From Our Corner

A Long Wait

I was told on 12/3/12 that the WCCW State Library branch and the WCCW law library were going to trade spaces. On 12/10/12 we closed the branch library and began to pack up and move 542 boxes of books to storage in a warehouse on the grounds. We were told the transition would take 30 to 60 days. I relocated to a dismal cubicle in another building. As it turned out the original estimate of 60 days turned into 90 days which turned into over 7 months. On 7/1/13 we moved into the former home of… Read more

Wyman elected to national exec board

Image Washington Secretary of State Kim Wyman, rounding out her first six months in office, was honored to be elected to the executive board of the National Association of Secretaries of State. Wyman, second from right in photo, was unanimously elected… Read more

Spirit Telegraphy in Puyallup

Image From the desk of Steve Willis, Central Library Services Program Manager of the Washington State Library Yes, I would agree that the telegraph operator profiled in the following article didn't get out much. A very unusual story found in… Read more

WSL Updates for July 25, 2013

Volume 9, July 25, 2013 for the WSL Updates mailing list Topics include: 1) FREE TECH TRAINING WEBINAR SERIES 2) FREE WORKSHOP – TESTING YOUR DISASTER PLAN 3) CALL FOR PROPOSALS – ACRL 2013 4) AFFORDABLE CARE ACT RESOURCES FOR LIBRARIES 5) PROTECT YOUR COMMUNITY’S CULTURAL HERITAGE 6) FREE CE OPPORTUNITIES NEXT WEEK --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) FREE TECH TRAINING WEBINAR SERIES In 65% of… Read more

Profiles in Washington Territorial Librarians - Henry R. Crosbie, 1857

[caption id="attachment_11417" align="alignleft" width="355"] Image Henry R. Crosbie[/caption] [The Territorial Librarian profiles were compiled by Sean Lanksbury, Mary Schaff,… Read more

From Digital Archives: Boat racing in Tri-Cities

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(Photo courtesy of Washington State Digital Archives.)

For many in the Northwest, a summer highlight is watching the hydros race on the Columbia River in the Tri-Cities in late July or on Lake Washington in Seattle a… Read more

Dog Days at the Library

Libraries are never so much fun as when the four legged patrons come to the library. Not all prison libraries in Washington State have animals as part of their loyal patron base, but those that do find joy in getting a ‘pawshake’ and handing out a biscuit. Airway Heights Corrections Library and Stafford Creek Corrections Library both share anecdotes of their “favorite” patrons. [caption id="attachment_11332" align="alignright" width="300"]… Read more

Spotlight on Staff: Mandy Gonnsen

WTBBL Youth Services Librarian: Mandy Gonnsen Image Mandy Gonnsen, Youth Services Librarian, Washington Talking Book & Braille Library“Mandy blew into WTBBL like a welcome summer storm and immediately took charge of the youth services department! She started just weeks before the 2012 Summer Reading Program began and quickly planned out the entire eight weeks with reading lists and activities that were mailed to all participating youth in English… Read more

My Last Blog Post

Image This will be my last blog post. I am leaving Institutional Library Services for a new adventure in the academic world. I plan to follow the blog and keep up with all the news, because I may be leaving prison, but it will always have my support. I think that we… Read more

Summer Means Reading (e-Books) on the Beach

Our family vacation this summer was in Maui where we vacationed several years ago as well. I noticed a few things that changed in the past 3 or 4 years. The kids are now teens and pre-teens and were amazingly well behaved and involved in living the Aloha life that Maui offers. I also noted that my in-laws who are in their 70s were enjoying their Nooks and iPads for reading books. Likewise, the parents, aunts, and uncles were all enjoying various e-Readers and tablets for reading, watching… Read more

From Digital Archives: Photos of CCC workers

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CCC workers build a guard rail for a road at Moran State Park. (Photos courtesy of Washington State Digital Archives.)

If you love old, classic photos, our… Read more

Mutiny on the Aberdeen

Image From the desk of Steve Willis, Central Library Services Program Manager of the Washington State Library In the last few years we have read about cruise ship vacations gone bad, to the point where the passengers form a "mutiny." As we can see by the May 31,… Read more

2013 Primary underway

Image If you’re a registered voter, make sure to check your mail over the next few days. Washington’s 2013 Primary is underway and county elections officials are mailing ballots this week to most of the state’s registered voters. Military and overseas ballots… Read more

Profiles in Washington Territorial Librarians- Bion Freeman Kendall

[caption id="attachment_11316" align="alignleft" width="349"] Image Bion (Benjamin) Freeman Kendall, 1853 - 1857[/caption] [The Territorial Librarian… Read more

WSL Updates for July 18, 2013

Volume 9, July 18, 2013 for the WSL Updates mailing list Topics include: 1) FREE WORKSHOP WITH NANCY STEWART 2) FIRST TUESDAYS – BLOGGING BEYOND BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS 3) THERE’S STILL TIME TO REGISTER FOR PNLA 4) BOOKS FOR CHILDREN GRANTS 5) ARSL – BEST CONFERENCE FOR RURAL AND SMALL LIBRARIES 6) FREE CE OPPORTUNITIES NEXT WEEK --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) FREE WORKSHOP WITH NANCY STEWART Would you… Read more

Dear Dewey has a New Name

Image Dear Dewey from Western State Hospital has a new name...Dewey Digest and a new format. Check out the latest issue, "Dog Days of Summer."

Nominate a company that gives back to the community

Image We all know of a corporation or business that steps up and does good things in a community, whether it’s donating money or supplies, or providing volunteer help. Here is your chance to help give that company some much-deserved recognition and praise. Nominate… Read more

Clippings for the week of July 12, 2013

[caption id="attachment_4996" align="alignright" width="227"] Image Image courtesy North Pend Oreille Heritage collection[/caption] Library News At the last regular school board meeting the Board addressed the issue of two books challenged by Rich Korb, an educator. The Prosser School Board reached an impasse in removing The Popularity Papers from school libraries, meaning the… Read more

From Your Corner of Washington: Mount Ellinor

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(Photo courtesy of Holly Harris.)

The rugged Olympic Peninsula is full of challenging yet beautiful trails for hikers. One of them leads to the top of Mount Ellinor, which sits next… Read more

I-594 ballot title revised; gun-control group free to collect sigs

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I-594 sponsor Cheryl Stumbo

Sponsors of an initiative for background checks on gun sales now have a green light to begin collecting signatures for Initiative to the Legislature 594. Thurston County Superior Court Judge Chris Wickham has made some… Read more