Washington Library News

Critics Thursday focused on the plan’s potential effect on the State Library, which would be removed from Reed’s office and consolidated into the new department. His agency says the library has already seen its budget cut by more than a third and its staff cut by more than half. (The News Tribune [Tacoma], 4.1.11) http://www.thenewstribune.com/2011/04/01/1607992/history-museum-likely-to-survive.html#storylink=misearch

Library News

Skagit Valley College’s nursing program has shrunk back to the size it was two years ago as the college works to fill a $5.5 million budget deficit left by state cuts. The college released a list of 57 positions affected by the cuts … of those, seven came from the nursing program and eight from the school’s library.  College President Gary Tollefson said the library uses 2 percent of the school’s budget and after the staffing cutbacks will still have the same 2 percent. (Skagit Valley Herald [Mount Vernon], 3.30.11)

Once again, thanks to the Wheat Country Quilters and Shelley Sieverkropp, the Friends of the Hesseltine Library have another beautiful quilt to raffle, displayed at Hanson’s Insurance building. The drawing for the quilt will be on Saturday, May 21^st at 3:00 p.m. in the library. (Wilbur Register, 3.31.11)

Kitsap Regional Library will benefit from a federal stimulus grant to expand the county’s fiber optic network. Installation of fiber optic cable will begin this summer.  The work is part of a statewide effort, headed up by the Northwest Open Access Network, to ensure that rural areas of Washington State and other underserved populations have functional Internet access. (Kitsap Sun Online, 4.26.11) http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2011/apr/26/txy-xy-xy-xxy-yx-yxy-xy-xy-xy-x/

The Seattle Public Library’s board of trustees has selected three finalists in its national search for a new city librarian.  The candidates are Charles M. Brown, director of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library in Charlotte, N.C.; Nancy Ledeboer, director of the Pima County Public Library in Tucson, Ariz.; and Marcellus Turner, the executive director of the Jefferson County Public Library in Lakewood, Colo. (Seattle Times Online, 4.27.11) http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2014894737_librarian28m.html

The annual month-long celebration of Longview’s history gets into full swing starting at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Longview library.  Historical photos from the collection of the late Clyde Shadiow will go on display for a month. Two short films about the history of the city will be shown as well as other activities. (The Daily News Online [Longview], 5.4.11) http://tdn.com/news/local/article_b6032a38-76bd-11e0-89c0-001cc4c03286.html

Elections

Come August 16, Jefferson County voters could have a chance to decide an $8.4 million ballot question that – whether approved or denied – charts the Jefferson County Library’s future. “The Library Board has not yet passed a resolution to set an election,” said Ray Serebrin, county library director, adding that the board is likely to pass the election resolution in April or May. (The Leader [Port Townsend], 4.6.11)

Buildings

The city of Port Orchard has scrounged up enough money to patch up the roof on the Port Orchard Library, a part of Kitsap Regional Libraries. The city plans to use real estate excise tax revenue to pay for the project, which would not have been necessary if voters had passed a library lid lift during the November election. (Independent [Port Orchard], 4.1.11) http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/kitsap/poi/community/119008484.html

The Manchester Library, a part of Kitsap Regional Libraries, reopened on Wednesday for the first time since a major flood destroyed it last Thanksgiving Day. To celebrate the library’s reopening, the Friends of the Manchester Library plan to host a Grand Opening Celebration on April 21. (Photo) (Independent [Port Orchard], 4.1.11) http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/kitsap/poi/community/119007874.html

The corollary in Fife might be that the written word is mightier than the real estate market.  With so many of those words penned in thousands of books that will stock the new Fife Library near the intersection of 20^th St E and 70^th Ave E, the site is well-positioned to draw families and workers throughout the city and beyond to the area. Many residents also believe that the opening of the library will kick off business revitalization along a corridor that has sat silent with vacant land for years. (Photo) (Business Examiner [Tacoma], 4.4.11)

Letters & Editorials

Ken Dane’s letter invites “constructive and viable alternatives” to the Cary $10M library {building} project. I’ll have a go at that. Open this process to the community. Apply real sustainability and conservation to modify the Cardwell 2007, a $5M two-floor design; the plan originally shared with the library advisory board and the community. (The Leader [Port Townsend], 3.30.11) http://www.ptleader.com/main.asp?Search=1&ArticleID=28943&SectionID=5&SubSectionID=5&S=1

You people lied when we had to vote on the library issue. I specifically asked whether we would lose this beautiful and unique library site.  I was told “absolutely not.” Now I read where you are thinking of allowing that ugly place close to the bus terminal to be used.  What a dirty trick it was in the first place to encourage voters to turn our facility over to King County. (Renton Reporter [Kent], 4.1.11) http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/south_king/ren/opinion/letters/119001819.html

Two words aptly describe Renton’s library over the river – iconic and anachronistic. Both also give a strong hint why it’s so hard to say goodbye to a beloved library that has drawn thousands of Renton’s kids to storytimes and helped others explore their real world and the worlds created by fiction. (Renton Reporter [Kent], 4.1.11) http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/south_king/ren/opinion/119001899.html

The city was going to put the library annexation into King County up for vote next month, but they cancelled this because of “lack of information.” In conclusion, we could lose our library. Something has to be done to save the library, so please write to Mayor Reynolds and the city ASAP. (Enumclaw Courier-Herald, 4.6.11) http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/south_king/ech/opinion/letters/119342149.html

As a 30+ year resident of Puyallup, my first reaction when I heard of this proposed study (of annexing the Puyallup Library with the Pierce County Library System) was ‘Not in MY city!’ Further reflection made me wonder whether finances were part of the question. For two years, the library budget has been reduced. We need to let the council hear from us as to how important our library is to us. (The Herald [Puyallup], 4.6.11) http://www.thenewstribune.com/2011/04/06/1613963/letters-to-the-editor-march-30.html#storylink=misearch

People

Barbara Louise Skinner of Bellingham passed away on March 20, 2011 in Bellingham, WA. Always active in the community, she served 18 years as manager of the Everson McBeath Library for the Whatcom County Library System and initiated a speaker series through the library. (Photo) (Bellingham Herald, 3.27.11)

Nancy Lindholdt, a cherished member of the Langley community and an icon at the Langley Library where she worked for 20 years, died Tuesday.  She was 84. Lindholdt’s former coworkers remembered her as an attractive, personable and gracious woman.  A memorial service is not planned, but friends of the family said donations in Lindholdt’s memory can be made to Friends of the Langley Library. (South Whidbey Record [Langley], 4.2.11)

Leslie Bussert, head of instruction for the University of Washington Bothell and Cascadia Community College Library, has received the 2011 Community College Learning Resources Program Achievement Award. The award will be presented to Bussert during the American Library Association annual conference in June. (The Enterprise [Lynnwood], 4.6.11)

Programs and Displays

Jo Sunderlage just wanted to get a couple of old programs off her iPhone, but she didn’t know how to do it. She went to the Mountlake Terrace Library on Saturday and got some help.  Sunderlage was one of five technologically challenged people who sought help from tech-savvy teenagers in a program at the library. The second-annual event had teens at the ready for two hours Saturday afternoon for anyone who wanted help with an electronic gadget. Sno-Isle Libraries worked with the United Way on the event. (Photos) (The Herald [Everett], 3.27.11) http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20110327/NEWS01/703279901

For hundreds of children throughout Pierce County, this year’s Daffodil Festival Court offered a once-in-a-lifetime experience: the chance to read with a real princess. Twice this year the princesses have visited the 18 libraries in Pierce County Library Systems to read to children. From the parent’s prospective, having the princesses read to the children is exciting and encourages the children to read. (Photos) (Tacoma Weekly, 4.1.11)

The first Port Townsend Public Library Teen Community Read is under way. The book selected for this inaugural event is Thirteen Reasons Why, a story of a teenage girl slowly losing hope, written by Jay Asher. Four hundred free copies of the book have been distributed to Port Townsend teens, who will discuss it during April and express the issues it raises through art, writing and theater. All events are free and culminate in presentations of the students’ work and a visit from the author in early May.  (The Leader [Port Townsend], 4.6.11) http://www.ptleader.com/main.asp?Search=1&ArticleID=28968&SectionID=101&SubSectionID=471&S=1

An eight-week series of early literacy parties in Spanish will begin this week at the Vashon Library. At the free workshops, Spanish speaking parents of children up to five years old will learn how to promote literacy in their young ones through games, lessons and crafts.  (The Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber, 4.6.11)

Pierce County Library System cardholders will  be able to download music for free through a new program. Each library cardholder will be able to download up to three songs per week from a library of 500,000 songs that span 100 music genres and 50 recording labels and keep the songs permanently. (The Herald [Puyallup], 4.6.11)

Two Waters Arts Alliance hosted its first juried art exhibit at the Key Center branch of the Pierce County Library System on Friday, and it honored two of the participating artists with awards. Britta Brones and Chris Bronstad received awards for two different mediums. Bronstad is a portrait and landscape artist who has been teaching art since 1985. Brones is both an artist and a weaver.  (Photo) (Peninsula Gateway [Gig Harbor], 4.6.11) http://www.thenewstribune.com/2011/04/07/1617166/artists-honored-at-juried-twaa.html#storylink=misearch

[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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