Clippings, August 5, 2011

Library News
The Jefferson County Library opened its first satellite collection at the Quilcene Community Center on July 5, and the collection contains more than 200 popular books available for checkout on a first-come, first-served basis. As of July 8, 10 percent of the collection was already circulating. (Photo) (The Leader [Port Townsend], 7.13.11)

Although libraries are generally thought of as places of imposed silence, casual observation these days will find a melding of sounds all telling their own story. This new soundtrack of the library illustrates how area libraries have become more than a place to check out books. They are also the new community hubs. Nowhere can this be better seen than in the libraries of the Stevens County Rural Library District. (Statesman-Examiner [Colville], 7.20.11)

On July 17, passers-by saw a woman parked outside the Freeland library. She was working on a laptop that was plugged into an external power outlet by way of a long, heavy-duty extension cord. Betsy Arand, library manager, was surprised to hear of energy bandits at her branch. (South Whidbey Record [Langely], 7.20.11) http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/whidbey/swr/news/125850588.html

Renovation of the Endicott library could begin as soon as this fall, after the town received a $76,500 grant from the United States Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development division. The grant brings the town’s fund for the remodel to $125,500, well over the anticipated cost of $118,000. (Whitman County Gazette [Colfax], 7.21.11)

Whitman County commissioners Monday granted the rural library district $5,800 to further its project to post historical documents and pictures from the area on the Internet. Library Director Kristie Kirkpatrick said the library did not this year receive the federal grant that had been funding its Rural Heritage Project for the past several years. (Whitman County Gazette [Colfax], 7.28.11)

A 32-year-old man who claims to have an attraction to young girls was charged Friday with inappropriately touching a toddler in a bathing suit and following her around a Kennewick Library. Jeremy James Walker is accused earlier this week of take a picture of the girl with his cellphone and spying on her through the book stacks at the Kennewick branch of Mid-Columbia Libraries. (Tri-City Herald [Kennewick], 7.30.11) http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2011/07/30/1585615/man-faces-charges-for-incident.html#storylink=misearch

The Deming Public Library will celebrate its access to high-speed broadband Internet on Monday, August 1. A branch of Whatcom County Library System, its connection is part of the first rural broadband expansion in Washington State to go live. The Deming Library is part of a statewide project to extend high-speed Internet access to rural communities by adding more than 1,300 miles of new fiber optics in 25 counties. (Bellingham Herald Online, 7.30.11) http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2011/07/29/2121929/deming-library-celebrates-high.html#storylink=misearch

Elections
A split Hoquiam City Council voted Monday night to let voters decide whether to annex the city’s library into the Timberland Regional Library District as officials try to cope with expected budget cuts. Supporters said annexation would protect the library while freeing up city funds. (Daily World [Aberdeen], 7.26.11)

The Jefferson County Rural Library District has placed a bond issue on the August 16 ballot that would fund $8.4 million of the $9 million needed for proposed library expansion. The remaining $600,000 would come from private donations. If approved, Proposition 1 would raise property taxes $44 per year for 20 years for a house valued at $250,000, which is the average home value for the library district. (Peninsula Daily News [Port Angeles], 7.29.11)

Castle Rock’s Librarian wants to make it clear that there’s no “excess” in the library levy before voters on the Aug. 16 primary ballot. The measure is called a “special excess levy,” a legal term, but the $56,000 it raises is the library’s entire annual budget. If approved, the levy would cost taxpayers 50 cents per $1,000 in assessed value — or $50 annually on a $100,000 home. It’s the same amount voters approved last year and would replace the expiring levy. (The Daily News [Longview], 8.2.11) http://tdn.com/news/local/article_3804c336-bd84-11e0-ad9b-001cc4c002e0.html

Buildings

The Bellevue City Council on Monday got a chance to review plans for a three level parking garage to be built for the Bellevue Regional Library downtown. The King County Library System is building the 250-stall garage to replace an 80-stall surface parking lot. (Bellevue Reporter [Kent], 7.22.11) http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/east_king/bel/news/125861933.html

The new 15,000-square-foot Ferndale Public Library will have views of Mount Baker and Schell Marsh, and plenty of natural lighting. Those were among the details revealed Tuesday, Aug. 2, during a presentation of the preliminary design for the library, which will be built on city-owned land next to City Hall on Main Street. The entire project is expected to cost $5.1 million, including construction. (Bellingham Herald, 8.4.11) http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2011/08/04/2127969/ferndale-library-meeting.html

Letters & Editorials
After talking with members of the Prosser school board, eliminating our school’s librarians is considered the ONLY option available to balance the budget. Eliminating librarians touches every student and teacher. Please attend the next school board meeting and let them know you believe in the value of school librarians and their importance in our schools. (Record-Bulletin [Prosser], 7.27.11)

People
The Washington Coalition for Open Government will present its 2011 James Anderson Award to longtime board member Patience Rogge of Port Townsend. Following a career at university, school and public libraries, Rogge joined the coalition board in 2005. During her 11 years as a trustee of the Jefferson County Rural Library District, Rogge was active in the Washington Library Association. (Photo) (The Leader [Port Townsend], 7.27.11)

Dennis Carlisle wanted to be a fine artist, but he spends much of his time holding people’s hands as they navigate the web. Carlisle is a librarian at the Rainier Beach branch of the Seattle Public Library, and he wanted to talk with me about the digital divide, which has pushed his job on to a different track. (Seattle Times, 8.8.11) http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/jerrylarge/2015848443_jdl08.html

Programs & Displays
The goal is to keep kids reading through the summer, and this year the Chelan Library, a part of North Central Regional Library, is giving them an extra incentive with a fun contest. Prizes include four bicycles donated to the library by the Chelan Masonic Lodge and Wal-Mart, an iPod donated by Chelan Rotary, and a Color eReader donated by North Cascades National bank of Chelan. (Photo) (Lake Chelan Mirror, 7.2011)

Visit an independent bookstore and give a book to a child in need! From July 16 through July 31, The Corner Shelf Bookstore in Omak will join 26 independent bookstores across Washington State to host the Books for Kids Book Drive. Books collected during the drive will be distributed to children in need by Page Ahead. Page Ahead partners with preschools, Head Start programs, elementary schools, libraries and social service programs to identify children in need. (Okanogan Valley Gazette-Tribune [Oroville], 7.21.11)

These Liberian masks are scary, but their stories are funny and the music is irresistible, Won-Ldy Paye promises. Paye, whose first name is pronounced “wondey” with a silent L, left his native Liberia for the United States in 1989 amid political unrest in his homeland. Part of the “One World, Many Stories” summer reading program, Paye’s appearances are set for July 25 at three Clallam County libraries, all part of the North Olympic Library System. (Peninsula Daily News [Port Angeles], 7.24.11) http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20110724/news/307249989

As part of the 150 year commemoration of the U.S. Civil War, members of the Historic Fort Steilacoom Association will present a living history display and reenactment of how soldiers on both sides of our nation’s bloodiest conflict lived while on a campaign march. The event runs noon to 5 p.m., Saturday, August 20, at the Outdoor Amphitheatre located at the Sylvan Way branch of the Kitsap Regional Library. (Central Kitsap Reporter [Silverdale], 7.29.11) http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/kitsap/ckr/community/126414473.html

[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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