Clippings, October 31, 2008

The Roslyn Library Board held a planning retreat, facilitated by librarian Erin Krake. Discussion topics included facility improvement, expansion of open hours, programming, including the new early literacy program “Ready to Read in Roslyn”, and marketing. The article includes an introduction to the board members and a color photo of them. (Northern Kittitas County Tribune [Cle Elum]. 10-16-08)

Elections:

Reasons for the Timberland Regional Library levy lid lift election in the spring are discussed, along with cost-cutting measures the district is now taking. (Pacific County Press [South Bend], 10-16-08)

Buildings:

The City Council in Quincy (North Central Regional Library) has decided not to purchase and renovate a vacant commercial building for a new library and instead is considering a land swap with the school district to build on one corner of city land at South Park. “The city will need to determine what property they want to use, and then hire an architect to design it (the mayor) said. At that point, they can start looking for grants.” (Columbia Basin Herald [Moses Lake], 10-17-08)

The City of Port Orchard (Kitsap Regional Library) is beginning discussions about creating a downtown parking garage, probably underground, possibly “topped off by a municipal structure, most likely a library or other municipal building”, possibly also incorporating a coffee shop or even an auditorium as public space. ((With photo) (Independent [Port Orchard], 10-18-08)

An Okanogan teenager has volunteered to refinish all the wooden directional signs inside the Omak Public Library (North Central Regional Library). (With color photo) (The Omak-Okanogan County Chronicle,10-15-08)

Letters and Editorials:

An editorial from Ellensburg—“During tough times, governments in this county typically scale back to core services—streets, utilities, police and fire. Services that feel the cuts are things like parks, libraries, and youth services….Do residents want libraries, parks, and youth programs? Yes. But the question is how do those services fare when pitted against street repair and police services?…Much of the problems stem from Kittitas County’s role in funding services it does not provide itself. The county contributes to each of the libraries in the county….But the county has no legal commitment to provide the funding…A funding option that is not really an option is a library district. County residents have overwhelmingly rejected (this) each time it’s been placed on the ballot…Tough times highlight how much all government entities in this county are tied together.” (Daily Record [Ellensburg], 10-16-08)

A column about touring the local sights of Lewis County, including “grass covering the endless acres of cracked mud left by the Dec. 3 (2007) flood”, mentions the coming opening festivities for the Vernetta Smith Chehalis Timberland Library, “the first new Chehalis library since Andrew Carnegie kicked in seed money for the first one a century ago.” (The Chronicle [Centralia], 10-16-08)

A column by Maggie Buckholz, director of the Burlington Library, gives her responses to a reporter’s question—“why don’t libraries charge user fees for accessing computers or attending story times?” (Skagit Valley Herald [Mount Vernon], 10-25-08) http://www.goskagit.com/home/article/libraries_embody_the_american_ideal/

Awards:

“The director of Sno-Isle Libraries, Jonalynn Woolf-Ivory, has agreed to serve a three-year term on the board of Leadership Snohomish County….The mission of Leadership Snohomish County is to develop community leaders and encourage their involvement in civic responsibilities and leadership within Snohomish County.” (Arlington Times, 10-15-08)

People:

A style column shares fashion tips for men by interviewing Fort Vancouver Regional Library’s Sam Wallin on his shopping preferences, including Goodwill for vintage shirts. (With photo) (Columbian [Vancouver], 10-24-08)

Programs and Displays:

The Pierce County Library System discusses many of its branch program, its Friends groups, and why October is a good time to get a library card or bring in a friend who does not have one. Names will be entered in a drawing to win a new Wii or flash drive. (Peninsula Gateway [Gig Harbor], 10-15-08)

“In the spirit of a spooky October, the Sequim Library (North Olympic Library System) staff is inviting teenagers to stop by and check out their section of ‘Books with Bite’”. Teens can also enter a “hoax photo contest (to) test their digital photo editing skills as they superimpose creative ‘freaky’ images into recognizable local scenes.” (The Sequim Gazette, 10-15-08)

Local author Bobbi Illing, Moments: A Journey Through the Moments of My Life, offered a journal-writing workshop at the Westport Timberland Library. (The Daily World [Aberdeen], 10-15-08)

The last presidential debate was shown on a large projection screen in the meeting room of the Port Angeles Public Library (North Olympic Library System), sponsored by a local political organization. (With color and b/w photos) (Peninsula Daily News [Port Angeles], 10-16-08)

A presentation at the San Juan Island Library by local historians displays the newly digitized items in the San Juan collection recently added to the Washington Rural Heritage collection with a grant by the Washington State Library, and a collaboration by WSL, the San Juan Library and the San Juan Historical Museum. (With photo) (The Journal of the San Juan Islands [Friday Harbor], 10-15-08) [See the collection at www.secstate.wa.gov/wrh/]

Local authors: Nancy Pearl spoke at the Whidbey Island Center for the Arts, sponsored by the Friends of the Langley Library (Sno-Isle), and Nancy Horan, Loving Frank, spoke at the Everett Public Library about the “shocking (for its day) love story of architect Frank Lloyd Wright and Mamah Cheney”. (With photo) (The Herald [Everett], 10-19-08)

[This summary of library news was created by Susan Barrett of the Washington State Library Division of the Office of the Secretary of State. It represents a newspaper clippings packet from all Washington newspapers received on the date shown. For more information about any of these stories, contact Susan at 360-570-5561 or [email protected].]

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