Library News

Miniature Santa hats and holiday scarves adorn the bronze statues of woodland animals in front of the Mukilteo Library last week.  Assistant managing librarian Chris Hoffman-Hill said for the past 12 years, the hats and holiday decorations just “magically appear during the night” on the statues about a week before Christmas. (Photos) (Snohomish County Tribune, 12.29.10)

The Friends of the Library is seeking to expand its membership.  The group was formed to support the Ritzville Public Library District No. 2 and has officially adopted bylaws, elected officers and set annual dues of $10.  In addition, the group has entered into a book sale agreement with the district as of December 1, 2010. (Photo) (Ritzville-Adams County Journal, 12.30.10) http://www.ritzvillejournal.com/archives/2010/12-2010/WebNews_12-30-2010/News/Ritzville%20library%20support%20group%20sets%20bylaws,%20takes%20on%20surplus%20book%20sales.html

The North Central Regional Library system has satellite branches in Brewster, Pateros and Bridgeport offering books, magazines, newspapers, Internet access, E-books and audio books.  With your library card you can access the Internet for online college level courses towards a degree of your choosing; read a long time favorite book; and borrow E-books for your new electronic readers at no cost to you. (Photos) (Brewster Quad-City Herald, 12.30.10)

School libraries everywhere have been making themselves over into multi-media centers, with more computers and fewer nonfiction titles in the stacks. Medical Lake School District librarian Mary Kay Rowles said her job has changed in two big ways since she first started at Briar Elementary more than 14 years ago.  For one, she’s cutting down on hardcopy research materials.  Secondly, ongoing budget constraints mean Rowles is doing more with less time. (Photos) (Cheney Free Press, 12.30.10)

The Ritzville Public Library and numerous volunteers marked the completion of sorting, labeling and filing about 60,000 negatives and photographs in the Kendrick Collection with a time of recognition and contemplation the morning of December 28.  Although the final transport of the collection to the state archives in Cheney was delayed a couple of days, the library recently feted several volunteers with a brief gathering. (Photo) (Ritzville-Adams County Journal, 12.30.10) http://www.ritzvillejournal.com/archives/2010/12-2010/WebNews_12-30-2010/News/Ritzville%20library%20notes%20completion%20of%20Kendrick%20Collection%20project,%20fetes%20volunteers.html

The Stillaguamish Valley Genealogical Society and Library has new hours for the New Year. The library is open 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays, noon to 4 p.m. Tuesdays and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursdays.  Parking is available across the street. Society members are available to help people trace their family history. (The Herald [Everett], 1.7.11) http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20110107/NEWS01/701079931

Elections

With the majority of cuts from the November levy failure for the Libraries of Stevens County scheduled to go into effect next month, a local citizens group is rallying to try and help fill the gaps.  A tax-exempt, non-profit organization, the Libraries of Stevens County Foundation (LSCF), was created for the purpose of supporting library district projects like building new libraries or remodeling and expanding existing libraries. The foundation is also dedicated to supporting large scale ventures such as the “One Book” program. (Deer Park Tribune, 1.5.11)

Buildings

The community is invited to participate in the grand opening of the new Milton/Edgewood Pierce County Library. The new 6,650-square-foot library will be brimming with easily accessible bestselling books, movies and music and far more computers than in the current space. A grand opening celebration and ribbon cutting will be held at 4 p.m. on January 13. (Milton-Edgewood Signal [Tacoma], 12.31.10)

On October 22, a groundbreaking ceremony at the Grandview campus of Yakima Valley Community College marked the start of construction for a new library in town. This will be a 12,000 square foot project, to be completed in summer 2011 that will give Grandview and YVCC a library that they can share. (Photo) (Grandview Herald, 1.5.11)

The community is invited to celebrate completion of the public library remodeling project during an open house at the Omak Library from 3-7 p.m. on Tuesday, January 11. The ceremony begins with a ribbon cutting, followed by tours of the facility and refreshments. (Photo) (The Omak-Okanogan County Chronicle, 1.5.11)

People

The White Salmon Valley Community Library’s longtime circulation supervisor Tove Stocks will be retiring in early January 2011 and the Friends of the Library and staff invite community members to join them at the library for an open house in Stocks’ honor on Friday, January 7, from 2 to 4 p.m.  (The Enterprise [White Salmon], 12.30.10) http://www.whitesalmonenterprise.com/archives/Story.aspx/12076/say-goodbye-to-library-circulation-supervisor

New library manager Su Alexander has plenty of new ideas in store for the Weller Public Library, in downtown Waitsburg.  Alexander, who took over as manager after Jan Cronkhite retired in October, has plans to make the library new and improved while retaining its historical aspects. (Photo) (The Times [Waitsburg], 12.30.10)

The Bainbridge Public Library board of Directors elected new officers for 2011: Pat Miller, president; Lois Reitz, vice president; Charles Browne, treasurer; Sarah Morgan, secretary.  In addition, three new members have joined the 16-member board for a three-year term. (Bainbridge Island Review, 1.7.11)

Bellingham Public Library Director Pam Kiesner is a finalist for the top libraries job in Boulder, Colo., according to a Boulder press release.  Kiesner is one of four candidates for the library director spot in the city of 103,000 people, and Boulder plans to hire the director next month.  (Bellingham Herald Online, 1.17.11) http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2011/01/17/1821194/bellingham-library-director-in.html

Awards

Orcas Montessori School recently received an anonymous grant to support burgeoning literacy among the school’s students. The $550 donation was used to establish a library of 58 books written in both English and Spanish, allowing children to hear books in their native tongue while they broaden their exposure to a second language. (The Island Sounder [Eastsound], 12.29.10) http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/sanjuans/isj/lifestyle/112024139.html

Programs & Displays

Pastor Corey Laughary has participated in the Palouse Library’s Turkey Leg Fun Run every year since 2005. Always a good sport and willing to humiliate himself for a good cause, he brings in big donations.  One such donation for this year’s event was a pledge of $512 from Corey’s brother, Clay Laughary.  He brought in almost half of the Turkey Leg donations so far this year, totaling $1,567. (Whitman County Gazette [Colfax], 12.30.10)

January will be an opportunity to see some of Karen Alexander’s antique and vintage quilts.  Alexander is exhibiting a selection of them at the Lopez Library.  The quilts will be on view until January 28. (Island’s Weekly Newspaper [Lopez Island], 1.4.11) http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/sanjuans/isw/community/112740114.html

King County Library System has launched a new service delivery method, Future Services, which will extend services beyond library walls to reach even more people.  The Future Services pilot project began January 2 in two library groups: the Bothell, Kenmore and Kingsgate libraries and the Federal Way 320^th Federal Way and Vashon libraries. The project will move librarians out of the library and into the community to bring programs and services to homebound patrons or those who do not have easy access to a library. (Bothell Reporter [Kent], 1.7.11) http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/north_king/bkn/news/112825229.html

Economy/Hard Times

In the latest budget-reduction effort, the Kitsap Regional Library on Tuesday announced it was elimination Sunday hours at its four largest branches – including Port Orchard. The Bainbridge Island, Poulsbo and Sylvan Way branches will also be affected by the move, which goes into effect on February 6. (Independent [Port Orchard], 1.7.11) http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/kitsap/poi/news/112605999.html

As we detailed Sunday, the Tacoma Public Library is preparing to shut down two small library branches (Swan Creek and MLK) as part of trimming nearly $2 million to meet budget targets for 2011-12.  In addition, 16 library staffers throughout the library system received layoff notices last week, and another seven vacant library positions were eliminated.  (Photo) (The News Tribune Online [Tacoma], 1.18.11) http://blog.thenewstribune.com/politics/2011/01/18/tacoma-details-on-library-lay-offs-and-could-more-libraries-be-closed/

[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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