News

OLYMPIA — The Productivity Board will convene from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2022 in the Columbia Room at the Legislative building.

This is the first convening of the Productivity Board after the state Legislature reinstated the Employee Involvement and Recognition Board during the 2022 Legislative Session.

The Productivity Board, established in 1982 during an economic downturn, empowered state employees to submit money-saving ideas and process changes to public service through the employee suggestion program (ESP) and the teamwork incentive program (TIP).… Read more

OLYMPIA — Washington State Library, a division of the Office of the Secretary of State, was awarded a $149,668 grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).

The grant will fund a pilot program by the State Library’s Institutional Library Services (ILS) and the Washington State Department of Corrections (DOC) to develop strategies and tools aimed at… Read more

“The Last Cuentista” and “Red Paint: The Ancestral Autobiography of a Coast Salish Punk” chosen for the National Center for the Book’s Great Reads from Great Places program

OLYMPIA — Washington Center for the Book has selected one youth book and one adult book by Washington authors to represent the state at the 2022 National Book Festival: “The Last Cuentista” by … Read more

OLYMPIA — Secretary of State Steve Hobbs has appointed Heather Hirotaka, a longtime public servant, as the next Washington State Archivist, effective July 5, 2022.

Hirotaka will oversee Washington State Archives, a division of the Office of the Secretary of State (OSOS) that collects and preserves the state’s historical records and makes them available to the public, including researchers, historians, educators, students, journalists, and government agencies. With branches in Bellevue, Bellingham, Cheney, Ellensburg, and Olympia, the State Archives offers local, dedicated research… Read more

OLYMPIA — Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs has announced this year’s Election Award winners.

The Secretary of State Election Awards recognize exemplary election workers and counties across the state that engage and educate voters, promote greater election transparency and accountability, and administer secure, accurate, and accessible elections for all Washingtonians.

State Elections Director Stuart Holmes presented the awards at this year’s Washington State Elections Conference in Spokane.

The awards and awardees include:

Outstanding Security:… Read more

OLYMPIA — Washington Talking Book & Braille Library (WTBBL) received the 2022 Regional Library of the Year Award from the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS) May 18.

Each year NLS, part of the Library of Congress, recognizes its national network of libraries for providing outstanding service in their communities. WTBBL was honored for excellence, innovation, and special achievement in serving people who are blind or have a print disability.

In 2021 WTBBL, which serves more than 7,200 patrons (over 1,100 of whom enrolled last year),… Read more

OLYMPIA — Candidate Filing Week is May 16-20 for people who want to run for any of the 165 federal, state, and multicounty legislative or judicial offices up for election in Washington this year.

Candidates are encouraged to submit an application… Read more

OLYMPIA — Up to $1 million in state funding is now available to local governments through the Local Records Grant Program.

Administered by Washington State Archives, a division of the Office of the Secretary of State, the Local Records Grant Program helps local-government agencies and entities upgrade the technological resources needed to improve their records management and retention, as well as processes for responding to public-records requests.

The Local Records Grant… Read more

OLYMPIA — The Office of the Secretary of State has received multiple reports of third-party canvassers presenting themselves as elections officials and going door-to-door across Washington asking residents about their voter information and other election-related questions.

These canvassers are not affiliated with and do not represent the Office of the Secretary of State, its Elections division, or any of Washington’s 39 county elections offices.

“I want to assure Washington voters that you are under no obligation to answer any questions from, or disclose information to, an… Read more

OLYMPIA, Wash. — Washington Talking Book & Braille Library (WTBBL), which provides access to information and reading materials for people who are unable to read standard print, is seeking donations during GiveBIG 2022, May 3-4.

WTBBL’s goal is to raise at least $10,000 to support the library’s equipment, collections, and additional programming needs.

“WTBBL is building a greater a sense of community and providing an enriching experience for the thousands of patrons we are privileged to serve,” said WTBBL Director Danielle Miller. “We… Read more