Clippings, October 31, 2008, Part 2

The city of Pasco has received a report written by consultant Ruth Metz of Portland, considering options for library service when the city’s contract with Mid-Columbia expires in two years, “because there’s a chance the (library) district may have to reduce how much service the city gets for its dollar…..The city’s options, Metz said, include establishing its own municipal library, partnering with Richland to form a regional library, annex to the (MCRL) library district, contract with Richland or a private corporation for library service, or continue to contract with the library district.” (Tri-City Herald [Kennewick], 10-14-08)

Elections:

Sno-Isle Libraries director Jonalynn Woolf-Ivory gave a presentation to the Stanwood City Council on the benefits of the city’s annexing into the library district. If the city were to make such a resolution, it would be voted on in May 2009 by the city’s residents.

The February 2009 levy lid lift ballot measure for the Timberland Regional Library is discussed. (With photo) (Belfair Herald, 10-09-08; Shelton-Mason County Journal, 10-09-08))

Buildings:

The Wilbur City Council heard about “the progress made for a plan that would provide for added space in the Fire Station, as well as safer usable storage for the Hesseltine Public Library and the Town Clerk’s office.” (Wilbur Register, 10-09-08)

Ground-breaking took place on June 20 for the $10.2 million Cascade Park Community Library, the Fort Vancouver Regional Library’s new branch at the Firstenburg Community Center. The 24,000-square-foot library is expected to open in late 2009. (With color illustration) (Vancouver Business Journal, 10-17-08)

Letters and Editorials:

A letter writer responds to stories of budget cuts at Sno-Isle Libraries—“Libraries are places where preschoolers go for story time, students go to learn, investors go to study the market, unemployed folks go to search the newspapers and use computers to e-mail resumes, lost souls go to make a brief human connection, and lots of ordinary folks go to read a good book. Please don’t cut library funding unless absolutely necessary.” (Mukilteo Beacon, 10-09-08)

A letter asks for support of the annual levy election for the Castle Rock Public Library [which failed by 6 votes to reach 60% in the November election]. (Daily News [Longview], 10-11-08)

Awards:

“Last week it was announced that the Camas Public Library ranked as the best public library in Washington by the 2008 Hennen’s American Public Library Ratings. ‘We’re whooping it up at the library,’ said director David Zavortink. ‘We have a score of 836, which puts us in the 98^th percentile nationally.’” (With color photo) (Camas-Washougal Post Record, 10-14-08)

Jennings Elementary and Junior High students in Colfax are benefiting from a $10,000 Project Library Automation grant, a targeted competitive IMLS grant from WSL, to provide barcode scanning, on-line resources, and an enhanced school website. PTO volunteers helped in bar-coding the books. (With color photo) (Whitman County Gazette [Colfax], 10-09-08)

Programs and Displays:

Longview Public Library celebrates Teen Read Week with several activities. “’Teens who read for fun are becoming an ’endangered species’’, said Youth Librarian Jan Hanson. ‘It’s important not only to encourage teen reading, but that teens see the significant adults in their lives using libraries and reading for pleasure.’” (Daily News [Longview], 10-13-08)

The Malden Library (Whitman County Library) has received a selection of new children’s books from the Libri Foundation, and is also sponsoring a program for adults who wish to learn a new craft, the Fourth Friday Craft Club. (Whitman County Gazette [Colfax], 10-09-08)

A “Living Library” afternoon at the Bainbridge Island Library (Kitsap Regional Library) allowed people with disabilities or different life situations to be “checked out” for a 30-minute conversation about their lives. (Seattle P-I, 10-24-08)

“The Ellensburg Public Library was one of 40 public and academic libraries in the United State that were awarded grants to show the FRONTLINE/World film series on social entrepreneurship.” (Daily Record [Ellensburg], 10-14-08)

A program at the Maple Valley Library (King County Library System) on ‘Pakistan, Afghanistan and the Other ‘stan’ Countries” was part of a county-wide King County Reads project, focusing on the book Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace…One School at a Time. (Covington-Maple Valley Reporter, 10-11-08)

A reunion of settlers and an exhibit running through Oct. 31 at the Kennewick Library (Mid-Columbia Libraries) shows photos of early Hanford and White Bluffs residents, “the first casualties of the nuclear age”, whose homes and towns were bulldozed and burned to make way for the super secret Manhattan Project. The U.S. Dept. of Energy has funded a website with the complete collection at www.hanford.gov/photogallery . Many can also be viewed at www.tricityherald.com/galleries . (Tri-City Herald [Kennewick], 10-17-08)

The White Salmon Valley Community Library (Fort Vancouver Regional Library) invites local knitters to come and join a monthly evening knitting group at the library. (The Enterprise [White Salmon], 10-09-08)

Story Hours, Summer Reading and Early Learning:

Camano Island Library Pilot Project (Sno-Isle Libraries) recently had its first fall story time, at which toddler-size book bags made by a local quilting group were distributed to the children. “The gift of these bags was organized by Camano Island Library Friends member Lalee Burrill,” who calls the book bags “doorknob bags” because library books can be kept in the bag and are less easily misplaced. The quilting group has made over 70 of the bags, “each one a unique combination of fabrics”, and has so far distributed 20 to the preschoolers. (With color photo) (Stanwood Camano News, 10-14-08)

Book Sales:

Sunnyside (Yakima Valley Libraries) Friends of the Library. (Daily News [Sunnyside], 10-10-08)

[This summary of library news was created by 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].]