From Our Corner

You have referendum questions? We have answers...

Image Early this afternoon, Referendum 71 was filed on the domestic partnership bill (SB 5688) passed this year by the state Legislature. This is the second referendum filed with the Secretary of State in the past week. R-70 deals with SB 5599, which would require our state’s electoral votes to go to the national popular vote winner in a presidential election. Since the referendum process is complex, it’s likely many people might have questions about… Read more

Campaign For The American Reader

This site is the official blog of the Campaign for the American Reader. It is an independent initiative to encourage more readers to read more books ! It also lists a lot of cool books that one might not find on any other booklists ! Yo Yo check it out at http://americareads.blogspot.com/

From Your Corner of Washington

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-Bellingham Submit us your photo from your corner of Washington, and add our new Facebook application.

Referendum 101

What is a referendum? A referendum allows citizens, through the petition process, to send bills or other measures passed by the Legislature to the ballot before they become law. The referendum also allows the Legislature itself to refer proposed legislation to voters for approval or rejection. Who can propose a referendum? Any registered voter, either acting individually or on behalf of an organization, may file a petition for a referendum. When can a referendum be filed? A referendum can be… Read more

Wanna see DOH time capsule? Come back in 25 years

Image As a way to close out public health month, the Department of Health held a ceremony in Tumwater last week in which more than two dozen items were put into a time capsule that will be kept locked up at the State Archives until it’s opened in 2035. Department of Health Secretary Mary Selecky and Secretary of State Sam Reed were among those taking part in the event. Among the things placed in the time capsule: predictions of staff and local public… Read more

From Your Corner of Washington: The mystery of Mima Mounds

Image If you’re looking to do a short hike in an unusual locale, or if you just want to see a true geological marvel, check out the Mima Mounds Natural Area Preserve south of Olympia. The main attraction in this 624-acre preserve, of course, is the Mima (pronounced my-muh) Mounds, those mysterious-looking, uniformly spaced mounds that are six to eight feet high. Over the years, many theories have been offered about the mounds’ origin, ranging from… Read more

Grab lunch with Chief Justice Gerry Alexander

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The Office of the Secretary of State has started a series of brown-bag lunch discussions in Secretary Reed's office, held on the first Friday of every month. Past guest speakers have included pollster Stuart Elway and international travel expert Andreas Udbye.

This Friday at 1 p.m., Washington Supreme Court Chief Justice Gerry Alexander will be discussing the historic fight over the state capital city, and how Olympia… Read more

WSL Updates, April 30, 2009

Volume 5: April 30, 2009 for the WSL Updates mailing list Topics include: 1) FIND-IT! WASHINGTON SEARCH SERVICE TO CONTINUE 2) SWINE FLU INFORMATION SITES NOW LISTED ON WSL BLOG 3) BOOKSTORE-STYLE LIBRARY FEATURED ON FIRST TUESDAYS MAY 5 4) NATIONAL CONNECTING TO COLLECTIONS FORUM IN BUFFALO IN JUNE 5) GRANT SOURCES FOUND VIA GRANTSTATION 1) FIND-IT! WASHINGTON SEARCH SERVICE TO CONTINUE We are very happy to announce that Find-It! Washington, … Read more

Electoral College changes? Not so fast ...

Image The ink is barely dry from Governor Gregoire signing into law a huge change in the state's presidential voting, and a critic has already filed a referendum measure that would send the whole question to the statewide ballot in November. The new plan, Senate Bill 5599 , is for Washington to join a compact of states that commit… Read more

Light bulb goin' on?

Image Got ideas? As state government begins implementing some $4 billion in spending cuts and freezes, state workers have two very good ways of chiming in with their suggestions. First, as this space has noted, the state Productivity Board is an idea factory that has literally saved millions by encouraging employees' creative ideas for efficiency, innovation and cost-savings. Employees, individually or in teams, can earn cash awards for the savings… Read more

And then there were 39?

Image Ever since the Legislature gave counties permission to decide whether to switch to all vote-by-mail, nearly every one has made the move. The last two holdouts of the 39 counties have been populous King (Seattle) and Pierce (Tacoma). King County, which soon will be certified to use new rapid ballot-counting machines, has announced that it will no longer use poll sites. And Pierce County's new auditor, Jan Shabro, has just sent up a request to… Read more

Of Men and Swine: Influenza Resources

Image Here are some government Web sites about the current H1N1 Swine Flu/Influenza outbreak that has reached the United States. These were mostly compiled by Herrick Heitman, Federal Publications Coordinator for the Washington State Library.

Telephone resources have now been added, and ASL videos.

… Read more

Recap: Election stuff passed by the '09 Legislature

It’s been two days since the Legislature finished its regular session, and the Leg Building is back to its empty, quiet self.

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During 105 days in Olympia, the Legislature passed a bunch of elections-related bills this year. One would take us a step toward allocating Washington’s electoral votes for President and VP based on the national popular vote winner instead of which ticket received the most votes in our state. Other bills… Read more

Public Library Model

Just as there are different ways to interpret what a library is, there are different ways of providing information in a prison library. Here in Washington State we provide library service using the public library model. This means that we provide material to meet all the needs of our patrons, whether that be recreational, educational, or treament orientated. All material provide to inmates can be beneficial and provide a lasting impression on them. By providing them with the treatment… Read more

Libraries as Recreation and Culture: A Survey Summary

The Office of Financial Management (OFM) just released their Research Brief 54: Participating in Recreation and Culture in Washington State (download the pdf). The survey polls Washington residents on the recreational… Read more

Dotting of the dragon's eye

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At the 4th Annual Dragon Boat Festival down at Heritage Park in Olympia on Sunday, Secretary Reed ceremonial paints a dot on the dragon's eye. According to legend, the dotting of the eye causes the dragon to come alive, which appropriateley was done right before the dragon boat races began.

Ripples

From the desk of Rand Simmons Sometimes I get weary trying to keep up with what's happening with the federal stimulus funding, but then there are occasions like today that lift my spirits. Amanda McKeraghan, Director of the Libraries of Stevens County, shared a compliment about Jan's public comment at the governor's use of broadband meeting on Monday. The compliment came from the academic sector. I mentioned -- in my April… Read more

WA Budget: Secretary of State takes hits, too

Image The Office of Secretary of State, led by independently elected official Sam Reed, will be taking some deep cuts in the upcoming two-year budget cycle, but will able to carry out the core functions the public relies upon. The agency is best known for overseeing elections, and also oversees the Corporations and Charities Division, the state Archives and Digital Archives, the state Library, library services for the blind, the domestic partner… Read more

WA budget: Dems tout 'cuts w/ a conscience'

Image On Day 103 of the 105-day legislative session in Oly, we're finally seeing hard copy on a new $31.4 billion, two-year state budget. It's the majority Democrats' House-Senate compromise that closes a $9 billion budget gap without higher general taxes. Deets here . The session must adjourn by Sunday night, and lawmakers are racing to make that happen. The… Read more

Ouch: Timberland cutting hours at most of its libraries

Image When the Timberland Regional Library’s tax measure was defeated in February, it was inevitable that the system’s libraries would endure cuts in one form or another. That day of reckoning is approaching. Timberland yesterday announced that it’s reducing hours for 25 of its 27 libraries in its five-county service area in Southwest Washington, starting June 1. Fortunately, the hour reductions aren’t drastic. If you tend to return books past the… Read more