From Our Corner

Digitizing Newspapers: Part II - Scanning in-house

Continuing our discussion of newspaper digitization, we have arrived at the scanning stage. The pioneer newspaper project scans in-house while the NDNP… Read more

New 'legacy' honor for first woman justice

Image Washington's state Supreme Court was an all-male bastion until the arrival of Carolyn Dimmick back in 1981, nearly a year before Sandra Day O'Connor joined the U.S. high court. Dimmick, still going strong at 79 as a federal judge, is honored… Read more

Movers & Shakers, Shovers & Makers

Image Every March the good folks at Library Journal publish their list of the year's "Movers and Shakers." Whether the chosen ones were more into moving or more into shaking, LJ cites the list as a "Who's Who of creativity and library trends in the field." Well, it's March, and… Read more

National Atlas

On this site you can customize maps for printing or viewing. You can mix and match layers when making your own map. Or you can play with interactive maps. Check it out at http://www-atlas.usgs.gov/

Washington's only female Secretary of State

Image Since March is Women’s History Month, it’s very worth mentioning Belle Reeves, the only female Secretary of State in Washington history. She was appointed Secretary of State by Governor Clarence Martin (she is seated to the left of Governor Martin in this 1938 photo, courtesy of the State Archives) in 1938 and served until 1948, when she died while serving her second full term. Born in Ohio, she and her family moved to Washington in 1889,… Read more

A Frontier Army Wife

In 1871 Frances Marie Antoinette Mack married Fayette Washington Roe. Both had been raised in upstate New York, though Faye (as he was known) was born in Virginia. The wedding occurred immediately after his graduation from West Point, and they quickly left to travel to his first army assignment in Fort Lyon, Colorado far from their quiet upstate homes. Image

Kit Carson, Colorado Territory, October, 1871. Tis late, so this can be only a… Read more

Clippings, March 25, 2009

Clippings, March 25, 2009

Graham Library, part of the Pierce County Library System, has started changing with the times. They now have a “Books to Go” counter, which features popular titles easily available for patrons to grab. In addition, they now have twelve computer for use by cardholders and more funds to offer more books, programs, and DVDs. (with color photo) (South Pierce County Dispatch [Eatonville], 2-25-09)… Read more

From Your Corner of Washington: Stonehenge?

Image (Images provided by Maryhill Museum of Art)

Most of us know about Stonehenge, that mysterious stone circle located in rural England and said to have been built more than 3,000 years. But did you know that we have a Stonehenge… Read more

From Your Corner of Washington: Flashback

Olympia's Pet Parade, 1952:

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56 years later... Olympia's Pet Parade, 2008:

Image -Submitted by Ben, who says "Never too early to think of summer."

Submit us your photo from your corner of Washington, and add our… Read more

Young farmer favored for House seat

Image A 25-year-old farmer, Jacob (Jake) Anderson of White Salmon in the Columbia Gorge, is the frontrunner for a state House vacancy created when Republican Representative Dan Newhouse joined the Democratic Gregoire Administration as state ag director. Anderson,… Read more

Increasing office productivity... for free.

The following information is from an announcement in the GrantStation Insider, which highlights resources and events of interest to state agencies and the public: "How to Increase Office Productivity Using Free Software is a seven-part series that covers everything nonprofits need to know about moving from costly desktop office software to free online office tools. This series offers tutorials for getting started with… Read more

UN Iraq election experts visit Oly

Image Secretary of State Sam Reed and election officials recently had high-level United Nations election experts as visitors at the Capitol -- and it all came about by local connections. Sandra Mitchell, an American who serves as chief technical adviser to the United… Read more

Is there a tax hike in your future?

Image Governor Gregoire, who last December proposed closing the state budget gap with all cuts and no new taxes, says the economy has since slid so much that it makes sense for lawmakers to be "looking at any and every option" for a possible tax package to take to the… Read more

Green light: Elections bills advancing

Image Washington lawmakers continue to advance significant election-related bills sought by the Secretary of State's Elections Division, County Auditors and other advocates. The Senate elections panel, for instance, has just endorsed a House-passed plan to… Read more

TVW gala promises to lift Oly gloom for an evening

Image One of the social highlights of legislative sessions is TVW's annual dinner. It's always a ton of fun, with blooper tapes, funny speeches, insta-polls by Stuart Elway, raffle prizes awarded by the Chief Justice, and gabbing around the dinner tables.… Read more

Library Legislation Tracker - March 23, 2009

Courtesy Legislative Planning Committee, Washington Library Association State Bills of Interest. The Washington Library Association(WLA) tracks state legislative activity that will potentially affect Washington Libraries. Their tracker is posted to the WLA web site and we will also post it weekly on this blog. For information on the legislative process or becoming… Read more

It is official, Virginia has left the building!

Last Thursday night we were lucky enough to be together to celebrate Virginia's retirement; today is officially her last day. At the party we had her family, friends, and of course, coworkers to celebrate and remember the good times. We are all sad to see her go, but it was great fun to show her how much we have appreciated her over the years. Tears fell, but there was laughter as well as Virginia read her letters from Sam Reed, Secretary of State, and Christine Gregiore, Governor, to… Read more

Care to Comment? Broadband Stimulus Funding

NTIA has provided a means by which you can comment on the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Acct (ARRA) -- aka federal stimulus funding. The comment form is available at http://www.… Read more

Kudos to the State Library

Our own “well-wired” Washington State Library was the subject of a great article by Library Journal yesterday. It mentions State Library resources that you should take a look at:

-- Hard Times in Washington Libraries resources page; -- Resources for Library… Read more

Visiting the Capitol? Meet your new BFFs ...

Visiting the capitol? If so, be sure and take a tour! Come on, who else would tell you that a Volkswagen slug bug could actually fit into the Tiffany chandelier ... or the cupola was a lookout tower during World War II? Or that the vault in the Treasurer’s office weighs more than 16 tons? A capitol tour guide is a wealth of information. Here's our fabulous tour-guide team:… Read more