Senior Group Exhibit 2nd Place Winner “The Boldt Decision: Turning Point for Native American Treaty Rights” by Taylor Mamaril and Britt McCracken

From the desk of Mary Paynton Schaff

This past Saturday, Washington State Library staff, along with staff from the Office of the Secretary of State’s Washington State Archives, served as judges at the state contest for History Day.  History Day is a nationwide program that challenges young people to become expert historians and tell the story of an historical event using primary sources.  History Day is sponsored by the Washington State Historical Society, which has grown the Washington contest into one of the strongest programs in the country.  Last year, Washington State sent 36 projects to the national contest and of those, 24 went on to final there.  Based on the papers, websites, exhibits, documentaries, and performances we saw this weekend, Washington will have another strong showing at nationals in 2013.  Presented here are just several of the exhibits that are off to nationals this year.  Congratulations to all the winners, and remember that the State Library is a great place to hunt down those primary sources that will make next year’s projects shine!

Senior Group Exhibit 1st Place Winner “Turning Points for Women in Journalism” by Helen Lee and Erin Lee.

Junior Group Exhibit 1st Place Winner “1962: When Seattle Invented the Future” by Jordan Albrecht and Sierra Noble

Junior Individual Exhibit 1st Place Winner “The Lacey Acts: the Birth of Conservation Legislation” by JoHanna Flahiff

From the desk of Mary Paynton Schaff

Washington’s 2013 Letters About Literature Champions have been announced by the Washington State Library!

Cora Tessaro, a fifth grader at Daniel Bagley Elementary School in Seattle, is the Level 1 champion.  Julia Batson, a seventh grader at Woodward Middle School on Bainbridge Island, is the Level 2 champion.  Jordyn Tonkinson, a ninth grader at Hockinson High School in Brush Prairie, is the Level 3 champion.  Click here to see their letters and learn more about the 2013 contest.

There were approximately 3,400 Washington students whose letters made it to round 1 judging in the 2013 contest.  325 semifinalists advanced to round 3 state judging.  All state semifinalists will receive an award certificate in the mail.

From the 325 Washington semifinalists, the state judges selected three champions, three second place runners up, and twenty-one honorable mentions.  The three champions’ letters have been sent to the Library of Congress for the national competition.  The results of the national judging will be released in late April.

There will be a ceremony in the Columbia Room at the State Capitol in Olympia on May 24^th at 1:30 in the afternoon to recognize the state champions, second place runners up, and honorable mentions.

Thank you to all the students, teachers, librarians, and families who participate in Washington’s Letters About Literature program.  Keep reading and writing!

From the desk of Mary Paynton Schaff

Clare Doran, a sixth grader at The Bush School in Seattle, is the Level 1 champion.  Samantha Smith, an eighth grader at Blue Heron Middle School in Port Townsend, is the Level 2 champion. Oliver Reed, a tenth grader at North Central High School in Spokane, is the Level 3 champion.  Read the winning letters here!

There were approximately 5,500 Washington students who entered the 2012 contest. There are 98 semifinalists who advanced to round 3 state judging. All state semi-finalists will receive an award certificate in the mail.   There will also be a ceremony in the Capitol Rotunda in Olympia on May 11 at 11:00 in the morning during which the semi-finalists will be acknowledged for their achievement.

From the 98 Washington semi-finalists, the state judges selected the three aforementioned champions, three second place runners up, and ten honorable mentions.  The three champions’ letters have been sent to the Library of Congress for the national competition.  The results of the national judging will be released in early May.

Click here to learn more about the 2012 competition, judging, and to see a list of the participating schools.   Thank you to all the students, teachers, librarians, and families who participate in Washington’s Letters About Literature program.  Keep reading and writing!

From the desk of Mary Paynton Schaff

February 29 is not only Leap Day, but a day that marks the close of African American History Month.  In honor of this, the Washington State Library has put together a list of the African Americans who have served in the Washington State Legislature.  The accomplishments of thirteen individuals are described, from William Owen Bush who represented Thurston County in the very first legislature in 1889, to Eric Pettigrew who currently represents his constituents in the 37th District.

It’s a fascinating cast of characters, and our list only just scratches the surface of the historical significance of these individuals.  Did you know that John Ryan legally changed his first name to “Senator”?  George Fleming served in both the House and Senate, and was a Rose Bowl MVP.  John Lovick served in the legislature for eight years, then went on to be elected as Washington’s first African American county sheriff in 2007.  And Rosa Franklin was not only the first African American woman elected to the Washington State Senate, she went on to serve as Pro Tempore (the officer who presides over the chamber in the absence of the Lieutenant Governor).

Thanks to the folks at the Washington State Archives and the Washington State Historical Society, we are able to provide pictures for each legislator – which is no small feat!  We hope that this list is both an informative resource, as well as inspiration for further individual research and scholarship into the accomplishments of these hardworking lawmakers.

African Americans in the Washington State Legislature

From the desk of Mary Paynton Schaff

So you found an old photo of your ancestor in the attic. He or she is clad in what you think must be a World War II uniform.  But you know almost nothing about his or her service. There may be visual clues to help you find out.

That’s when you go to Finding Your Father’s War by Jonathan Gawne.

This book talks about how to track down records on your World War II ancestor. It is also heavily illustrated throughout with both black-and-white and color photographs and drawings.

Appendices include military insignia, military vehicle markings, campaigns of World War II, official abbreviations used in World War II, and a select bibliography for further research.  Finding Your Father’s War is available for use at the Washington State Library.

From the desk of Mary Paynton Schaff

In honor of Pearl Harbor Day, the Washington State Library is featuring “American Battle Monuments,” edited by Elizabeth Nishiura.

This guide provides detailed descriptions of battle monuments honoring soldiers from World War I, World War II, and other conflicts. Each monument’s entry includes its location, hours, a description of the site, and a history of its development.  Specific names of soldiers are not included in this guide, but genealogists can track those down using sites like Find a Grave and the Nationwide Gravesite Locator from the Department of Veterans Affairs.

The “American Battle Monuments” entry for the Honolulu Memorial and National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific include descriptions of major Pacific Operations of World War II, as well as the Korean Conflict.

From the desk of Mary Paynton Schaff

Did you ever wonder what that symbol on great granddad’s tombstone meant? Stories in Stone: A Field Guide to Cemetery Symbolism and Iconography is just what you need.

This is an outstanding resource for deciphering cemetery symbolism. It includes hundreds of beautiful color photographs from cemeteries around the world.

The chapter on fraternal organizations and secret societies is especially fascinating.  If you can identify one of these symbols on an ancestor’s grave, it may lead you down a new path of research!

From the desk of Mary Paynton Schaff

Ever wonder what an anaplerotic is?

How about a faldstool or a knockknobbier?

If you’ve ever run across strange words in historical records, Ancestry’s Concise Genealogical Dictionary can help. It defines a wide range of obscure legal and colloquial words and phrases that you may find when researching your family history.

In case you’re wondering:

Anaplerotic: “Medicine which promoted the healing process and helps renew flesh or wasted parts—often found in medical records.”

Faldstool: “A portable folding seat used by a bishop when visiting other churches; a portable stool or desk used in praying.”

Knockknobbier: “The person whose duty it was to chase dogs out of church if they became a nuisance.”

Are you a genealogist or family historian?  Would you like to find out more about the resources available at the Washington State Library and Washington State Archives for researching your Washington relatives?  Then you’re in luck this weekend!  Librarian Kim Smeenk will be highlighting genealogical resources at the State Library and Archives in a free presentation at the Heritage Quest Research Library on Saturday, October 22 at 10 AM in historic downtown Sumner.  HQRL is a nonprofit genealogy library, managed and staffed entirely by volunteers.  You can find directions to HQRL here.  Hope to see you there!

From the desk of Mary Paynton Schaff

Letters About Literature encourages young readers to read a book and write a letter to the author about how the book changed their view of the world.  This is the seventh year Washington State Library has sponsored the competition as part of Washington Reads.

Please click here to see and/or print the Letters About Literature Participation Guidelines and School or Library group entry form.

Please click here to see and/or print the Letters About Literature Participation Guidelines and Individual entry form.

All entries must be postmarked by January 6, 2012.

Pictured: This year’s national honor winner Abby Bateman with Secretary of State Sam Reed