From Our Corner

Still time to nominate a WA company for state honor

Image Do you know a Washington corporation or business that does good things in your community? It could be providing volunteer help on projects, donating money or supplies, or something else that makes a positive difference. If such a… Read more

August Archives Treasure poll: Ready, set, vote!

We’ve shown off the three Archives Treasures for August, so now it’s up to you and our other loyal blog readers to select the favorite. This month’s three choices are Gov. Dan Evans’ 1974 letters to members of Congress asking them to consider amnesty for President Nixon, 1920 photos of a Vancouver shipyard and photos of the 1971 Satsop rock festival. You can pick your favorite by accessing our online poll (below), which is open until this Friday at 5 p.m.… Read more

Even boring machines can be interesting.

With Big Bertha in the news on a regular basis we got to thinking about boring machines in general. Or rather, interesting boring machines. One in particular comes to mind, from the historic coal mining community of Roslyn, Washington:… Read more

I-1366 survives court challenge, but high court appeal looms

Image King County Superior Court Judge Dean Lum has declined to block Initiative 1366 from the fall statewide ballot. Opponents of Tim Eyman's anti-tax measure had tried to derail it from appearing on the ballot, asserting that it has an overarching… Read more

Archives Treasure #3: 1971 Satsop rock festival photos

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Part of the crowd enjoying the music at Satsop (Photos courtesy of Washington State Archives)

New York state had Woodstock. And Washington had Satsop. A four-day rock festival held during Labor Day… Read more

Wyman speaks at event marking end of World War II

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Secretary Wyman speaks at the "Spirit of '45" event marking the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II. (Photos courtesy of Benjamin Helle)

Secretary of State Wyman joined a handful of World War… Read more

PrezPrimary date stays May 24; Wyman: Voters still want a voice

Image Secretary Wyman, disappointed by defeat of her plans to move the 2016 Washington Presidential Primary from late May to early March, said Wednesday she's nonetheless moving forward with a May 24 primary because "our voters want to vote; they… Read more

Archives Treasure #2: 1920 Vancouver shipyard photos

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(Images courtesy of Washington State Archives)

Located by the world’s largest ocean and the Pacific Rim, Washington has a long history of shipping and shipbuilding. Washington probably has had… Read more

A Snapshot of Cowlitz County

[caption id="attachment_20597" align="aligncenter" width="513"] Image Cowlitz County Flag (Image courtesy of the Washington State Archives) [/caption] Washington is proud of its rich Native American… Read more

Secretary Wyman asks court to allow vote on I-1366

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Initiative checkers review I-1366 signatures earlier this summer.

Secretary Wyman, the state’s chief elections officer, is urging King County Superior Court to allow a public vote this fall on Initiative 1366. Wyman said she takes no position on the… Read more

August Archives Treasure #1: Evans letters on Nixon

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Seattle P-I's Aug. 9, 1974, headline and front-page story about Nixon resigning. (Images courtesy of Washington State Archives)

For those who lived it more than four decades ago, it was a “Where were you when it happened?” moment: On August 9, 1974 (… Read more

A Snapshot of Columbia County

[caption id="attachment_20573" align="aligncenter" width="574"] Image Columbia County Flag (image courtesy of the Washington State Archives)[/caption] The Palouse region of Washington is a… Read more

WA celebrates 50th anniversary of Voting Rights Act

Image We're celebrating the 50th anniversary of the signing of the landmark federal Voting Rights Act, with Secretary Wyman and the state Elections Division, the state’s 39 county election offices and the National Association of Secretaries of State leading the praise for equal access for voters. "The work of assuring equal access to the ballot never ends. We in Washington are absolutely committed to eliminating barriers and encouraging voter… Read more

WSL Updates for August 6, 2015

Volume 11, August 6, 2015 for the WSL Updates mailing list Topics include: 1) IT ACADEMY WEBINARS 2) EXPLORING TECHNOLOGY: ET KITS GRANT CYCLE OPEN 3) PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT GRANTS 4) OUTSIDE THE LINES COMING IN SEPTEMBER 5) NORTHWEST ELEARN CONFERENCE 2015 6) FREE CE OPPORTUNITIES NEXT WEEK --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) IT ACADEMY WEBINARS Funding for the Microsoft IT Academy was renewed for… Read more

A snapshot of Clark County

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Clark County flag (Image courtesy of Washington State Archives)

If you were asked which county in Washington was the oldest, would you know the answer? Think way back to the pioneer era and… Read more

Hops are tops in Library Jewels poll

Image Since many of you will be following the results closely after the state’s Primary ends Tuesday night, you might be interested to know the… Read more

A snapshot of Clallam County

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Clallam County flag (Images courtesy of Washington State Archives)

The northern part of the Olympic Peninsula is a place where the spectacular Olympic Mountains meet the Strait of Juan de… Read more

Clippings July 31, 2015

[caption id="attachment_4996" align="alignright" width="227"] Image Image courtesy North Pend Oreille Heritage collection[/caption] Library Clippings for the week of July 31, 2015 Library News Little libraries with big hearts (Mercer Island Reporter, Mercer Island, 7/8/2015) Buildings Tukwila is growing up Drive… Read more

WSL Updates Special Edition for Friday, July 31, 2015

WSL UPDATES SPECIAL EDITION FOR FRIDAY, July 31, 2015 Note: The next regular edition of WSL Updates will appear on Thursday, August 6, 2015. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- JOIN THE SUPERCHARGED COMMUNITY The Washington State Library is pleased to offer a new learning opportunity for all public library staff members and volunteers in Washington State who are interested in early childhood literacy and… Read more

I-1366, I-1401 certified, heading to fall ballot

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Assistant Secretary of State Mark Neary certifies I-1366 and I-1401.

Two initiatives, one dealing with taxes and the other with endangered animals, officially have the green light to go onto the General Election ballot this fall. Assistant Secretary of… Read more

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The Washington Office of the Secretary of State’s blog provides from-the-source information about important state news and public services.

This space acts as a bridge between the public and Secretary Steve Hobbs and his staff, and we invite you to contribute often to the conversation here.

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