From the desk of Evan Robb

Congratulations to the latest group of public libraries and heritage organizations recently awarded digitization grant through the Washington Rural Heritage program!

Over the next year Washington State Library staff will be working with these organizations to digitize unique, historically significant materials held in their collections. Awardees will be trained in all aspects of digitization, and their collections will be publicly hosted and digitally preserved through the Washington Rural Heritage website and digital repository.

The statewide digital collection currently provides access to photographs, documents, audio and video recordings, and digitized cultural objects from more than 100 Washington institutions. In addition, the project includes more than 300 family photo collections, making these previously inaccessible materials available freely to the public.

Below are this year’s grant recipients. To read about the details of each project, go to: http://www.sos.wa.gov/q/2015WRHAwards.

• $5,000 – Asotin County Library in partnership with the Asotin County Museum.
• $2,141 – Ellensburg Public Library.
• $4,259 – Kettle Falls Public Library, Libraries of Stevens County.
• $5,000 – La Conner Regional Library District, in partnership with the Museum of Northwest Art (MoNA) and Western Washington University Libraries, Special Collections.
• $5,000 – Port Angeles Public Library, North Olympic Library System, in partnership with the Clallam County Genealogical Society.
• $3,600 – Whitman County Library, in partnership with the Colfax Fire Department, Town of Farmington, and Washington State University Manuscripts, Archives & Special Collections.

To learn more about participating in Washington Rural Heritage, contact Evan Robb, Digital Repository Librarian at [email protected].

Washington Rural Heritage is supported with Library Services and Technology Act funding provided by the federal Institute for Museum and Library Services.

In March 2015, the Oregon and Washington State Libraries co-hosted a summit of approximately 50 library, archives, and museum professionals to explore avenues for increased collaborative digitization throughout the region. The one-day meeting, held at the Oregon State Library in Salem, Oregon, featured presentations by collaborative projects at local, state, regional, and national levels and allowed participants to discuss topics ranging from leadership and funding of collaborative projects to metadata standards and shared infrastructure for digital projects.

WSL staff representing our Washington Rural Heritage and State Library Digital Collections were on hand to share their projects and experiences.

Learn more about the meeting and read the entire final report here: http://www.oregon.gov/osl/LD/Pages/NWDigSummit.aspx
 

Below: Explore the digital collections of cultural heritage organizations throughout the region.

Washington library, archives, and museum professionals interested in providing feedback on the report, or participating in future discussions regarding collaborative digitization should contact Evan Robb, Digital Repository Librarian, Washington State Library: [email protected]

From the desk of Judy Pitchford

Beginning today and running through August 31, 2015, the Washington State Library, Washington State Archives (both divisions of the Office of the Secretary of State) and Timberland Regional Library are sponsoring the 1st Annual Historical Zine Contest!

What is a Zine (which, by the way, rhymes with bean)? Zines are basically self-published magazines that give the creator’s point of view on the subject.

All three sponsors have a multitude of resources that can provide fantastic material to use in the creations of participants.

• Washington State Library has many online resources that include books, maps, newspapers and photos. You can also find featured images from these digital collections on their Pinterest and Flickr pages. And don’t forget that you can visit the library to see some resources in person!
• Washington State Archives has an extensive print collection, as well as many images at the Digital Archives.
• And you can visit the Timberland Libraries to explore their NW Reference Collection, Zine Collection and Zine Resource Collection.

Workshops will be held in July to learn how to make a zine :

• Olympia Timberland Library – Saturday, July 11th from 2-8 pm
• Yelm Timberland Library – Saturday, July 25th from 1-4 pm

This contest is open to 4th graders through adults of all ages that are Washington residents.

For more information, visit our Zine Contest webpage or download the Zine Contest Flyer/Entry Form.

From the desk of Rand Simmons, Washington State Librarian.

Monday, June 29 the Legislature approved a compromise 2015-2017 Operating Budget.  Governor Inslee signed it Tuesday, June 30, the final day of the fiscal year.  This action avoided a government shutdown on Wednesday, July 1. Secretary of State Kim Wyman wrote, “This means no shutdown, no unpaid furloughs and no service interruptions.  I’m happy for the citizens of Washington and for all of our amazing OSOS staff!”

The budget news for the State Library is FANTASTIC!  The Legislature approved HB 2195, the proposed $1 recording fee increase that funds the Heritage Account to support State Library operations.  Not only does the increase provide the money to backfill the projected $2.4 million shortfall in revenue, it also creates a much more permanent solution to the problem of facing continued shortfalls in future biennia – an ongoing, more stable funding source.

Wyman noted that the legislators seemed to like the Library 21 notion of expanding access to collections and information in new and tech-based ways.

The Legislature also provided $1.5 million to continue the Microsoft IT Academy, the online technology training provide through Washington libraries at no cost to the people of Washington.  Wyman observed “It is a real Library 21 success story in bringing digital literacy to more library-users through free online IT course work that can provide needed skills for job placement and advancement.”

State Librarian Rand Simmons stated, “We believe much of the Microsoft IT Academy funding can be included in the required ‘maintenance of effort’ needed to receive full federal Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) funding. This will help repair the damage done by reductions in state funding for the Library.”  LSTA dollars support programs and services the library offers to local community libraries.

Having made this her top legislative priority, Secretary Wyman was actively engaged in the budget process, met with legislators, and worked with House and Senate leaders during final budget negotiations to generate support for HB 2195. Deputy Secretary of State Greg Lane observed, “Without her personal involvement, our success simply would not have happened.”

Lane praised the efforts of State Library supporters which combined with Secretary Wyman’s strategy brought about success. The State Library begins the 2015-2017 biennium with funding level to that of the 2013-2015 appropriation. It’s a good thing.

Last week Ben Helle over at the Washington State  Archives pointed out to us that the week of June 28th- July 4th is a week of anniversaries for several bridges in Washington State.  It is the 75th anniversary of the opening of two massive public works – the Tacoma Narrows Bridge and the Lake Washington Floating Bridge.  A quick visit over to Historylink revealed several others.  The Seattle’s University Bridge replaced the Latona Bridge on July 1, 1919; the Montlake Bridge opened on June 27, 1925; the Tacoma Narrows Bridge (also known as Galloping Gertie) opened for traffic on July 1, 1940, and Lake Washington Floating Bridge was dedicated on July 2, 1940.  And that’s just to name a few.  Ben threw down the gauntlet and said let’s search through our collections to see what we have on bridges.  First stop of course was to Sean Lanksbury, Head of Special Collections.  He suggested several items but the ones we dug through (can you say treasure hunt?) were Lucy Hamilton’s collection of Washington State bridges and railways construction photographs, and Val Rinehart’s photograph collection of road and bridge construction projects in Washington. 
If you love engineering your heart would have started beating a little faster when you opened these boxes. Photo albums galore, including pictures of bridges under construction from all over the state.  But that of course is just the historic items we have in our collection.  The State Library also collects ALL documents published by Washington State Agencies.  Want to know what’s happening with the 520 Bridge replacement?  A search of our catalog will give you both historic and current information many of them in digital format so instantly at your fingertips.

We are keeping our eyes open for the State Archives contributions which we plan to share.  So if you have a secret. or not so secret. love of bridges watch our Facebook and Twitter pages this week. And remember for all things Washington, the State Library and Archives are a good “one stop shop” errr, make that two.

Image courtesy North Pend Oreille Heritage collection

Library Clippings for the week of June 26, 2015

Library News

Reference library opens at Lightcatcher
A new reference collection of more than 500 titles focusing on art and regional history is now accessible to the community, thanks to a partnership between Whatcom Museum, Bellingham Public Library, and donors of library materials. The Joyce Morse Reference Library is open by appointment noon to 3:00 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday at the Museum’s Lightcatcher building at 250 Flora Street. Call 360-778-8938 for an appointment. (Bellingham Herald, Bellingham, 6/1/15)

Buildings

New Camano library set to open this summer (The Herald, Everett, 6/7/15)
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Image courtesy North Pend Oreille Heritage collection

Library Clippings for the week of June 19, 2015

Library News

Sno-Isle Libraries facilities plan
Sno-Isle Libraries is seeking consultant services to create a facilities planning document: Sno-Isle Facilities Plan, 2016-2025. Proposals are due by July 7, 2015. The consultant selected for this project will produce a plan that provides specific, realistic recommendations for Sno-Isle Libraries’ capital facilities work over the next 10 years. As part of this project, the consultant will design and conduct community engagement activities, the results of which will inform their recommendations. The consultant will also be expected to use data from a variety of sources and their own professional expertise and judgment in making their recommendations. The RFP is available at http://www.sno-isle.org/facplan. (Daily Journal of Commerce, Seattle, 6/9/15)
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Although this article was found at random in the January 23, 1914 issue of The Mason County Journal, the story actually concerns a man from Spokane, and one of the great unsolved missing persons cases in Washington State history. The subject in question had a perfect name for a Pacific Northwest character– F. Lewis Clark:

WEALTHY SPOKANE MAN DISAPPEARS

Santa Barbara, Cal.–F. Lewis Clark, one of the wealthiest residents of Spokane, Wash., heavily interested in mines, flour mills, real estate and other enterprises, has been missing ever since he attended his wife to the train last week. His disappearance is proving a deep mystery.

 Friends and the police believe Mr. Clark either was murdered or committed suicide. In support of one of these presumptions, Mr. Clark’s hat was found on the ocean beach, a mile north of the Santa Barbara wharf.

 Mr. Clark, who had been in this vicinity for the past three months, coming from Spokane for the benefit of his health, was staying at a hotel.

 It is said that Mrs. Clark does not believe her husband is dead and will institute a vigorous search for him on the theory that he merely wandered away. When Mrs. Clark left Santa Barbara Friday night for Spokane she left her husband in his usual good spirits. Immediately thereafter he dismissed his chauffeur at the depot and he has not been seen since.

 It was learned that the domestic life of the Clarks has not been entirely tranquil. Mr. Clark has been a sufferer for many years from a physical ailment.

Maine-native Francis Lewis Clark was 52 years old at the time he vanished. Starting in the 1880s he had established himself as one of the industrial giants of Spokane. He owned the largest flour mill in the Northwest. He was an executive with a railroad company. He was a yachtsman who was one of the founders of the America Cup race. He was a millionaire with two mansions: his main home in Spokane (by architect Kirtland Cutter) and his “summer home” on Hayden Lake, Idaho (called “Honeysuckle Lodge“), the latter of which was considered the most expensive home in Idaho when it was built in 1910.

At the time Clark vanished he left behind a wife, Winifred, and a son, Teddy, who was attending Harvard.

F. Lewis Clark’s disappearance has never been explained. Naturally many felt he had drowned himself, but Mrs. Clark initially suggested he had anonymously checked himself into a sanitarium. His valet told the press Mr. Clark was really in no physical shape to go anywhere unassisted. He was 135 pounds and believed to have been suffering from cancer.

The police dynamited the channel in hopes the blasts would dislodge his body, but to no effect. Some suggested that Clark faked his death.

The case grew murkier as police received a note from a purported group called the “Blackmailers” demanding $75,000 ransom for Clark. The kidnapping angle quickly fizzled. And ultimately the disappearance of F. Lewis Clark became one of the great missing persons mysteries in Pacific Northwest history.

Mrs. Clark had to sell off the estate by 1922 and died in 1940 under much more financially modest conditions. Both of the Clark mansions survive today as relics of an era of opulence. Just when I wondered why no one has dramatized this unsolved case, I discovered Northwest author Jamie Ford has used this mystery as a springboard for his latest story, Wish You Were Here at the Bottom of a Well.

F. Lewis Clark’s name can be found in our online Pacific Northwest card file!

From the desk of Shawn Schollmeyer:

The Seattle star., July 26, 1919 http://1.usa.gov/1GnIPuP

With the wrap of the 2015 U.S. Open on Father’s Day on Washington’s very own Chambers Bay golf course, Jordan Spieth walked away with the championship as the youngest player since Bobby Jones in 1923.  Golf tends to be a quieter, unassuming game and not quite the loud, cheering spectator sport that you’d see at a Mariners game, but there were thousands of viewers attending in person and millions via televisions across the globe. It has been one of the biggest sports events we have ever hosted in the great Pacific Northwest and it’s legacy stretches more than 110 years.

Considering that much of western settlement began with the homesteaders in the late 1880s-90s, golf was already popular recreation in Washington less than 20 years later. The Tacoma golf course had already been open since 1894. One hundred years before this years’ U.S. Open, the Tacoma Times was reporting on the 15^th annual Pacific Northwestern Golf Association tournament on June 21^st, 1915.

And is it a coincidence that there seems to be a “tie” in to the popularity of the sport and the fact that Father’s Day was first officially declared in Washington State in 1910, right around the same time as this popular golf tournament? However, the sport was not exclusive to men; women too were enjoying their own competitions on the Tacoma course, the same year as

The Tacoma times., June 21, 1915 http://1.usa.gov/1QOuS3v

finalizing their right to vote.

The same year Spokane was also taking the the sport seriously and watching with fascination if American heroes Walter Travis and J.D.Travers would beat the Brits who had dominated the games up to that point.

Eyes then were on the new American course just opening up in Long Island. Spokane Country Club later became the first course to hold the Women’s U.S. Open in 1946. Spokane also loves it’s baseball and in the June 11  “Night Pink Edition” of the Spokane Press that they devoted to baseball scores, they kept the stats and international happenings of golf tournaments and famous players on the front page.

The Spokane press., June 11, 1910 http://1.usa.gov/1Cretpz

Image courtesy North Pend Oreille Heritage collection

Library Clippings for the week of June 12, 2015

Library News

More changes for rural library district (Skagit Valley Herald, Mount Vernon, 5/1/15)

Library district chooses Spokane is Reading choice
Spokane Is Reading, sponsored and organized by Spokane County Library District, Spokane Public Library, and Auntie’s Bookstore, has chosen author Emily St. John Mandel and her book “Station Eleven” for the 14th annual community reading event this fall. Spokane Is Reading will host two free appearances with Mandel on October 29. The first appearance will be at the CenterPlace Event Center in the afternoon followed by an evening appearance at The Bing Crosby Theatre. (Deer Park Tribune, Deer Park, 5/20/15)
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