Congratulations to the following libraries who were awarded LSTA grants through the Washington Rural Heritage initiative.

• Columbia County Rural Library District
• Whatcom County Library System – Lummi Island Branch
• Lopez Island Library District
• Libraries of Stevens County
• Whitman County Library
• Ellensburg Public Library

These libraries will begin local heritage digitization projects that will be part of the Washington Rural Heritage collection. The grants are part of the Washington Rural Heritage 2007/2008 fiscal subgrant cycle that will end August 15, 2008.

The funds were made available by a grant from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services. It is anticipated that a 2008 Washington Rural Heritage grant cycle will be available for project application this spring. Keep an eye on the Washington State Library’s Grants Information page.

For more information, contact Laura Robinson, Project Manager – Washington Rural Heritage, 360.570.5568 or Jeff Martin, Grants Program, 360.704.5248.

This coin is an item from the Ritzville Public Library. It is part of the library’s Cornerstone collection – a collection of items extracted from the library’s cornerstone during renovations for its 100-year birthday celebration last summer.

The large reddish coin struck me as odd. It was minted with the words “ONE PENNY” on one side a strange logo surrounded by inititals. It didn’t appear to be any official type of currency. After a bit of research I found that the penny is a “Chapter Penny,” probably for the local Masonic lodge that laid the cornerstone. The logo is the Masonic Keystone. According to this website “the penny is simply a symbol of the reward of faithful labor.”  Apparently pocket pieces, like the one described in this 1893 New York Times article, were quite popular as souvenirs for large events and among fraternal organizations.

1907 Cornerstone Laying Ceremony, Ritzville Public Free Library.

When the small library was constructed in 1907 a time capsule was placed in a cornerstone of the building, a metal box with old letters and documents pertaining to the building of the library, a few old coins, newspapers, and more. Various articles in the newspapers found in the time capsule documented the cornerstone laying ceremony.

Governor Albert E. Mead attended the celebration. The library was built in 1907 with money donated from Andrew Carnegie. Carnegie funded the building of thousands of “Carnegie Libraries” around the United States, including 44 in Washington state.

The coins are on display in the Ritzville Library and are included in Ritzville Heritage, part of the Washington State Library’s Washington Rural Heritage collection.

On the road somewhere between Ritzville and Colfax, WA

The Washington State Library is hitting the road with Washington Rural Heritage, a new initiative to support small and rural libraries in Washington digitize their unique and irreplaceable historic material and make the items accessible online.

This blog will chronicle the Washington Rural Heritage collaborative digitization initiative and highlight some of the collections, items, and stories encountered while working onsite in the rural communities throughout the State of Washington.

Interested in finding out more about this initiative? Contact Laura Robinson, Project Manager – Washington Rural Heritage, 360.570.5568.