Library Clippings for the week of March 27, 2015

Library News

South Whatcom Library closing for weekend move (Bellingham Herald, Bellingham, 2/19/15)

Library helps to build our sense of community (Bellingham Herald, Bellingham, 2/19/15)

Central library district seeks new board member (Skagit Valley Herald, Mount Vernon, 2/24/15)

Boat school students link with libraries (The Leader, Port Townsend, 2/25/15)

Library district seeks board trustee
The Central Skagit Library District is taking applications for a volunteer library board trustee to serve a one-year term, with an option for reappointment to the usual five-year term. Trustees must live in the Sedro-Woolley School District but outside of city limits. Application materials are available at www.centralskagitlibrary.org or at the district office at 100 W. State Street, Suite C. (Courier Times, Sedro-Woolley, 3/3/15)

Ferndale Library sees uptick in usage
The Ferndale Library is being used much more since its last move from Pioneer Pavilion to the new facility on Main Street. That’s what manager Sarah Koehler shared with the Ferndale City Council on Monday. While circulation has fluctuated somewhat month to month since the library opened last fall, the average difference is a 12 percent overall increase, Koehler said. (Ferndale Record, Ferndale, 3/4/15)

Open library board seat is still unfilled (Mercer Island Reporter, Mercer Island, 3/4/15)

Buildings

Terminal Building site now a library (Spokesman Review, Spokane, 2/23/15)

Village Green construction begins in April
Construction is expected to begin in April on the Village Green Community Center and Kitsap Regional Library branch. The center will also house a Boys & Girls Club. (North Kitsap Herald, Poulsbo, 2/27/15)

Library construction ahead of schedule (Renton Reporter, Renton, 2/27/15)

Oakville Timberland Library closes for repairs (The Chronicle, Centralia, 3/3/15)

$5M Ferndale library honors the area’s agricultural history
The 15,000-square-foot Ferndale Public Library opened late last year at 2125 Main Street. SHKS Architects designed the $4.7 million library, which is part of the Whatcom County Library System. The new library’s simple form and western red cedar siding are intended to honor the character of agricultural buildings in the Nooksack River Valley. (Daily Journal of Commerce, Seattle, 3/11/15)

People

Bremerton gets King photo (The Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, 2/27/15)

Port Townsend Library should go to people, new director says
Melody Sky Eisler, who strives to attract more people to the library, also believes the library should visit them. “I hope we can do a lot of public outreach,” said Eisler, who finished her third week as the new Port Townsend Library Director on Friday. (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, 3/2/15)

Renton Library staff honored for positivity (Renton Reporter, Renton, 3/6/15)

Awards

Mid-Columbia Libraries finalist for national award
The Mid-Columbia Libraries is a finalist for a national award recognizing museums and libraries for service to their community. The library district is the only candidate from the Northwest for the National Medal for Museum and Library Service. The other 29 finalists hail from New York City to San Jose, CA, and include public and research libraries, zoos, children’s museums and science centers. Winners won’t be announced until late April, but Mid-Columbia Libraries officials said being named a finalist for the award is already a great honor, akin to being nominated for an Oscar. (Tri-City Herald, Kennewick, 3/2/15)

Programs/Displays

Library offers March computer classes
Whitman County Library is offering basic computer skills assistance at library branches around the county. These sessions are made possible with Technology Made Easy Grant funding provided to the Washington State Library by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Pre-registration is encouraged but not required. The library can also help with free online classes through Microsoft IT Academy which are tailored to skill level and pace. (Whitman County Gazette, Colfax, 2/26/15)

Loving the library
Kids participated in the Lego Mania contest and the Valentine’s Day party held at the Liberty Lake Municipal Library in recent months. (Liberty Lake Splash, Liberty Lake, 3/–/15)

Library offers teen tech daily
Libraries are places of vast digital resources that offer everyone access to technology. Librarians understand the importance of this access. As the world we live in becomes increasingly technology-driven, digital literacy has become part of a fundamental skill set that all young people need to succeed. With this in mind, libraries all over the nation are dedicated to sponsoring a full week of technology programming for teens. Teen Tech Week, which occurred March 8 to 14, connected young patrons to digital resources and equipment provided by the library. This program has become integral to Kitsap Regional Library’s offerings and is offered every week of the year. (The Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, 3/1/15)

Summer reading bookmark contest open (Camas-Washougal Post-Record, Camas, 3/3/15)

Celebrating a cultural icon
Crafts, coloring, and cake were among the features of Dr. Seuss’s birthday party at the Camas Public Library. Activities included painting whisker faces, creating Lorax mustaches, tossing bean bags, and receiving temporary tattoos. There was also an opportunity to sign a birthday card, spin a prize wheel, play a memory game, and pick up bookmarks and stickers. The event was sponsored in part by the Friends and Foundation of the Camas Public Library. (Camas-Washougal Post-Record, Camas, 3/3/15)

Washougal Library will now lead Building Blocks program for kids
The Washougal program Building Blocks to Successful Learning, which has been held at East County Resource Center (ECRC) every Tuesday morning, has had a budget cut. ECRC no longer has personnel to devote to the program. Washougal Community Library will now take the lead, providing a story time beginning at 10:30 a.m. every Tuesday, followed by craft and play time. For more information, call the Washougal Community Library at 906-4860. (Camas-Washougal Post-Record, Camas, 3/3/15)

CoderDojo coding at South Hill Library
Pierce County Library’s South Hill branch will host CoderDojo coding camps this spring for children 8 to 18 years old and their families. CoderDojo is described as a global movement to provide free coding education to young people. The library sessions will involve working with mentors to learn how to code, show off programming skills, and develop websites, apps, and games. The sessions, sponsored by Friends of South Hill Library, are scheduled for 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. March 3 and April 7 on robots, March 17 on websites and JavaScript, and April 21 on mobile apps and Android. (South Pierce County Dispatch, Eatonville, 3/4/15)

Learning the magic of the impossible
Kim Neher has seen it before. The head-scratching, jaw-dropping expression of wonder and amazement, she has seen it. The wide-eyed stare when she starts listing the things the machine can do? Check. Neher and Luke Ellington, both with North Central Regional Libraries, landed at Cashmere’s branch last week to teach teenagers how to make 3-D designs and how to get them printed. The class, “Make it Now: Having Fun with 3-D Printers,” takes groups of about 10 teens, and each student uses a laptop computer to sketch, design, troubleshoot, and create a 3-D piece, which a special printer makes using spools of hot plastic. An overwhelming number of Cashmere teens wanted to sign up, Neher said, which probably means there might be more classes in the future. (Cashmere Valley Record, Cashmere, 3/4/15)

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[This summary of library news represents a selection of current newspaper clippings about Washington libraries received from Washington newspapers. The summary is created by Marilyn Lindholm and Leanna Hammond of the Washington State Library, a Division of the Office of the Secretary of State. For further information about this summary or the clippings listed, contact Shirley Lewis at 360.570.5567 or [email protected].]

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