From Our Corner

Here comes Santa Claus ... There goes Santa Claus

Image From the desk of Rand Simmons For those of us, yes even the most mature of adults, and those who through deductive reasoning have ruled out the possibility of a jolly old elf in a sleigh packed with toys pulled by flying reindeer traveling faster than possible delivering a gift to every boy and girl in the world in just one night, the child within each of us listens to hear the tinkling of bells on the roof top ...

Trudy Hawkins in… Read more

WA Electoral College: 8 votes for Clinton, 4 `faithless' voters for others

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Members of Washington's Electoral College cast their votes for President Monday at the Capitol. (Photo courtesy Brian Zylstra)

Washington's Electoral College made national news Monday when four "faithless" electors declined to vote for Hillary Clinton,… Read more

WA Electors gathering at Capitol

Image The 32nd Washington Electoral College convenes at the state Capitol at high noon on Dec. 19, taking part in a time-honored ritual of awarding the state's electoral votes for president and vice president. Amid speculation that several of the 12 delegates will choose to be "faithless" electors, the College will assemble in the ornate State Reception Room, hosted by Secretary of State Kim Wyman and Gov… Read more

WSL Updates for December 15, 2016

Volume 12, December 15, 2016 for the WSL Updates mailing list Topics include: 1) WSL REMEMBERS JOHN GLENN & LIBRARY 21 2) 2017 WLA CONFERENCE PROPOSALS SOLICITED 3) NEA BIG READ GRANTS 4) EZRA JACK KEATS MINIGRANTS 5) TEEN SUMMER READING WEBINAR 6) FREE CE OPPORTUNITIES NEXT WEEK --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) WSL REMEMBERS JOHN GLENN & LIBRARY 21 In recognition of John Glenn’s heroic… Read more

Happy Birthday, Bill of Rights!

Image From the desk of Rand Simmons We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America. You probably recognize the quote as the Preamble to the Constitution of the United… Read more

WSL Remembers John Glenn and Library 21

[caption id="attachment_17225" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Image John Glenn and Washington State Librarian Maryan Reynolds at Century 21.[/caption] From the desk of Mary Paynton Schaff American hero John Glenn… Read more

WSL Updates for December 8, 2016

Volume 12, December 8, 2016 for the WSL Updates mailing list Topics include: 1) 2ND ANNUAL HISTORICAL ZINE CONTEST DEADLINE 2) LETTERS ABOUT LITERATURE CONTEST 3) 2015 WASHINGTON PUBLIC LIBRARY STATISTICAL REPORT – NOW AVAILABLE 4) NATIONAL ARTS AND HUMANITIES YOUTH PROGRAM AWARDS 5) STARNET WEBINAR 6) FREE CE OPPORTUNITIES NEXT WEEK --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) 2ND ANNUAL HISTORICAL ZINE CONTEST… Read more

Pearl Harbor at 75

Pearl Harbor turns seventy-five [caption id="attachment_17217" align="alignleft" width="300"] Image Photo of the USS Arizona which fully sank and was never recovered after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons.[/caption]

From the desk of Rand Simmons

Only five men are still alive that experienced the Japanese attack on the USS Arizona at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. All five are in their mid-nineties. One of them,… Read more

Gov. Inslee & Secretary Wyman certify 2016 election

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Secretary Wyman and Gov. Inslee certify the 2016 General Election returns. (Photos courtesy of Patrick McDonald)

Secretary of State Kim Wyman and Gov. Jay Inslee have certified the returns for the 2016… Read more

Wyman & Ferguson: `Give smart' to charity this season

Image Secretary of State Kim Wyman and Attorney General Bob Ferguson are reminding Washingtonians to make wise choices when giving money to charity and avoid unscrupulous solicitors during this holiday season and beyond. The two statewide officials who deal most closely with charities also are sharing tips on how to “Give Smart.” They did a joint media blitz on Tuesday. Said Wyman: “People here in Washington are very generous. Many of us give… Read more

2016 World AIDS Day

Image From the desk of Rand Simmons Each year December 1 is designated World AIDS Day. Beginning in 1988 World AIDS Day has raised awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection. AIDS.gov reports there are 36.7 million individuals worldwide living with HIV/AIDS. 1.8 million are children who were infected by their HIV mothers during pregnancy, child birth or breast… Read more

WSL Updates for December 1, 2016

Volume 12, December 1, 2016 for the WSL Updates mailing list Topics include: 1) FINDING SOMETHING TO READ NOW WEBINAR 2) MORE TITLES IN WASHINGTON DIGITAL NEWSPAPERS 3) FREE LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH WSL 4) GALE PUBLIC LIBRARY RENEWAL 5) REFERENCE SERVICES COURSE ONLINE 6) FREE CE OPPORTUNITIES NEXT WEEK --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) FINDING SOMETHING TO READ NOW WEBINAR This free First… Read more

2016 Election: Record 3.36m ballots counted

Image Washington counties have certified the returns in the hotly contested 2016 elections that attracted record voter registrations of nearly 4.3 million and the most ballots ever counted in the state, over 3.36 million. The turnout… Read more

AWB Holiday Kids Tree is in the Capitol, lighting event Dec. 2

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DES employees carry the Holiday Kids' Tree up the Capitol Building steps. (Photo courtesy Patrick McDonald)

The Holiday Kids’ Tree is in the building. A large crew of Department of Enterprise workers Tuesday morning carried the 25-foot Noble fir up the north steps… Read more

Centralia, Eatonville, Spokane historic newspapers join digital collection

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Front page of Dec. 20, 1956, edition of The Eatonville Dispatch (Image courtesy Washington State Library)

Nearly 50,000 newly digitized pages from historic newspapers based in Centralia, Eatonville, Tacoma and Spokane are being added to the… Read more

WSL Updates for November 24, 2016

Volume 12, November 24, 2016 for the WSL Updates mailing list Topics include: 1) FINDING SOMETHING TO READ NOW WEBINAR 2) TEEN VIDEO CHALLENGE 3) REFERENCE SERVICES COURSE ONLINE 4) 2017 CSLP TEEN PROGRAMMING MANUAL IDEAS 5) STUFF IS HAPPENING 6) FREE CE OPPORTUNITIES NEXT WEEK --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) FINDING SOMETHING TO READ NOW WEBINAR This free First Tuesday webinar will explore ways to… Read more

The Sea Runners: A Novel, by Ivan Doig.

Image The Sea Runners: A Novel. By Ivan Doig. (New York: Atheneum, 1982. 279 pp. Map.) Recommendation submitted by: Will Stuivenga, Cooperative Projects Manager, Washington State Library, Tumwater, WA. There exists an actual letter-to-the-editor published in the… Read more

Government resources for the Washington State tribal libraries - Celebrating Native American Heritage Month

Image Key Federal Agencies

• Department of Health and Human Services Indian Health Service.
• Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
• Department of the Interior (DOI).
• Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA).
• Department of Justice (… Read more

Archives and Library’s connection to `Queen of the Fakers'

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Maud Wagnon's State Penitentiary mug shots. (Image courtesy of Washington State Archives)

Many people associate our State Archives and State Library with old government… Read more

WSL Updates for November 17, 2016

Volume 12, November 17, 2016 for the WSL Updates mailing list Topics include: 1) UPCOMING PROQUEST TRAINING 2) WASHINGTON RURAL HERITAGE NAMED A BEST SITE 3) LETTERS ABOUT LITERATURE CONTEST 4) 2ND ANNUAL HISTORICAL ZINE CONTEST 5) NEA BIG READ ACCEPTING GRANT APPLICATIONS 6) FREE CE OPPORTUNITIES NEXT WEEK --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) UPCOMING PROQUEST TRAINING ProQuest’s Washington trainer, Jeff… Read more