Washington State Library

The Washington State Library recently contributed another 23,000 historic newspaper pages from seven newspapers to “Chronicling America,” making Washington State’s contributions to the program a total of 23 papers and over 115,000 pages.  (Tacoma Daily Index, 9.28.10) http://www.tacomadailyindex.com/portals-code/searchd.cgi

Library News

The Board of Trustees for The Seattle Public Library and Pierce County Library System approved a borrowing agreement this month to allow residents from both libraries’ service areas to borrow books and other materials for free.  The borrowing agreement will go in effect on Friday. (Peninsula Gateway [Gig Harbor], 9.29.10)

The La Conner School District and La Conner Regional Library officials are talking about a possible merger that would locate the public library in the school administration building. The idea surfaced last week during a special school board meeting called to discuss capital projects.  Then, both the school and library boards met to discuss the pros and cons of joining forces.  (La Conner Weekly News, 9.29.10)

Neill Public Library is teaming up with Segmental Systems, Inc. and B&L Bicycles to renovate the library’s bike pad. Construction will take place through Friday.  The library’s parking lot will remain open during construction, but parking spaces may be limited.  The bicycle-parking pad will be lengthened and widened to allow for great access. (Daily News [Pullman], 9.29.10)

The Mid-Columbia Library system is set to build a new library at the west end of Pasco, and the planners want to hear from you.  The survey is open to everyone, whether you think you’ll use that branch or not.  What will a library look like down the road?  (Tri-City Herald [Kennewick], 9.29.10) http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2010/09/29/1188018/what-should-a-library-be.html

On Friday, September 24, Larry Bolan and his attorney Rick Kimbrough appeared before a judge in Yakima and requested that Bolan’s lawsuit against the City of Grandview be dismissed. He also commented that Bolan does plan to file his suit again in the near future. Bolan alleged that the City essentially took over the Bleyhl Community Library when it entered into an illegal partnership with its Library Board.  (Grandview Herald, 9.29.10)

The Tacoma Public Library is scheduled October 5 to provide the City Council with a quarterly update during the joint study session with the Tacoma Library Board.  The Council will not take public comment during the noon study session.  Audio from the session will be broadcast live on TV Tacoma. (Tacoma Daily Index, 10.4.10)

Thanks to a recently approved agreement between Kitsap Regional Library and the Seattle Public Library, any Kitsap County resident with a valid library card can now access all of the Seattle system’s collection. The new arrangement went into effect October 1.  Officials will review it in a year to make sure it is mutually beneficial.  (Seattle Times, 10.6.10) http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2013082400_library06.html

Elections

When Stevens County voters get their November 2 ballots, they will be asked to consider a proposition for a levy that funds the daily operations of all nine libraries throughout the county. According to Stevens County Rural Library District (SCRLD) Director Amanda McKeraghan , if the levy rate is restored, the SCRLD will use the money to maintain current levels of service at all locations. (Statesman-Examiner [Colville], 9.29.10)

As the struggling economy has continued to challenge Enumclaw’s operating budget, the city has wondered aloud if it would be beneficial to transfer operation of its public library to the county system. For the county system to take over management of the Enumclaw library, city voters would have to agree to annex into the district. (Enumclaw Courier-Herald, 9.29.10) http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/south_king/ech/news/103893584.html

Residents will be able to ask questions about the Kitsap Regional Library levy proposal Saturday at the Sylvan Way branch in East Bremerton.  Additional meetings will be held Tuesday in Bremerton and on October 8 in Silverdale. The current levy lift proposal on the November ballot would raise the library district levy by 13 cents per $1,000 of assessed value. (Bremerton Patriot, 10.1.10)

Buildings

The city of Kittitas is seeking qualifications from firms to provide planning and architectural services for renovation of the library/community center. Qualifications are due by October 26. (Daily Journal of Commerce [Seattle], 10.4.10)

The King County Library System is holding a groundbreaking event for the Newcastle Library at 3:45 p.m. on October 20 at 12901 Newcastle Way.  The $5.8 million, 11,000 square-foot library will house computer, books and materials, space for children and teens, and a community meeting room. (Daily Journal of Commerce [Seattle], 10.6.10

Letters and Editorials

We have a hidden treasure in our area!  It is the Stevens County Rural Libraries! The Stevens County Rural Library District will have a Levy on the November 2 ballot.  Let us ensure the Library’s continued success by voting for the library levy when it appears on the ballot.  We and our children deserve such a treasure! (Statesman-Examiner [Colville], 9.29.10)

I urge the voters of Stevens County to become informed about the services available through the Stevens County Library District. Whether you vote for or against the proposed levy to restore the levy rate to 50 cents per thousand dollars of valuation, at least do so from an informed point of view. (Statesman-Examiner [Colville], 9.29.10)

The Stevens County Rural Library District has a levy on the November 2 ballot.  It is important to note that this is simply restoring the levy to the same level it was in 1996. Join me in voting YES for our libraries on November 2^nd! (The Independent [Chewelah], 9.30.10)

We want to express our appreciation for the Kitsap Regional Library and our support for the upcoming library levy. We will be voting “Yes” and encourage everyone to do so. (North Kitsap County Herald [Poulsbo], 10.1.10) http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/kitsap/nkh/opinion/letters/104162544.html

We all support the library. We have to. It is on our property tax bill. But we do not have to add to our burden by voting for more taxes in November. Support yourself, your family and your friends by voting no on significantly higher library taxes. (North Kitsap County Herald [Poulsbo], 10.1.10) http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/kitsap/nkh/opinion/letters/104162564.html

I’m convinced that libraries can and should play a significant role in the life of seniors who are looking for meaningful and relevant opportunities for expanding their interests and activities. And Kitsap County has an outstanding library system to help facilitate that pursuit. (Bremerton Patriot, 10.1.10)

People

Barbara Jeanne (Bowler) Yates, 82, died Tuesday, September 21, 2010, of natural causes at Mason General Hospital.  She retired from the Washington State Library in September 1992.  Yates is survived by her husband Henry, her sister and three daughters.  A memorial for Yates will be held at a future date.  (Shelton-Mason County Journal, 9.30.10)

Susan Hildreth, Seattle’s chief librarian for 17 months, has been nominated for a post in the Obama Administration and may be leaving her Seattle job by early next year. Obama has nominated Hildreth, 59, to be director of the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services, a Washington, D.C.-based agency that provides grants to museums and libraries nationwide. (Photo) (Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 10.5.10) http://www.seattlepi.com/local/427899_librarian06.html

Awards

The Ocean Shores Library Board of Trustees is proud to announce that Michelle Dudley, our Ocean Shores Public Library employee, has been selected by the Washington State Library to receive a full scholarship to the American Rural and Small Libraries (ARSL) and Association of Bookmobile and Outreach Services (ABOS) October 2010 Conference in Denver, Co.  (The North Coast News [Ocean Shores], 9.29.10)

Carol Mackey won the 2010 Secondary Outstanding Teacher Librarian of the Year Award from the Washington Library Media Association.  Mackey, who works at Mountain View High School, will receive a plaque and monetary award at a business luncheon on October 15 in Seattle. (Columbian [Vancouver], 9.29.10) http://www.columbian.com/news/2010/sep/29/in-your-neighborhood-events-clark-county/

Theresa Percy, Port Townsend Library director, received $25,000 to continue what was known as the Hard Times Grant from the Secretary of State, Washington State Library as part of the Renew Washington Project.  Last year’s grant was $47,500, so other avenues for revenue in collaboration with various partners are being explored. (The Leader [Port Townsend], 9.29.10)

Programs and Displays

Kitsap Regional Library hopes to capture the memories of Kitsap County residents.  It’s launching a new oral history project to coincide with the celebration of 2010’s One Book, One Community program featuring “Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet.” To participate, call your closest KRL branch library. Library volunteers are being trained to conduct interviews. (Bremerton Patriot, 9.24.10)

One striking part of Lopez Island Library’s new Art in the Library installation is a display that pays homage to the library and allows patrons to interact with the pieces.  It even allows them to create works of art themselves. (Photo) (Island’s Weekly Newspaper [Lopez Island], 9.28.10) http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/sanjuans/isw/entertainment/103752664.html

Timberland Reads Together, a month-long program that promotes reading and community, will feature the works of Edgar Allan Poe.  During the month of October, Timberland libraries will host events from book discussions to performances and poetry slams.  Many editions and copies of Poe’s works are available at your local library. (Photo) (The Chronicle [Centralia], 9.29.10)

Libraries across America are embracing Banned Books Week, which is themed “Think for yourself, and let others do the same,” during the last week of September. The week focuses on the freedom to read and highlights books banned in the previous year, said Joanna Bailey, temporary library services manager at the Neill Public Library.  (Photo) (The Daily Evergreen [Pullman], 9.29.10) http://www.dailyevergreen.com/story/32524

Teenagers and parents with children had begun streaming into the Douglass-Truth Library , a part of The Seattle Public Library, when a couple appeared on the sidewalk in front, unfolded a card table and spread out several dozen homemade cookies wrapped in plastic. Then they began putting up signs announcing a bake sale to benefit the library. (Photo) (South Seattle Beacon, 9.29.10) http://southseattlebeacon.com/main.asp?Search=1&ArticleID=28477&SectionID=26&SubSectionID=248&S=1

Mountlake Terrace Library, a part of Sno-Isle Libraries, will soon host artists from around the region to compete for awards in several different categories. The 32^nd Annual Arts of the Terrace Juried Art Show is set for the weekend of October 2-3 and will feature artist demonstrations, tips on submitting artwork to galleries and even a wine-tasting event. (Photos) (The Enterprise [Lynnwood], 9.29.10)

Libraries in Whatcom County and across the country have participated in Banned Books Week during the last week of September for the past 28 years.  The libraries use the week to set up displays and instigate discussion about the many attempts, past or present, to ban books in America.  (Photo) (The Northern Light [Blaine], 9.30.10)

The Friends of the Timberland Regional Library have scheduled the first district-wide “Scrabble-Thon” with the local tournament set for October 9 at the William G. Reed Library in Shelton. Each library will hold a local tournament with the winners advancing to a county tournament scheduled for October 23 and the district tournament set for November 6. (Shelton-Mason County Journal, 9.30.10)

E-Audiobooks from Net Library are digital audiobooks available from your local library (Hesseltine Public Library) over the Internet. You can search for, check out and download e-Audiobooks to a computer or portable listening device.  Patrons must come to the library once and create an account on one of the public access computers. (Wilbur Register, 9.30.10)

Author Jamie Ford’s father grew up in a time of strong racial tensions in Seattle’s International District.  His father’s depiction of the scene inspired Ford, a 1986 South Kitsap High School graduate, to write a short story.  The story evolved into this novel “Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet,” this year’s selected book for the Kitsap Regional Library’s One Book, One Community project. (Photo) (Bremerton Patriot, 10.1.10) http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/kitsap/nkh/entertainment/104161619.html

Get your bookmarks out.  It’s time for Yakima Valley Reads, a community reading event.  This year’s selection is, “Fahrenheit 451,” by Ray Bradbury.  Linda Nixon, public programs librarian for the Yakima Valley Libraries, said she hasn’t read the book yet, but is looking forward to it. (Yakima Herald-Republic, 10.2.10) http://www.yakima-herald.com/stories/2010/10/01/fahrenheit-451-next-up-for-yakima-valley-reads

Cashmere Branch Librarian Jean Frank is pleased that so many children – and even some teens and adults – participated in the North Central Regional Library’s summer reading program this past summer. She had 235 people sign up for the reading portion of the program.  “This is the most we’ve had in the four summers I’ve been here,” Frank said.  (Photo) (Cashmere Valley Record, 10.6.10)

Friends of the Dayton Memorial Library are sponsoring an artisan demonstration and silent auction to raise money for the Columbia County Rural Library District’s Dayton Memorial Library on October 9^th from 1 to 3 p.m.  Friends need your help by donating items for the Silent Auction. (Dayton Chronicle, 10.6.10)

As part of a job skills enhancement effort throughout the Pierce County Library System, the Graham Library is continuing its popular computer-training program into October and November. The program, which is free, focuses on basic skills. Nearby libraries are also participating in the expanded training program and are offering classes not held in Graham.  (Photo) (South Pierce County Dispatch [Eatonville], 10.6.10) http://www.dispatchnews.com/main.asp?Search=1&ArticleID=2909&SectionID=6&SubSectionID=6&S=1

[This summary of library news was created by Bobbie DeMiero and Leanna Hammond of the Washington State Library Division of the Office of the Secretary of State.  It represents a selection of newspaper clippings about Washington libraries from all Washington newspapers received in the packets on the dates shown. For more information about any of these stories, contact Carolyn Petersen at 360.570.5560 or [email protected] ]

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