

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Gardens in Unexpected Places

Gardens in Unexpected Places

The first sight that greeted Diane Hutchins and me as we parked in the Hibulb Cultural Center lot on the Tulalip Indian reservation was a gorgeous garden.  The individual responsible for the garden, Veronica Leahy, happened to be working on site. Before we entered the Cultural Center for our visit, we chatted with her. Veronica said that this is a collaborative program which has involved the WSU master gardeners and a local community college in addition to the classes she leads. Besides…

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Unexpected Benefits—and Connections

Unexpected Benefits—and Connections

When I set out to visit the Hibulb Cultural Center recently I had no idea that one of the results would be zucchini cake, zucchini bread and zucchini bars.  That one zucchini I’m holding in the photo produced 10 cups of raw material.  Just as the Tulalip tribe is using this garden as a way to have families work together and learn to cook healthy food together, the zucchini served as a vehicle to put me in touch with my…

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Discover the Hibulb Cultural Center

Discover the Hibulb Cultural Center

Looking for a change of scene? Trying to find a place that the whole family can enjoy? Visit the Tulalip Tribes’ Hibulb [pronounced “Hee-Bolb”] Cultural Center & Natural History Preserve in Tulalip. On Wednesday, August 9, my colleague, Carolyn Petersen, and I had the pleasure of meeting staff from the Hibulb Cultural Center & Natural History Preserve and being treated to a behind-the-scenes tour of their curation facility, which is responsible for managing historic Tribal artifacts and burials that are…

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