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Bet you didn’t know!… Special Collections in Washington State Libraries – Abby Williams Hill Collection

Bet you didn’t know!… Special Collections in Washington State Libraries – Abby Williams Hill Collection

Abby Williams Hill who lived in the late 19th and early 20th century (1861-1943) was a remarkable woman for her time.  She was a painter and a social activist, a brave woman who did not let much stand in her way.  She was the founder of the Washington State Congress of Mothers which eventually became known as the PTA.  She was a supporter of early childhood education.  Visits to the Tuskeegee Institute and the Flathead reservation made her a champion…

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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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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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WSL Special Collections featured on C-SPAN 2’s Book TV

WSL Special Collections featured on C-SPAN 2’s Book TV

This weekend, C-SPAN Cities will be featuring a block of programming on the history and the literary culture of Olympia on its American History TV and Book TV specials. The State Library’s Territorial Collection is highlighted. Also featured are visits to local museums, businesses and exhibitions, and talks with local authors, historians, and political figures such as NWIFC Chairman Billy Frank, Jr., Secretary of State Kim Wyman, and Governor Jay Inslee.

WSL and the “Declaration of Learning”

WSL and the “Declaration of Learning”

The Library of Congress, along with 12 other governmental agencies and non-governmental organizations, including the American Library Association and the  Institute of Museum and Library Services, have recently created the Declaration of Learning.  This document “formally announces their partnership as members of the Inter-Agency Collaboration on Education”.  Each organization involved pledges to utilize its historic artifacts and institutional expertise to create interactive digital media, apps, and websites. In the spirit of this declaration, Washington State Library would like to highlight some of  our digital services and activities that also share…

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Don’t forget to take care of your Legislative Building!

Don’t forget to take care of your Legislative Building!

From the desk of Sean Lanksbury. PNW & Special Collections Librarian Otherwise, you might end up with the sight you have before you: rotting timber, broken windows, and a sagging foundation.  Egads!  Long-time library volunteer Gordon Russ recently uncovered this undated image of Washington’s Territorial Legislative Building in disrepair while processing a portion of the State Library Special Collections. The original capitol building was built for $5,000 appropriated by U.S. Congress as described in Section 13 of the Organic Act of…

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Let’s head back to those heady days of 1962…

Let’s head back to those heady days of 1962…

From the desk of Sean Lanksbury. PNW & Special Collections Librarian 49 years ago, Seattle’s Lower Queen Anne district was abuzz with excitement.  Many locals were curious to what the futurist wonder of the Century 21 World Exposition – still in construction – would hold for them when it opened.  Others were skeptical of the prospects for success and debated the costs involved.  Seattle now prepares for the 5oth Anniversary of the Fair, and it feels like a good time to…

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