From Our Corner

April State Library jewels #2: World’s Fair records

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(Image courtesy of Washington State Library)

The 50th anniversary of the Space Needle’s opening has many people reminiscing about the world-famous tower and the… Read more

When art and voting meet

Image It won’t be mistaken for the Louvre or The Art Institute of Chicago, but once a year our Elections Division transforms itself into a gallery featuring some special and meaningful artwork. The colored drawings recently on display in the Elections… Read more

WSL Updates for April 26, 2012

Volume 8, April 26, 2012 for the WSL Updates mailing list Topics include: 1) REQUEST FOR COMMENTS ON DRAFT LSTA FIVE-YEAR PLAN 2) CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT FACT SHEETS FOR 2011 NOW AVAILABLE 3) FIRST TUESDAYS – TRANSFORMING LIFE AFTER 50 4) REQUEST FOR INPUT FROM PUBLIC LIBRARIANS AND PATRONS 5) GRANTS FOR CHILDREN’S FICTION AND NON-FICTION BOOKS 6) FREE CE OPPORTUNITIES NEXT WEEK… Read more

The New and Improved Online Index to the Olympian Just Released!

Image The webpage intro modestly states: "Produced by Washington State Library, this index contains citations to articles in The Olympian (Olympia, Washington) and other Washington state newspapers. Dates covered are from 1993-2009. Subsequent Olympian issues… Read more

Drumming, dancing highlight Native exhibit opening

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(Photo courtesy of Benjamin Helle, Washington State Archives)

They marched up the marble steps in the Capitol Rotunda, rhythmically pounding their drums and chanting a tribal song. As the last of the… Read more

Washington Librarian Goes to Washington

The "other" Washington, that is, Washington D.C. Mark Ray, Washington's 2011 Teacher of the Year, and a librarian and media specialist from Skyview High School, Vancouver, WA, is currently in the nation's capitol where he, along with the teachers of the year from the other states, got to visit the White House, and shake the president's hand. While in town he also plans to meet with Washington's senators, and others to advocate for school libraries. In this picture, Mark is in the back row,… Read more

Cherry blossoms!

Image Washington’s Capitol Campus is a great place to visit year-round, but it’s especially worth a look now with the Japanese cherry trees exploding with pink… Read more

Library Snapshot Day 2012 Numbers Are In

[caption id="attachment_7511" align="alignleft" width="150" caption="We're here to help"] Image [/caption] The prison and psychiatric hospital libraries were happy to participate in the Library Snapshot Day again this year. With the libraries… Read more

April State Library jewels #1: Pioneer poetry

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(Image courtesy of Washington State Library)

With April being National Poetry Month, it’s fitting to make a poem our first State Library “jewel”… Read more

Spotlight Charity: Consejo Counseling

Image (Image courtesy of Consejo)

In 1978, Consejo Counseling & Referral Service was founded in response to a lack of culturally appropriate behavioral health resources for the low-income Latino community in Western Washington. Over the course of… Read more

Shhh! Librarians honor Reed

Image Even years after the deed was done, Secretary of State Sam Reed receives thanks and accolades from groups for his pivotal role in saving the Washington State Library from elimination. The Washington Library Association was… Read more

High Hopes for 2012

[caption id="attachment_7328" align="alignleft" width="150" caption="AHCC Library"] Image [/caption] 2011 saw many changes at the Airway Heights Corrections Center (AHCC). The institution changed to a closed movement facility and this has had a dramatic impact… Read more

Happy 50th anniversary, Space Needle!

For 50 years, the Space Needle has been Seattle’s most famous landmark, visible for miles in each direction. It is to the Emerald City what Big Ben is to London and the Eiffel Tower is to Paris. In honor of the 50th anniversary of the Seattle World’s Fair and the Space Needle’s opening, we’re featuring shots over the next week from the… Read more

April Archives treasures winner is…

Image The final results are in. The winner of April’s… Read more

Our new Native American exhibit is up!

Image Over the past couple of weeks, some of our staffers have shown off their interior design and home improvement skills as they’ve transformed our office’s front lobby. The sounds of hammers and power drills… Read more

THAT WAS THE YEAR THAT WAS 2011

[caption id="attachment_7151" align="alignleft" width="150" caption="WCCW Library"] Image [/caption] The new year started off with a bang. On 1/11/11 we hosted Library Snapshot Day at the Washington Corrections Center for Women. The… Read more

College civics tour, Day 7: Bellingham

Image Bellingham was a busy destination for Secretary Reed on his annual college civics tour. After attending events late Wednesday at Northwest… Read more

Party challenge to Top 2 Primary back to Supreme Court?

Image Washington Democrats and Libertarians are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to hear yet another challenge of the state’s popular Top 2 Primary. Various appeals have been underway since voters approved the system by a landslide eight years ago. The open primary, which… Read more

College civics tour, Day 6: Spokane Community College

Image As part of Day 6 of his 2012 College Civics Tour, Secretary Reed visited Spokane Community College, speaking to students about the importance of active civic engagement and answering their questions. Secretary Reed also… Read more

Eli and Charlie ride from Oregon to dispatch a miner

Image The Sisters Brothers. By Patrick deWitt. New York: Ecco, 2011. 328 p. Recommendation by: Carolyn Petersen,… Read more