Library News
The good news seems to be that from Cle Elum City Council’s decision to halve library hours comes a quick response from the community. Friends of the Library and members of the community are working to fund a part-time librarian. In addition, fundraising activities are planned to get librarian Jane Agar’s salary back to where it was and restore library open-hours to full time. (Northern Kittitas County Tribune, [Cle Elum] 2.23.12)

Members of the Washington State Senate took a few moments on February 16 to honor the Goldendale Library’s 100-year history with Senate Resolution 8682, sponsored by 15th District Sen. Jim Honeyford, who represents Goldendale. (The Enterprise, [White Salmon] 2.23.12) http://www.whitesalmonenterprise.com/archives/Story.aspx/13149/honeyford-resolution-honors-goldendale-library

Renton City Council could act on the petition to keep the downtown library where it is as early as March, while plans for the building’s use were presented last week to the public. The Liberty Park library building could become a cultural arts center, and environmental interpretive center or an extended community center. The King County Library System, meanwhile, is moving forward with its design process for the library. (Photo) (Renton Reporter, 2.24.12) http://www.rentonreporter.com/news/139538703.html

The King County Library System’s Library2Go vans reach beyond library walls to provide library service to facilities, such as in-home daycare, not open to the public. There are four vans total, each containing about 1,000 items including books and DVD’s, and a fifth van is dedicated to computer graphic equipment. (Photos) (Highline Times/Des Moines News/SeaTac News, 2.24.12) http://www.highlinetimes.com/2012/02/09/features/library2go-mini-bookmobiles-reach-beyond-libr

The Castle Rock Library won’t receive any money from the recently approved library levy until April of 2013. Mayor Paul Helenberg said currently the library account has enough money to stay open roughly two more months. Mayor Helenberg hopes to meet with library supporters soon to develop plans to keep the library open the rest of the year. (Daily News, [Longview] 2.25.12) http://tdn.com/news/local/castle-rock-looking-for-ways-to-fund-library-until-levy/article_e2e453f4-5f44-11e1-a433-001871e3ce6c.html

The Mid-Columbia Library District will spend up to $30,000 this year finding out what will best serve library patrons. A survey of library users about their customer satisfaction and an assessment of the quality of library experiences customers have will be used to improve library services and better promote the library branches. (Tri-City Herald, [Kennewick] 2.26.12) http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2012/02/26/1842586/libraries-to-study-reader-needs.html#storylink=misearch

A possible land deal involving the city of Spokane Valley and the Spokane County Library District will get extra scrutiny because of ties between most members of the Spokane City Council and the owner of the property who has donated to the election campaigns of all but one council member. (Spokesman Review, [Spokane] 3.2.12) http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2012/mar/02/land-ownership-complicates-potential-sale-to-city/

Buildings
Anyone who has checked out a book, CD or DVD or tried to book a class at the new Fife Library knows that the branch of the Pierce County Library System is well trafficked. Library officials know it too, and planned for an eventual expansion even as the walls were going up. But that added space is not likely to come soon. (Photo) (Fife Free Press, [Tacoma] 2.24.12)

Letters & Editorials
Please join all those who from 1972 have supported our library and who have worked hard to make the Ocean Shores Public Library one of the most cherished institutions in our great city. Vote YES for the library lid lift. (The North Coast News, [Ocean Shores] 2.22.12)

Keitha Owen was hired as the library director of the Ocean Shores Library in late 2011, and has won rave reviews. One of her biggest fans is Judy Stull who retired as the Ocean Shores librarian in 2009. (The North Coast News, [Ocean Shores] 2.22.12)

Every library system has the urgent civic duty to aggressively advertise the capabilities of a library to the general public. Librarians and the library environment should not be so passive. (Chinook Observer, [Long Beach] 2.22.12)

In his Feb. 9th letter, Cle Elum City Council member Jim Eidemiller explained that the severe cuts to the Cle Elum Library budget were necessary so essential services, like police, fire, sewer, and water would not be cut. While an understandable position, this view seriously downplays the importance of library services. (Northern Kittitas County Tribune, [Cle Elum] 2.23.12)

Please get out and vote “Yes” for the Ocean Shores Library. It is the educational thing to do. Thank you everyone who enjoys the library. (Daily World, [Aberdeen] 2.24.12)

Thumbs up to the Mid-Columbia Libraries board members for considering a temporary reprieve for the doomed Merrill’s Corner branch library in Eltopia. The board is considering reopening the little facility until the new west Pasco branch is up and running at the end of the year. (Tri-City Herald, [Kennewick] 2.27.12) http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2012/02/27/1842213/thumbs-up-thumbs-down.html#storylink=misearch

What a wonderful program I attended Saturday at the Sumner library. As part of Pierce County Reads, each library is sponsoring one or more programs related to the book “Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet.” (The News Tribune, [Tacoma] 3.13.12)
People
Angelique Leone may not be a librarian. But this book-lover ensures local libraries are well stocked with page-turners as executive director of the Sno-Isle Libraries Foundation. (Photos) (The Weekly Herald, [Lynnwood] 2.22.12) http://www.weeklyherald.com/article/20120222/TWH01/702229922

Ken Kortlever of Langley has been elected as the new secretary for the Sno-Isle Libraries Foundation. Rose Olson of Camano Island is the newly elected president. Caryl Thorp of Marysville is the new vice president, and Marisa Clayton of Edmonds is the new treasurer. (South Whidbey Record, [Langley] 2.22.12) http://www.southwhidbeyrecord.com/community/140193463.html

As the librarian at the Oakesdale Branch of the Whitman County Library, Michele Wright has watched many children grow from story time attendees to high school seniors. (Photo) (Whitman County Gazette, [Colfax] 2.23.12)

Lis Marshall is the newest member of the Whatcom County Library System Board of Trustees and the first from Lummi Island. (The Bellingham Herald, 3.19.12) http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2012/03/19/2438679/whatcom-county-library-trustee.html

Awards
Thanks to a recent $10,000 grant from the Jefferson County Community Foundation’s Gifting the Future Giving Circle, students attending Port Townsend public schools soon will have access to city and county library collections via an integrated network. (Peninsula Daily News, [Port Angeles] 2.26.12)

Programs & Displays
Kittitas County’s four city libraries – in Ellensburg, Kittitas, Cle Elum and Roslyn – are hosting the third annual One Book, One County initiative. The program encourages Kittitas County residents to read the same book at the same time to create a countywide dialogue and book club. This year’s book is “The Big Burn” by Timothy Egan a National Book Award winner. (Photo) (Daily Record, [Ellensburg] 2.24.12)

This year marks the fifth annual Pierce County READS program, which will run through April 13. The book selection: New York Times best seller “Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet” by prize-winning author Jamie Ford. The author will be in town on April 13 for a free meet-and-greet and book signing at Clover Park Technical College, Sharon McGavick Conference Center in Lakewood, at 7 p.m. (Photos) (Fife Free Press, [Tacoma] 2.24.12)

There is a reading on March 22, at the Ballard Library, a part of the Seattle Public Library, at which Ballardite Joshua McNichols will share about a book he recently co-authored titled “The Urban Farm Handbook: City-Slicker Resources for Growing, Raising, Sourcing, Trading, and Preparing What You Eat.” (Photo) (Ballard News Tribune, [Seattle] 2.24.12) http://www.ballardnewstribune.com/2012/02/15/news/ballard-writer-puts-spade-page

Stanwood Library, a part of Sno-Isle Libraries, will offer a five-session citizenship class March 10-April 7, for people who want to become U.S. citizens. This program is funded by the Sno-Isle Libraries Foundation. (Stanwood Camano Island News, 2.28.12)

Through March, Camas artists David and Beth Norwood are showing “For the Love of Nature,” a photography and oil painting display featuring Dave Norwood’s pictures of birds and Beth Norwood’s landscape art. The event will be held in the Second Store Gallery at the Camas Public Library. (Photos) (Columbian, [Vancouver] 3.4.12) http://www.columbian.com/news/2012/mar/04/sixafter-6/

[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 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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