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

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Volume 11, March 12, 2015 for the WSL Updates mailing list

Topics include:

1) WASHINGTON RURAL HERITAGE GRANT CYCLE OPEN

2) RECORDED BOOKS ONECLICK RENEWALS

3) SAN JUAN ISLAND LIBRARY WINS AWARD

4) STORYCORPS COMES TO NISQUALLY

5) WELL-FED & WELL-READ – SUMMER MEAL SITES

6) FREE CE OPPORTUNITIES NEXT WEEK

Read the rest of this entry »

The Jamestown S’Klallam Tribal Library was awarded the 2014 Library Institutional Excellence Award by the Association of Tribal Archives, Libraries and Museums. Included in the recognition were Tribal Planning Director Leanne Jenkins, library staff including Siri Hiltz, MLIS, Tribal partner JKT Development, Inc.(an enterprise of the Tribe’s Economic Development Authority), and the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribal community as a whole.

Photo by the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe

Established in 2007, the Guardians of Culture, Memory, and Lifeways International Awards Program identifies and recognizes organizations and individuals who serve as outstanding examples of how indigenous archives, libraries, and museums contribute to the vitality and cultural sovereignty of Native nations.

In making the award, ATALM commended the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe for bringing its library services into the 21st century, offering opportunities for digital access to treasured tribal collections from anywhere in the world and providing a state-of-the-art library serving an active and integral role in community activities. The creation of the tribally-owned and managed “House of Seven Generations” online archival resource website connects current generations with the tribe’s cultural roots and allowing a glimpse into the rich history of the Jamestown S’Klallam people. In 2012, the tribe renovated Heron Hall, a former community meeting space, into a dynamic center that serves the cultural and information needs of the tribal community, and shares the rich cultural history of the tribe with the world. The library provides materials to homebound elders, conducts reading/literacy programs with children and youth, enhances language-learning services and resources, and collaborates with other tribal programs to develop activities for the benefit of tribal citizens and the public.

The Jamestown S’Klallam Tribal Library first opened in 1988, and has always been open to the public. It is located on the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribal Campus in Blyn at 1070 Old Blyn Highway. Library hours are Monday through Friday 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Saturday from 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

The Library Institutional Excellence Award recognizes an indigenous library that profoundly demonstrates outstanding service to its community. Nominees must have developed innovative and effective services and programs that can be replicated by other libraries; partnered successfully with other institutions to improve and enhance services; or demonstrated excellence in service that has impacted the community in a measurable way.

Kudos to Leanne and her team!!!!

Volume 10, March 27, 2014 for the WSL Updates mailing list

Topics include:

1) SECURITY IN THE LIBRARY IS NO APRIL FOOLS JOKE

2) SCHOOL LIBRARIANS – SHARE YOUR STORIES!

3) LEMONY SNICKET ADVERSITY AWARD

4) ACRL CONFERENCE PROPOSALS SOLICITED

5) ALA DIVERSITY RESEARCH GRANTS

6) FREE CE OPPORTUNITIES NEXT WEEK

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1) SECURITY IN THE LIBRARY IS NO APRIL FOOLS JOKE

How safe is your library? Do you have sufficient controls in place to protect your collections? Do you know what you should do to protect staff and patrons from harm? Come to next week’s First Tuesdays webinar, Security in the Library, where Brent Martin of First Response Consulting will share information on security as well as how to recognize someone under the influence. First Response Consulting specializes in teaching classes in First Aid, Defensive Tactics, and Firearms & Gun Safety in the Yakima area.

Designed as a continuing education opportunity for staff of libraries in Washington State, this free web presentation, which will take place on April 1, 2014, from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. PDT, lets attendees share their skills and successes and learn about new topics. Sessions are recorded so that others may listen at their own convenience. For more information about First Tuesdays, visit sos.wa.gov/q/tuesdays. For instructions on joining the presentation, visit sos.wa.gov/q/FirstTuesdays.

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2) SCHOOL LIBRARIANS – SHARE YOUR STORIES!

The American Association of School Librarians (AASL), a division of ALA, and ALA’s Office for Library Advocacy (OLA) seek stories about parents and students who advocate for their school libraries. Stories shared will help AASL and OLA spread examples of parent and/or student advocacy to stakeholders nationally.

Stories should demonstrate how students and parents value their school library program and the essential place it holds in developing lifelong learning. Stories may feature parents and students who have gone to extraordinary measures to save their school library program and their certified school librarian. Stories may also portray parents and students engaging in small acts of everyday advocacy in support of their school library program.

Stories may be submitted on the AASL website at www.ala.org/aasl/stories. The deadline for submission is April 11, 2014. AASL/OLA staff may follow-up for further information.

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3) LEMONY SNICKET ADVERSITY AWARD

ALA now offers the “Lemony Snicket Prize for Noble Librarians Faced with Adversity” to recognize a librarian who “has faced adversity with integrity and dignity intact.” The $3,000 prize will be given from Snicket’s “disreputable gains, along with an odd, symbolic object from his private stash, as well as a certificate, which may or may not be suitable for framing.”

Lemony Snicket is the pen name of American novelist Daniel Handler, who has written several highly acclaimed children’s books. The books often feature the author appearing as a fictional character, a writer falsely accused of crimes and sought by his enemies as well as the police. Snicket himself believes that, in much the same spirit, librarians have suffered enough. It is his hope that, “The Snicket Prize will remind readers everywhere of the joyous importance of librarians and the trouble that is all too frequently unleashed upon them.”

The nominee must be a librarian. The deadline for candidates to be nominated for the first year is May 1. In subsequent years, the deadline will be Dec. 1. For additional information visit sos.wa.gov/q/snicket.

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4) ACRL CONFERENCE PROPOSALS SOLICITED

Libraries are living ecosystems that adapt, change, and innovate to remain relevant to their users, institutions, and the broader environment of higher education. To that end, academic librarians actively strive to build a sustainable world that fosters a creative, robust community of information generators and consumers. The Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) 2015 Conference Committee invites proposals that contribute to the academic library ecosystem by sharing research and creative endeavors on the conference theme “Creating Sustainable Community.”

The ACRL 2015 conference will be held March 25-28, 2015, in Portland, Ore. Contributed paper, panel session, preconference, and workshop proposals are due May 9, 2014. Poster session, roundtable discussion, TechConnect, and Virtual Conference webcast proposals are due Nov. 3, 2014.

Complete details on ACRL 2015, including the full Call for Participation, may be found by visiting sos.wa.gov/q/acrl-2015. Questions should be directed to Margot Conahan at [email protected] 312.280.2522; or Tory Ondrla at [email protected] phone 312.280.2515.

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5) ALA DIVERSITY RESEARCH GRANTS

ALA’s Office for Diversity seeks proposals for its Diversity Research Grant program. Applications may address any diversity topic—including the recruitment and promotion of diverse individuals within the profession or the provision of library services to diverse populations—which addresses critical gaps in the knowledge of diversity issues within library and information science.

The Diversity Research Grant consists of a one-time $2,500 award for original research. A jury of ALA members will evaluate proposals and can make up to three awards. Grant recipients will be announced ahead of the 2014 ALA Annual Conference and will be expected to compile the results of their research into a paper and to present and publish the final product in conjunction with the American Library Association within three months of completing their research.

The application deadline is April 30, 2014. Applicants must be current ALA members. For a complete list of the criteria, please visit: sos.wa.gov/q/diversity. Submissions should be submitted in a PDF or Word document attachment, and emailed to [email protected]. To ask questions, or to inquire about possible research topics, e-mail [email protected] or call 800.545.2433, ext. 5295.

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6) FREE CE OPPORTUNITIES NEXT WEEK

Monday, March 31:

• American Indian Libraries Initiative: Making Connections (IMLS/Department of the Interior, FEDLINK); 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. PDT: sos.wa.gov/q/IMLS31Mar;

Tuesday, April 1:

• Mental Health First Aid (WSL); Richland Public Library, Richland, 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. PDT;
• First Tuesdays: Security in the Library (WSL); 9:00 – 10:00 a.m. PDT; sos.wa.gov/q/FirstTuesdays
• Have No Fear, Poetry is Here (Again!): Getting Children and Young Adults Excited about Poetry (Booklist); 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. PDT: sos.wa.gov/q/BL1Apr;
• How To Create Eye-Catching Graphics For Your Nonprofit (Without Using Photoshop!) (4Good); 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. PDT: sos.wa.gov/q/4Good1AprPM;

Wednesday, April 2:

• NCompass Live: Fizz, Boom, Read!: Summer Reading Program 2014 (NCompass Live); 8:00 – 9:00 a.m. PDT: sos.wa.gov/q/NComp2Apr;
• “Small Bites” Learning (Training Magazine Network); 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. PDT: sos.wa.gov/q/TMNBites;
• Getting ready for WorldCat Discovery (OCLC); 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. PDT: sos.wa.gov/q/OCLC2Apr;
• When Crisis Threatens – How to Turn YOUR Organization Around (4Good); 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. PDT: sos.wa.gov/q/4Good2Apr;
• Introduction to the ProQuest Platform (ProQuest); 10:00 – 10:45 a.m. PDT: sos.wa.gov/q/PQ1003;
• Writing a Social Media Policy for Your Library (Infopeople); 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. PDT: sos.wa.gov/q/Info2Apr;
• A Donor is a Terrible Thing to Lose: Secrets to Getting More and Bigger Gifts (4Good); 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. PDT: sos.wa.gov/q/4Good2AprPM;
• Legal Reference for Information Professionals (WSL); 10:00 – 11:30 a.m. PDT;
• Uncovering the Story behind the Headlines (Gale Cengage and Library Journal); 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. PDT: sos.wa.gov/q/LJ2Apr;

Thursday, April 3:

• The Online Learner: Sinking or Swimming? (WebJunction); 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. PDT;

Friday, April 4:

• FridayLive! Voice Transcription (TLT Group); 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. PDT: sos.wa.gov/q/TLT4Apr.

For more information and to register (for those not linked above), visit the WSL Training Calendar at sos.wa.gov/q/training.

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The Washington State Library has gone social! Friend/follow us at:

• Facebook: on.fb.me/FBWSL;
• Twitter: twitter.com/WAStateLib.

Volume 8, October 4, 2012 for the WSL Updates mailing list

Topics include:

1) NEWS FROM WASHINGTON RURAL HERITAGE

2) EBOOKS AND EREADERS SURVEY

3) FREE DISASTER PREPAREDNESS WORKSHOP

4) CALL FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT BOOK CHAPTERS

5) SCHOOL LIBRARY HUMANITIES AWARD

6) FREE CE OPPORTUNITIES NEXT WEEK

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1) NEWS FROM WASHINGTON RURAL HERITAGE

Seven public libraries throughout the state recently completed work on 2011 LSTA grant projects for Washington Rural Heritage. The WSL-led digitization initiative currently provides online access to 25 collections representing the holdings of more than 80 cultural institutions. Explore some of the new content:

New grant-funded collections:

• Connell Heritage (www.washingtonruralheritage.org/cdm/landingpage/collection/connell) from the Connell Branch of Mid-Columbia Libraries, in partnership with the Connell Heritage Museum and the Franklin County Graphic;
• Nooksack Valley Heritage (www.washingtonruralheritage.org/cdm/landingpage/collection/nooksack) from the Everson McBeath Community Library, Whatcom County Library System;
• North Central Washington Heritage (www.washingtonruralheritage.org/cdm/landingpage/collection/ncrl) from the North Central Regional Library, in partnership with the Initiative for Rural Innovation and Stewardship (IRIS).

New content from existing collections:

• Wilson Banner Ranch photos (sos.wa.gov/quicklinks/asotin2011grant) from a private collection digitized by the Asotin County Library;
• Early Odessa, Washington photos (sos.wa.gov/quicklinks/odessa2011grant) from the holdings of the Odessa Historisches Museum, digitized by the Odessa Public Library;
• Community life and coal mining photos (sos.wa.gov/quicklinks/roslyn2011grant) from a private collection digitized by the Roslyn Public Library;
• Historic barn photos and more Fred L. Breckon portraits (sos.wa.gov/quicklinks/ellensburg2011grant) from the local history archives of the Ellensburg Public Library.

Participating libraries also continue to add content using local resources, volunteers, and alternative funding sources:

• From Whitman County Library (sos.wa.gov/quicklinks/whitman2011-2012continuing). Almost 1,000 items from private collections and institutional partners;
• From the Stevenson Community Library, Fort Vancouver Regional Library District (sos.wa.gov/quicklinks/skamania2011-2012continuing). Privately held items documenting early Skamania County.

Six public libraries and one tribal library are currently working on grant projects for 2012-2013. Applications for a new LSTA grant cycle will be available on the Washington State Library website beginning in February, 2013. To find out more about Washington Rural Heritage, please contact Evan Robb, Project Manager at [email protected], 360-704-5228.

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2) EBOOKS AND EREADERS SURVEY

Infopeople (infopeople.org) would like your input for an online course on eReaders and downloading eBooks set to launch in January, 2013. A short survey has been created for the purpose of collecting your experience with various eReader devices and identifying topics that will address knowledge gaps and support issues related to downloading eBooks to electronic devices. The survey is located at www.surveymonkey.com/s/H787FGR.

Please feel free to pass this link on to anyone who may be interested. Your responses will guide development of a course targeted for front-line support staff who assist patrons in eBook content access and download. Information regarding this new Infopeople offering will be announced at a later time.

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3) FREE DISASTER PREPAREDNESS WORKSHOP

You may have a disaster preparedness plan, but will it work when disaster strikes? Sign up today for the free workshop, “Are You Ready? Scenario Planning & Collaboration Among Heritage Institutions to Improve Disaster Preparedness for Collections,” funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Take a day to test your institution’s disaster plan to identify areas for improvement, to improve your ability to evaluate risks, and to work together with other participants to build a shared vision for regional disaster preparedness.

The workshop instructor is Gary Menges, Librarian Emeritus, University of Washington, and WESTPAS trainer. One workshop in the state of Washington is scheduled for the end of October:

• Wednesday, October 24, 2012, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., Everett Public Library;
• Pre-registration required no later than Monday, October 22, 2012, at 5:00 p.m.;

For additional information and to register, go to www.sos.wa.gov/quicklinks/RUReadyEverett. For general and workshop content information, contact Gary Menges at [email protected]. For registration assistance, contact Alexandra Gingerich at [email protected].

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4) CALL FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT BOOK CHAPTERS

Samantha Schmehl Hines, Associate Professor, Distance Education Coordinator, and Head of the Mansfield Library, University of Montana, is soliciting chapters for a book titled Revolutionizing the Development of Library and Information Professionals: Planning for the Future. Professor Hines requests content from anyone involved in professional development for a library association: conference planners, continuing education coordinators, researchers, writers, and presenters in the field. She is seeking a range of material focusing on all levels, types, and aspects of professional development.

Contact information: [email protected] or 406.243.7818.

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5) SCHOOL LIBRARY HUMANITIES AWARD

The ALA Public Programs Office is now accepting nominations for the $4,000 2013 Sara Jaffarian School Library Program Award for Exemplary Humanities Programming. School libraries, public or private, that served children in any combination of grades K-8 and conducted humanities programs during the 2011-2012 school year are eligible. Applications and award guidelines are available at www.ala.org/jaffarianaward. To be considered, nominations must be received by the ALA Public Programs Office by December 15.

The ALA Public Programs Office and ProgrammingLibrarian.org present the 2012 winner in an online learning opportunity especially for school librarians. Francis Feeley, school librarian of Inter-American Magnet School in Chicago, Ill., will present his award-winning humanities program model for school libraries ,”Who Are We?” which challenged seventh- and eighth-grade students to explore the individual and collective behavior of human beings in the past and present in a series of quarterly research projects. Feeley will discuss elements of his award application that lead to his selection, and give tips to prospective applicants to help get their applications started.

Workshop details:

• Wednesday, October 24, 2012, 2:00 PDT;
• Registration: www.sos.wa.gov/quicklinks/who-are-we;
• Questions: ALA Public Programs Office: [email protected] or 800-545-2433 x5045.

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6) FREE CE OPPORTUNITIES NEXT WEEK

Monday, October 8:

• Advanced Searching: Beyond the Single Search Box (ProQuest); 9:00 – 9:45 a.m. PDT: www.sos.wa.gov/quicklinks/PQ437;
• ProQuest Learning: Literature (ProQuest); 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. PDT: www.sos.wa.gov/quicklinks/PQ440;

Tuesday, October 9:

• All You Need to Know about E-reader services in Your Library (WSL); Richland Public Library, Richland, 9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. PDT;
• My Research & RefWorks: Perfect Together (ProQuest); 10:00 – 10:30 a.m. PDT: www.sos.wa.gov/quicklinks/PQ438;
• Grantseeking Basics (GrantSpace); 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. PDT;
• Ring the Dinner Bell: New Cookbooks to Enjoy (Booklist); 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. PDT;
• Google Yourself Silly (InSync); 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. PDT;
• Personal Gadgets and the Library (Infopeople); 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. PDT;
• Mental Health First Aid USA for Library Staff (ALA); 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. PDT: www.sos.wa.gov/quicklinks/MentalHealth;
• Factors Influencing Funding Decisions by Elected Politicians at the State/Provincial Level: A Case Study of Public Libraries in Canada (San Jose State University); 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. PDT;
• Common Core and ProQuest Resources (ProQuest); 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. PDT: www.sos.wa.gov/quicklinks/PQ441;
• History Study Center (ProQuest); 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. PDT: www.sos.wa.gov/quicklinks/PQ442;

Wednesday, October 10:

• New Librarians Global Connection: best practices, models and recommendations (ALA); 8:00 – 9:00 a.m. PDT;
• All You Need to Know about E-reader services in Your Library (WSL); Ritzville Public Library, Ritzville, 9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. PDT;
• Telling Your Story: Five Secrets for Successful Career Growth and Advancement (Infopeople); 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. PDT;
• CultureGrams for Elementary Schools (ProQuest); 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. PDT: www.sos.wa.gov/quicklinks/PQ443;
• Common Core and ProQuest Resources (ProQuest); 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. PDT: www.sos.wa.gov/quicklinks/PQ444;

Thursday, October 11:

• Introduction to the New ProQuest Platform (ProQuest); 8:00 – 8:45 a.m. PDT: www.sos.wa.gov/quicklinks/PQ439;
• All You Need to Know about E-reader services in Your Library (WSL); Hal Holmes Community Center, Ellensburg, 9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. PDT;
• Helping Patrons Find Legal Assistance in their Community: Online Referral Tools (Pro Bono Net); 10:00 – 11:15 a.m. PDT: www.sos.wa.gov/quicklinks/ProBono11Oct;
• Warm Up to Reading: Getting Kids Hooked on Books (Booklist); 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. PDT;
• Best Practices for Recruiting Online (VolunteerMatch); 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. PDT: www.sos.wa.gov/quicklinks/VMOnline;
• How to Approach a Foundation (GrantSpace); 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. PDT;

Friday, October 12:

• Healthcare 101: Cradle to Grave (O’Reilly Community); 10:00 – 11:30 a.m. PDT.

For more information and to register (for those not linked above), visit the WSL Training Calendar at www.sos.wa.gov/quicklinks/training.

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The Washington State Library has gone social! Friend/follow us at:

• Facebook: on.fb.me/FBWSL;
• Twitter: bit.ly/TwitWSL.

Yesterday, Mike Thompson, Custodian at the Washington State Library, received the Employee of the Year award from the Administrative Services Division of the Office of the Secretary of State.

Mike was nominated by several staff members from the library, and here are excerpts from their comments about Mike:

Mike exhibits outstanding work ethics and attention to detail. He keeps all the buildings he’s responsible for in top form.

Regardless of his heavy workload, he is always pleasant and makes time to say hello. He can be counted on to help out with events or wherever else is needed at the drop of a hat. Mike’s an all around great asset to the agency by making many of our work lives better.

Did we say, “He even DUSTS!”

The building has never looked better since Mike came on board. He goes above and beyond, with a cheerful and professional attitude. Thanks, Mike, for everything you do!

In the picture, Dan Speigle, Deputy Secretary of State (left), comments on Mike’s service while Sam Reed, Secretary of State (right), applauds; Mike is the guy in the middle holding the plaque.

Congratulations, Mike, on this well-deserved award! We salute you!

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.

The “other” Washington, that is, Washington D.C. Mark Ray, Washington’s 2011 Teacher of the Year, and a librarian and media specialist from Skyview High School, Vancouver, WA, is currently in the nation’s capitol where he, along with the teachers of the year from the other states, got to visit the White House, and shake the president’s hand. While in town he also plans to meet with Washington’s senators, and others to advocate for school libraries. In this picture, Mark is in the back row, far right. The full story is printed in today’s Columbian. We previously saluted librarian Ray when he won his award, back in October, 2011.

Kudos go to Mark Ray, Teacher and Librarian/Media Specialist at Skyview High School in Vancouver, WA who was recently named Washington’s Teacher of the Year. The award was announced by the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, during a ceremony in Seattle, Oct. 3, 2011.

An article in the Vancouver Columbian is filled with encomiums of well-deserved praise for librarian Ray.

Then, what should appear in the Seattle Times today? Nothing less than a guest column by Ray, in which he attacks the evils of “truthiness” in American society, explaining and defending the role of libraries and librarians in 21st century schools.

“Truthiness,” according to Ray, quoting Wikipedia, is a term coined by comedian Stephen Colbert, and is defined as “truth” that a person feels intuitively “from the gut” or that “feels right” without regard to evidence, logic, intellectual examination, let alone the facts!

“Librarians fight truthiness,” asserts Ray, “And truthiness is bad for America.” Further,

That makes libraries and librarians good for America. As a teacher librarian, my job is to ensure that students are effective users and producers of information and ideas.

And,

Truthiness is a pox on our society. Trading conjecture for the confirmed and sound bites for the hard work of research, scholarship and attribution, truthiness is a laziness of the mind. And like childhood obesity, it will cost our country far more than we realize.

He concludes, “Truthiness is bad for America. And I have the facts to back that up.”

Hooray for teacher librarians like Mark Ray! Kudos to you on being named Teacher of the Year! And thank you for using your well-deserved fame to highlight the important role that you, and all of the other teacher librarians still serving our schools, play in the lives of students and teachers every day.

Mark Ray, we salute you!

Here are the links:

• Vancouver Columbian article
• Seattle Times guest column

Congratulations to the King County Library System‘s Sammamish Library, which has been selected as one of Library Journal’s “Landmark Libraries” for 2011! Read the full citation here. The rest of the winners and honorable mentions are here.