Western State Hosptial

Kathleen Benoun at Western State Hospital Library has done it again.  Not only does she keep the patients and staff happy in the library— her love of history has drawn her to help create the historical museum on the grounds of Washington State Hospital.  Now that love of history and the library has combined to bring a great program to the hospital treatment centers.  This program is a great addition to the library services at Western State Hospital.  Check out the attached flyer to see how Kathleen showcases the hospital’s rich history.

I remember the Librarian in my home town was my best friend’s Mom, so I knew her pretty well. Of course there was a limit on the number of books you could get, and I would get the maximum but some for my little brother too. I sort of remember reading to him, and then counting them up when it was time to go back to make sure we had all of them. We carried them in brown grocery bags. I remember books on cassette that came in plastic bags with handles. And later I discovered Nancy Drew and EM Kerr and the Oz books. I have a clear memory of reading a library book in the summer, under a tree in the front yard, lying on an inflatable rubber tube covered with a blanket. That Librarian’s name is Diane, and her daughter is still my best friend, and she is still the Librarian in that town. In fact her son grew up to be a Librarian too; he is a teen librarian in the next town over.

Our shared memories about libraries will now be posted.  Sorry for the delay, the first one will be out today.  Enjoy reading about our memories of libraries and feel free to share some of yours in the comments.

According to a recent Reuters news item, the country of Brazil is offering a novel way for prisoners to shorten their sentences: read a book!

Inmates in 4 federal prisons can read up to 12 works of literature, classics, science, or philosophy, and shorten their incarceration by 4 days per book, up to a maximum of 48 days off their sentences.

The program, which is called “Redemption through Reading,” requires the inmates to read the book within 4 weeks, and to write an essay that meets certain standards. A special panel will decide which prisoners are eligible to participate.

Somehow I doubt that this program will be adopted here in these United States of America anytime in the not-too-distant future! But why not?

JP Patches Statue 7/31/12

The recent death of local cultural icon J. P. Patches has reminded me of other children’s TV shows I watched devotedly in the 1960s.  Shari Lewis, Stan Boreson, Brakeman Bill, Captain Puget and Wunda Wunda were all entertaining and educational.

Wunda Wunda was the persona of Ruth Prins who was hired by Seattle’s KING-TV.  She wore a harlequin’s clown outfit (adorable) and told a story on every episode.  Back in the day, my mother was too busy with siblings and housework to take me to the local library.  But I had Wunda Wunda who told stories and showed illustrations on-the-air.  Later, we moved closer to a public library, and I knew all about libraries thanks to Wunda Wunda.

And Shari Lewis was much more than a puppeteer.  She wrote several books. I discovered them in the 1980s while I scoured the library shelves for cub scout activities.

Books that were read on these shows provided great reading fun for the children who watched them, many of them rushing to their local libraries to find the books.  History of Ruth Prin and her influence on the reading habits of young children can be found here http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=9355.

Books and material on these wonderful shows can still be found in libraries today, including my own library here at WSH where some of Stan Boreson’s and Shari Lewis’s material can be found on the shelf. The Washington State Library also carries a DVD, J.P. Patches Show and book J.P. Patches, Northwest Icon by Chris Wedes.  Many people remember their childhood shows and the books that were read on them.

Libraries are the setting for many good memories, and over the next few weeks, Washington State Library’s Institutional Library Services staff would like to share a few of their memories about libraries.  Some of them will date back to childhood, others will tell stories of their own children or grandchildren, but all of them show the impact libraries have had on our lives. I wish you happy reading as we bring you our memories.

Melisa Gilbert

It is with a sad and happy heart that I watch Melisa leave the Institutional Library Services team, but she has not gone far.  Melisa has accepted a new position with the reference staff at the Washington State Library in Tumwater.   Personally, I will miss her calm persona and wonderful attitude about serving the patrons in the prison libraries.  She is moving on to new experiences at the State Library where she will be an asset to the staff.   I know my co-workers join me is wishing Melisa the best, even as we dread seeing her leave.

Laura Sherbo with her mom at ALA

One of the first sessions I attended was the Unconference (wonderful, by the way).  At the Unconference I was talking with one of the other attendees about this being our first ALA and she said, “Oh wait! Someone forwarded this to me this morning.  There is free food on Saturday! Give me your phone number and I’ll send you the information.” Lo and behold it was the ASCLA Awards Ceremony.  Initially I was a little indignant.  How could these moochers attend the awards ceremony for anything besides honoring Laura?!?!?!  Maybe they are serving champagne, I thought, to console myself (turns out it was pretzels shaped like Mickey Mouse).  Or maybe ALA just knows that the best way to spread a message is with free food.

On Saturday I dressed in my conference best and went to meet Laura and all the other conference goers enjoying mini quesadillas and cake pops.  I also got to see Jeff Martin again and meet Laura’s Mother, who is twice as nice as she is charming. As an aside, I now look forward to my own mother’s presence at all future awards ceremonies in my honor.  The awards honored librarians, students, partnerships, and programs in specialized libraries with five different awards.  When the presenter read all the wonderful reasons why Laura won her award, Laura received the loudest round of applause of all the recipients. I can only imagine the myriad of emotions and admirations running through the minds of every person in the crowd.

Laura has been my supervisor for three years now, and more than anyone I have ever worked for, she is able to motivate her staff to greatness.  In the beginning, I was astounded by the loyalty everyone felt toward her and the Institutional Library Services, but now I understand.  Through budget cuts and layoffs, it becomes more abundantly clear with each hurdle she has encountered, that Laura is dedicated not only to serving the underserved, but also her staff.  She has the strength and high standards of a Titan, while still somehow making her staff feel comfortable giving input, starting new programs, and questioning her decisions, sometimes incessantly, probably much to her chagrin.  In short, Laura is the embodiment of leadership and all of us at ILS are lucky to work for her.

Also, she said the reason she won the award is because of her staff, which I’m not going to argue, because we’re pretty great.

This prestigious award is presented to one or more ASCLA members (personal or organizational) exemplifying leadership and achievement in one or more of the following areas: consulting, library cooperation, networking, statewide services and programs and state library development.

Congratulations Laura!

Read more at http://ascla.ala.org/blog/2012/04/2012-asclaleadershipaward/.