Clippings, September 19, 2008

When Tomasi Boselawa was looking for information for his newfound interest in floral arrangements, his first stop was the magazine section of Tacoma’s downtown library branch. Now, several years later, Boselawa takes immense pride and pleasure in his floral designs. Last month, Boselawa began bringing in one of his arrangements every week to put on displace at the main entrance, and he plans to continue bringing in his work for a long time. (with color photo) (Tacoma Weekly, 9-4-08)

Kennewick High School students can once again use the library across the street from their school during lunch. Mid-Columbia Library System officials this week reversed the policy banning students from the Keewaydin Park branch during lunchtime. (The Wenatchee World, 9-7-08)

Visitors to the Second Story Gallery at the Camas Public Library can now view artwork in a whole new light, thanks to the recent installation of track lighting. Installed in late July, the lighting made its debut during an August show featuring the batiks and watercolors of Mary Anne Harkness. (with photo) (Camas-Washougal Post Record, 9-9-08)

Visits to the bookmobile drove off the charts this summer, and Jefferson County Library Directory Ray Serebrin thinks high gas prices and a sluggish economy might have fueled habit changes throughout the county, with more people opting to make do with borrowing books and videos rather than buy them new. (with color photo) (Port Townsend Leader, 9-10-08)

The McMullins and about a dozen other well-wishers were on hand at the beginning of the library’s 100^th birthday celebration Sept. 6. The library has come a long way during the past century from a reading room in the back of a barbershop with 40 books in 1908 to the current library with a collection of more than 100,000 items, in addition to computers, video game players and audio versions of books. (with color photos) (Issaquah Press, 9-10-08)

Elections:

A new contract between the city’s library and the County Rural Library District could end up leaving Walla Walla Public Library with shorter hours, fewer staff, a lack of books and a loss of as much as a third of its budget. The city of Walla Walla is now in the preliminary stages of establishing its biennial budget for the next two years. That budget includes the Walla Walla Public Library. On Sept. 24, the proposed budget will be opened up to public testimony at the regular City Council Meeting. (Walla Walla Union Bulletin, 9-7-08)

Like a cat with nine lives, Castle Rock is hoping voters will give the ninth straight approval of a levy to keep the library alive yet another year. Levy proceeds pay the salaries of the librarian and an assistant, as well as footing the cost of electricity, supplies and other expenses relating to costs of operating the library. (with color photo) (Daily News [Longview], 9-9-08)

Kennewick and Keewaydin library branches would receive more computers under a proposal from the Mid-Columbian Library District that would have the city’s 62,520 residents paying about $1.92 each for the upgrade. The proposal also includes more express checkout units, creating a single customer service desk and adding a café and gathering place inside the Kennewick Library. (Tri-City Herald [Kennewick], 9-10-08)

Saying it was the only way he could fulfill his promise to Island voters, the head of the King County Library System (KCLS) has pledged to move the Vashon Library to the proposed K2 Commons – should the ambitious redevelopment project come to fruition. The announcement is the latest in the long-running debate over the fate of Vashon’s library – a saga that has pitted the Issaquah-based library system against the Vashon Park District, which owns the land the current library occupies. (with photo) (The Beachcomber [Vashon], 9-10-08)

Library directors are asking for a big funding increase from the Skagit County commissioners, just as the commissioners are looking for ways to trim the county budget. The directors would like to see the county increase its support of local libraries from $48,000 this year to $400,000 in 2009. Based on requests for Internet access and other library services, the library directors estimated that 7,000 rural residents use the libraries without purchasing a card. (Skagit Valley Herald [Mount Vernon], 9-12-08)

Buildings:

Sno-Isle Libraries is seeking a professional architectural consultant to provide design, permitting and construction administration services for a 2,800 square foot expansion of the Coupeville Library. (Daily Journal of Commerce [Seattle], 9-9-08)

Barkley and nearby neighborhoods will get a new library closer to home Saturday, Sept. 13, when the Bellingham Public Library opens a branch for the first time since 1924. A grand opening is set for 3 p.m. on the ground floor of the Drake Building. The new Barkley branch should please those who have said they wanted library service in their part of the city. (with photo) (Bellingham Herald, 9-13-08)

Letters and Editorials:

A letter of thanks to the Skagit County nonprofit organizations, businesses and Friends of the Library groups who generously gave the Burlington Public Library monetary donations, gift certificates, merchandise, and advertisements for the library’s summer reading program. (Skagit Valley Herald [Mount Vernon], 9-8-08)

People:

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Awards:

For the second year in a row, the National Endowment for the Arts has awarded its maximum “Big Read” grant of $20,000 to Timberland Regional Library to build on the library system’s annual adult reading program, “Timberland Reads Together.” (The Daily World [Aberdeen], 9-6-08)

The Stanwood library received a grant from the Washington State Library to fund the community program “Community Reads,” where participants reads the same book and then hold a discussion group. The library used the grant money to purchase extra copies of the book, “The Last Town on Earth” by Thomas Mullen and to organize several public events, including a visit from the author. (Stanwood Camano News, 9-9-08)

Mary Estes of Palouse was named the Whitman County Library’s Supporter of the Month during a recent meeting of the Xenodican Club in the Palouse Library. County branch coordinator Clancy Pool and Palouse branch manager Holly White presented Estes with an award honoring her years of dedication and support. (Whitman County Gazette [Colfax], 9-11-08)

The Rosalia Town Library will have a civic development project titled “Rosalia Children’s Garden.” Funding the project besides the local Rosalia Garden Club will be a grant program called “Let’s Go Native” which is funded by Principal Financial Group Foundation, Inc. and National Garden Clubs, Inc. The garden club was selected for the grant in 2008 and must have the project finalized by next May. (Whitman County Gazette [Colfax], 9-11-08)

New books, technology, resources and building – a $600,000 grant awarded Wednesday will enhance library services in Grandview. The grant, from U.S. Housing and Urban Development, was given to Yakima Valley Community College to help build a library on its Grandview campus in partnership with the city of Grandview. (Yakima Herald-Republic, 9-12-08)

Programs and Displays:

The Roslyn Library now offers free WiFi Internet access. The library already offers five public access computer stations but Librarian Erin Krake says “more and more people want to use their own computers. Offering wireless service gives the community another way to access the Internet on their own terms.” (Daily Record [Ellensburg], 9-10-08)

A laundry list of special events takes place these days at area libraries, including movies, storytimes, mystery parties, chess games, crafts, knitting, stitching, open-mic poetry and, yes, books and reading. All programs conducted in branches of the Fort Vancouver Regional Library District are free and open to the public. (with phot o) (The Reflector [Battle Ground], 9-10-08)

This book club could be the size of the county’s population. It all depends on whether or not people pick up a copy of Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird” and participate in events scheduled by the North Olympic Library System for people to interact and discuss the famous modern novel. The Clallam County Reads program is set to begin in October and library organizers are encouraging those interested in participating to get a copy of the American novel and start turning pages. (with photo) (The Sequim Gazette, 9-10-08)

If there’s one thing that gets Patti Swingle excited, it’s seeing a child with a book. Swingle, director of children’s services at the Sequim branch of the North Olympic Library System, and Sequim branch manager Keitha Owens have created four different story sessions for children, babies to elementary-aged children, which Owens said make up nearly 9 percent of Sequim’s population. (The Sequim Gazette, 9-10-08)

Summer Reading:

Many Skagit County youth “caught the bug” this summer – the reading bug, that is – at a local library. Lisa Anderson, children’s librarian at the Burlington Public Library, said 2,542 children throughout Skagit County enrolled in the 2008 summer reading program “Catch the Reading Bug,” from June 16 to Aug. 7. (with color photo) (Skagit Valley Herald [Mount Vernon], 9-8-08)

Winners of the Mid-Columbia Library System’s Summer Reading Program contests have been announced. Writing contest ages 0-6 winner was Megan Aichele, 4. Writing contest ages 7-8 winner was Kaylee Gale, 8. (Tri-City Herald [Kennewick], 9-9-08)

Visitors to the Bellingham Public Library shouldn’t be alarmed if they see a woman with “Japanese comic book hair” at the front desk. It’s only Jennifer Lovchik, who is teen and web services librarian, sporting a new fuchsia and red ‘do selected by local teens involved in the annual summer reading program. (Bellingham Herald, 9-10-08)

Book Sales:

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[This summary of library news was created by Leanna Hammond and Susan Barrett of the Washington State Library Division of the Office of the Secretary of State. It represents a newspaper clippings packet from all Washington newspapers received on the date shown. For more information about any of these stories, contact Susan at 360-570-5561 or [email protected].]