From the desk of Jeff Martin

Every year, the Washington State Library (WSL) reports on its use of Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) funding to the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). On December 21, 2017, the LSTA State Programs Report for use of the 2016 LSTA award was submitted to IMLS for their review, comment, and approval. The year’s report is 126 pages in length.

Reporting is a team effort by all those who manage and support projects which use LSTA funding. The result is a report on 35 projects and 258 grant awards with total expenditures of $3,262,304. The Washington State Library, and the Washington library community which participated in these projects and grants, matched this amount of federal funding with $2,914,368 in state and local funding.

You may ask how this funding is used to support Washington libraries and the residents of the state…the following are a few examples:

• Statewide projects such as Statewide Database Licensing and the Ask-WA: The Statewide Virtual Reference Cooperative allow groups of libraries within Washington to work cooperatively to lower costs or provide higher levels of service. In the previous decade it was estimated that Statewide Database Licensing allowed all types of libraries working cooperatively to save $18,000,000 over the cost of individually subscribing to these services. The Ask-WA online virtual reference service provides 24/7 coverage for Washington residents who have questions and need answers. This service is in cooperation with an international cooperative of libraries. During their business hours local libraries answer questions from Washington residents. In addition if a person is awake at 3:00 a.m., has a question and can’t find an answer, they can submit the question to the cooperative. It may be, for example, that a librarian in Australia initially replies. The question is then forwarded to the person’s local library for follow-up if needed during their normal business hours.
• Other statewide projects such as Washington Rural Heritage, and Washington Digital Newspapers focus on providing access to digitized primary sources documenting the early culture, industry, and community life of Washington State. Washington Rural Heritage contains approximately 30,000 items from 148 different cultural institutions throughout the state. This collection represents 49 libraries and their partners including numerous historical societies and museums. Washington Digital Newspapers consists of online access to roughly 45 different newspapers published between 1875 and 1922. Digital access to some of these newspapers includes only a small number of issues and for others hundreds or thousands of issues.
• Still other projects such as Youth Services, Early Learning, and Summer Reading primarily support younger library users. The Washington State Library is a member of the Collaborative Summer Library Program (CSLP), a national cooperative of state and local libraries that work together to provide high-quality summer reading program materials for children, teens, and even adults. The Washington State Library also distributes STEM/STEAM kits to public and tribal libraries to ensure that children and teens throughout the state are provided with hands-on experiences with science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) that engage their interest, and provide exploration of possible career paths in a fun and rewarding way. The eight STEM kits were rotated among libraries over 308 times during the year with a total attendance of over 3,300.

Another focus the Washington State Library throughout the year is providing training to library staff using Professional Development Grants, Online Training Resources, and face-to-face training experiences. Training and professional development grants allow local library staff to enhance knowledge and skills and in turn better serve their patrons. First Tuesdays is one example of a monthly hour-long webinar produced by the Washington State Library. This webinar focuses on issues of interest to the Washington library community. Many other opportunities are available to library staff throughout the year. During the last federal fiscal year over 1,100 training seats were filled by library staff from all types of libraries.

Did you know that the Washington State Library provides library services in nine of the Department of Correction prisons and also Eastern State Hospital and Western State Hospital?

The prison libraries are supported with federal library funding. These libraries provide the residents of these institutions support for education, literacy, recovery, recreation, and re-entry. It is a goal of this program that these libraries support a reduction in inmate recidivism leading to healthier and safer communities over time. Over 574,000 items were circulated by these 11 libraries to those incarcerated or institutionalized.

The Washington Talking Book & Braille Library (WTBBL) is a program of the Washington State Library. WTBBL provides equal access to information and reading materials for Washington residents unable to read standard print. A portion of the funding for this service comes from federal LSTA funding. WTBBL has over 7,300 patrons, serves 224 Washington state schools and 261 other Washington state organizations. Roughly 320,000 audiobooks and other materials were circulated during the reporting year along with approximately 74,000 books and magazines being downloaded. On May 19, 2017, the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS), part of the Library of Congress, named the Washington Talking Book and Braille Library of Seattle as the Network Library of the Year for 2016.

The mission of the Washington State Library is “Connecting Washington through the power of libraries.” WSL is proud to be able to provide a range of services to academic libraries, public libraries, school libraries, non-profit special libraries, and tribal libraries who in turn are better able to support the residents of their local community. WSL services take the form of one-on-one consulting, grant awards to support the development of new and enhanced library services, training to enhance the knowledge and skills of local library staff, cooperative projects which leverage the power of individual libraries, and statewide projects which focus on topical areas of opportunity and needs.

Read the full State Programs Report at 2016 LSTA State Programs Report.

Volume 13, May 25, 2017 for the WSL Updates mailing list

Topics include:

1) FIRST TUESDAYS – BACK TO REALITY

2) WTBBL WINS NATIONAL AWARD

3) FREE BOOKS

4) WSL GRANT CYCLES CLOSING

5) DIGITAL LITERACY & FAKE NEWS

6) FREE CE OPPORTUNITIES NEXT WEEK

Read the rest of this entry »

Información en español

From the desk of Rand Simmons

Need assistance finding information? Why don’t you Ask WA?

“Ask WA,” you say.

Ask-WA is a cooperative of more than 60 libraries throughout Washington State, both public and academic, that provide online reference services through chat, email, and instant messaging (IM). This statewide network is tied to a global network that provides access to online reference service, 24/7.

So, when you enter the Ask-WA portal, no matter the day or time, you should readily find help.

If you are a Spanish speaker there is a Spanish portal for you.

Ask-WA es un servicio de chat en línea que lo pone en contacto con un bibliotecario, tanto a nivel local como mundial. En inglés, éste servicio es disponible 24/7 utilizando una red mundial de bibliotecarios profesionales. En español, el servicio no es 24/7, a pesar de una extensa red de bibliotecarios de habla hispana que ofrece asistencia durante la mayor parte del tiempo, especialmente durante la semana.

Para saber si un bibliotecario está disponible para chatear en vivo, por favor, llene el formulario de chat en español de Ask-WA.

Si un bibliotecario no está disponible, usted puede enviar su pregunta por correo electrónico, usted recibirá una respuesta dentro de 48 horas (probablemente mucho antes).

Fiestas Patrias

Recently staff of the State Library’s Washington Talking Book & Braille Library (WTBBL) staffed a table at this year’s Fiestas Patrias  held at the Seattle Center. State Librarian Cindy Aden was on hand to greet people.

The festival celebrates the independence of  Latin American countries. Belizeans, Brazilians, Chileans, Costa Ricans, Salvadoreans, Guatemalans, Hondurans, Mexicans, and Nicaraguans from all over the Pacific Northwest to gather and enjoy great food, dance, and music.

Fiesta Patrias was a wonderful opportunity for people to become acquainted with the Washington Talking Book & Braille Library. We, in turn, learned more about the communities we want to serve — individuals needing reading and information in non-English languages.

State Librarian Cindy Aden stated, “We take the motto of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, “That All May Read,” seriously. We know that having reading material and information in multiple languages is crucial in our diverse society. I am proud of the efforts of  Washington Talking Book & Braille Library to reach out to the Hispanic community and to have published its first Spanish-language audio book. The State Library has also provides Spanish language support for our AskWA virtual reference service. We are always looking for more ways to make a difference, and we support and  encourage other Washington libraries to do the same”.

WTBBL services are available to all Washington State residents who are unable to read standard print due to one or more of the following conditions:

• Legal blindness
• Visual impairment
• Physical disability causing an inability to turn pages or comfortably hold a book for extended periods of time
• Deaf-blindness
• Reading disability due to organic dysfunction

Read more about the Washington Talking Book & Braille Library.

Las bibliotecas de prisiones

Our branch libraries in nine state prisons provide library and information services to inmates many of whom are non-English speakers. In 2014 the Prison Policy Initiative reported that Hispanics made up 14% of the inmates in Washington State prisons and jails. The State Library provides Spanish language material for those for whom English is not their native language. Our branch libraries are “public libraries” for the incarcerated.

Publicaciones federales en español

Federal and state publications are published in Spanish and other languages although the majority are published in English. For example, many of the tax materials published by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) are published in Spanish and material for kids such as El Club de los Dos Bocados (Two Bite Plate) published by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service.

Sigue a Will y Anna a probar dos bocados de cada grupo alimenticio y de como se convierten en el Club de los Dos Bocados! Este libro muy colorido introduce los cinco grupos de alimentos de MiPlato a niños pequeños y los motiva a probar alimentos de cada grupo alimenticio. El libro que tiene actividades interactivas tales como narración optional, realce de texto, juegos y activades interactivas, cetificados y páginas para colorear ayudaran a los niños a aprender acerca de MiPlato y una alimentación sana al mismo tiempo que mejora sus abilidades de lectura.

You can borrow the book from the State Library or other federal depository libraries, read it on line, or download it.

Need assistance finding state or federal publications in Spanish? Contact our Ask a Librarian service. We can help you find resources such as these: America’s PrepareAthon! Materials in Spanish from FEMA.

Volume 12, March 3, 2016 for the WSL Updates mailing list

Topics include:

1) STATEWIDE DATABASE LICENSING RFP RELEASED

2) WASHINGTON RURAL HERITAGE DIGITIZATION GRANTS NOW ACCEPTING PROPOSALS

3) FREE BOOKS FOR WASHINGTON LIBRARIES

4) ARMS OPEN WIDE: LIBRARY OUTREACH TO CUSTOMERS WITH PRINT DISABILITIES

5) STAR_Net Webinar Series Announced

6) NN/LM PNR TRAINING OFFERINGS

7) CONFERENCES, ANYONE?

8) FREE CE OPPORTUNITIES NEXT WEEK

Read the rest of this entry »

To quote a prominent library administrator: “Every library is designed to serve a specific community:

• Public libraries serve the people of a specific city or county.
• Academic libraries serve the faculty, staff, and students of a specific college or university.
• School libraries serve the students and teachers of a specific school.
• Medical libraries serve doctors, nurses, and patients at a specific hospital.
• Law libraries serve the attorneys and staff of a specific law firm.

Each library is designed to add value to the specific community that it serves.”

The Washington State Library (WSL) is none of the above. Its broad mission is to collect and preserve materials of value for the entire State of Washington.

This theme is developed in the current issue of the WLFFTA newsletter, the Advocate. WLFFTA stands for Washington Library Friends, Foundations, Trustees & Advocates, and is an interest group of the Washington Library Association.

The current issue of the Advocate focuses on the Washington State Library and some of its key services and programs. It also highlights the precarious budget situation in which the State Library currently finds itself. Read the entire newsletter at http://sos.wa.gov/q/AF2014.

Volume 10, November 13, 2014 for the WSL Updates mailing list

Topics include:

1) “THIRD GRADE READING BILL” WEBINAR

2) EXPERIENCE ART 2014

3) EARLY LEARNING STEM INSTITUTE

4) ALA STRATEGIC PLANNING

5) FREE CE OPPORTUNITIES NEXT WEEK

—————————————————————————————————– Read the rest of this entry »

Volume 10, September 18, 2014 for the WSL Updates mailing list

Topics include:

1) INNOCENT EYES EXHIBIT OPENING

2) TOWNER AWARD FOR INFORMATIONAL TEXT

3) WSL/WLA CONTINUING EDUCATION NEEDS ASSESSMENT

4) FREE CE OPPORTUNITIES NEXT WEEK

Read the rest of this entry »

Volume 10, August 21, 2014 for the WSL Updates mailing list

Topics include:

1) LIBRARY COUNCIL OF WASHINGTON SEEKS NEW MEMBERS

2) EVERGREEN RADIO READING SERVICE CLOSED

3) OVERVIEW OF EBOOK MARKET PLACE FROM READERS FIRST

4) SHAKESPEARE EXHIBIT – DEADLINE EXTENDED

5) FREE CE OPPORTUNITIES NEXT WEEK

Read the rest of this entry »

Volume 10, August 7, 2014 for the WSL Updates mailing list

Topics include:

1) 2014 DIGITAL SKILLS TRAINING GRANT INFORMATIONAL ONLINE MEETING

2) WEBJUNCTION IS NEW AGAIN

3) PUBLIC LIBRARY POLICIES PAGE HAS MOVED

4) BRAILLE TRANSCRIPTION CLASS

5) INTERNATIONAL COPYRIGHT AND LIBRARY PRACTICES WEBINAR

6) FREE DISASTER RECOVERY WORKSHOP

7) FREE CE EVENTS NEXT WEEK

Read the rest of this entry »

From the desk of Rand Simmons

Amy Ravenholt recognized by a National Library Service Award for Knowledge, Creativity and Expertise

Keystone Systems announced today that Amy Ravenholt, Assistant Director at the Washington Talking Book & Braille Library (WTBBL) is the recipient of the 2014 Julie Klauber Award.

Individuals honored with this annual national award must provide noteworthy service to their library and community and use KLAS (Keystone Library Automation System) to perform their daily job responsibilities.

WTBBL Director & Regional Librarian, Danielle Miller, says Amy “exemplifies knowledge, expertise, and creativity that benefit our patrons and all aspects of library services.” “She is kind and patient and makes learning new processes and technologies fun.”

Danielle says Amy’s position and expertise as WTBBL’s KLAS Administrator enhances the library’s overall service. As an example of her creativity, she cites Amy’s project “to use tablet computers running KLAS to streamline some of the circulation procedures that were cumbersome with desktop computers on carts. She worked closely with Keystone and our local IT department to make this happen and it has been a huge benefit to our circulation process.”

Amy says this year’s award is an acknowledgement of all of the work WTBBL’s circulation and advisory staff do with KLAS. “They identify the problems, they help develop and test solutions, and they use the software to its fullest extent every day.”

The award includes a trip to the 2014 KLAS Users’ Conference in Boston, MA, where Amy was recognized for her outstanding service to WTBBL and its patrons.  Keystone Systems, CEO, Kay Holloman presented the award during a special ceremony.

“It means I get to go to conference and geek out with people who care about what I care about,” Amy says. “We use specialized software to get our readers the books they want as fast as possible.  We make a lot of patrons happy on a daily basis, and the conference is the place to be to find out how to do that even better.”

“Amy is well deserving of this award,” observed State Librarian Rand Simmons. “Her dedication to serving WTBBL patrons and her leadership in the use of KLAS makes this award spot on. Job well done, Amy!”

Amy has been with the Washington Talking Book & Braille Library since July 2008. The Washington Talking Book & Braille Library is a program of the Washington State Library, Office of the Secretary of State.