From Our Corner

New Capitol exhibit profiles three-term Governor Dan Evans

Image An excerpt from the upcoming autobiography of former governor Dan Evans is the latest chapter in Legacy Washington’s new project, “1968: The Year that Rocked Washington.” The chapter—part of an exhibit that will open Sept. 13 at the State Capitol — is now online at the project’s homepage. The August 9, 1968, edition of Time magazine featured the keynote speaker for the Republican… Read more

Exploring the old school records of the State Archives

[caption id="attachment_25332" align="alignright" width="243"] Image Territorial School Ledger from Mime School District, entry dated July 2, 1855 (Black Lake Township, Thurston County)[/caption] It’s September and… Read more

Throwback Thursday: What Washington libraries looked like in 1904

J.A. Gabel, appointed Washington State Librarian in 1902 at just 29 years old, penned an insightful report on the condition of the state library system as "an active and aggressive force" for state education and governance. We found the document well worth sharing, both as an interesting historic record and as an explanation of how the State Library came to grow to its current form. Enjoy! Above is a map of the state's library system as it existed then: the X's represent public libraries, and… Read more

New Capitol exhibit features profiles of civil rights activists Gossett and Howell

[caption id="attachment_25307" align="alignright" width="441"] Image Aaron Dixon (left), Larry Gossett and Carl Miller (right) talked to news reporters after they were arrested for unlawful assembly at Franklin High School. They received the… Read more

Author Patricia Briggs visits Coyote Ridge Corrections Center

On August 28th, author Patricia Briggs gave a presentation in the library at Coyote Ridge Corrections Center to inmates and the Institutional Libraries Services staff of the State Library, which is a division of the Office of Secretary of State. Nearly 50 inmates attended, and many posed insightful questions about how Briggs approaches the writing process. She said that if you want to be a writer, the first thing you should do is read anything… Read more

How Maxine Mimms brought Evergreen State College to Tacoma: a new Capitol exhibit

Image A profile of Dr. Maxine Mimms is the latest chapter in Legacy Washington’s new project, “1968: The Year that Rocked Washington.” The profile — part of an exhibit that will open Sept. 13 at the State Capitol — is now online at the project's homepage. There is an Evergreen State College Tacoma campus because of Dr. Maxine Mimms. She was… Read more

Open data literacy and the Washington State Library

The Washington State Library has been pleased to host University of Washington Information School (iSchool) Open Data Literacy (ODL) intern Kathleen Sullivan this summer. This was the second year of the open data internship program at the UW iSchool, funded in part by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). Open Data is the concept of freely-available, non-personal, machine-readable data. This year, four iSchool students were matched up with the City of Seattle,… Read more

Longtime legislator Dicks profiled in new 1968 exhibit

[caption id="attachment_25245" align="alignright" width="200"] Image Norman DeValois "Norm" Dicks in his favorite UW windbreaker, 2015. Rick Dahms photo[/caption] A profile of former congressman Norm Dicks is the latest chapter in Legacy… Read more

New exhibit explores Vietnam war experiences of Washington Green Beret

[caption id="attachment_25235" align="alignright" width="192"] Image Sgt. Loucks on his discharge from the Army in 1969. Bryon Loucks Collection.[/caption] A profile of Bryon Loucks, a Green Beret medic who… Read more

Discover unique collections in Washington libraries

From our standpoint here at the Washington State Library, one of the best things about this summer’s Washington Library Passport Project is that every week, we learn interesting and unique things about the libraries in Washington. Everyone knows about the spectacular architecture of Seattle’s flagship branch, but often our small libraries fly under the radar. By… Read more

State Parks and Rec gives thanks for massive CCC photo-scanning project

The Washington State Archives’ Digital Projects Archivists Maggie Cogswell and Mary Hammer led the way in completing a massive, 11-year project digitizing and cataloging photos of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) from the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission. This collection of 2,396 photographs shows work conducted on Washington state parks by the CCC from 1933… Read more

Legacy Washington profiles Seattle Mayor Wes Uhlman for new exhibit

The political legacy of 1968 bloomed in Seattle the following year when Wes Uhlman, 34, was elected mayor. Uhlman, profiled as part of an exhibit that will open Sept. 13 at the state Capitol, proved to be a politician of the changing times. [caption id="attachment_25189" align="alignleft" width="301"]… Read more

Scrapbooking and Oral History: Lessons from the pros

Image Summer is a tricky time to put on an event at the Olympia Archives Building. Who wants to take time during a sun-drenched Saturday in August to huddle up in the dark confines of a windowless research room? History buffs and… Read more

Longtime leader Karen Fraser profiled in new Legacy Washington exhibit

A profile of Karen Fraser of Olympia, who served in the Washington State Legislature for 28 years, is the latest chapter in Legacy Washington’s overview of 1968 “The Year that Rocked Washington.” The profile — part of an exhibit that will open Sept. 13 at the State Capitol — is now online. [caption id="attachment_25147" align="alignleft" width="235"]… Read more

Spotlight on State Library Special Collections: The Holy Roman Emperor, the Conquistador, and the Emperor of the Aztecs

Recently a question hit the State Library Twitter feed that requires a little more explanation than Twitter's 280-character limit allows. That very fine question was: “What is the oldest book in the library’s collection?” Well, the State Library has a lot of older books and maps in our Special Collections, but the Territorial Collection has the distinction of holding the oldest… Read more

Exploring Washington's libraries via Passport

[gallery type="slideshow" link="file" size="full" ids="25117,25118,25119,25120,25121,25122,25123,25124,25125,25126,25127,25128,25129,25130,25131,25132" orderby="rand"] Last summer, the solar eclipse of 2017 was a HUGE event — and libraries stood at the epicenter. Eclipse glasses were sold out in stores, online, and pretty much everywhere. As a result, the small stash of glasses we saved at the Washington State Library to hand out on eclipse day became a truly hot commodity. Some people… Read more

A tribute to "Cemetery Lady" and State Archives friend Maggie Rail

Image "Some people collect spoons. Maggie Rail counts dead people," the Seattle Times observed in a 2012 profile of a… Read more

Washington's top-two primary: What it is and how it works

Voting has begun for Washington's 2018 Primary Election, for which ballots can be submitted in county drop boxes or via postage-paid U.S. Mail until Election Day, August 7. This year, Primary's ballots include groups of candidates vying to collect enough votes to make the General Election, for which ballots are due Nov. 6. Across America, states use a variety of systems to winnow down fields of candidates to finalists,… Read more

New exhibit profiles counterculture chronicler Tom Robbins

In what TIME magazine deemed “the year that changed the world,” Tom Robbins embodied the Altered States of America. Now his profile is part of a new exhibition by Legacy Washington about that pivotal year, 1968. [caption id="attachment_25083" align="alignright" width="211… Read more

Donate with honor, not to a sham charity             

Would you donate to a charity called Help the Vets? The appeal says your donation will help wounded and disabled military veterans. What about in response to a robocall that asks you to donate your car to Veterans of America? Sounds like a charity, right? Image Unfortunately, donations to Help the Vets weren’t spent helping disabled and wounded veterans. Very… Read more