From Our Corner
Alexander stepping down as chief justice
Image Gerry Alexander, Washington's widely admired senior jurist, will step down as chief justice of the state Supreme Court in a few months. He will revert to associate justice status as he prepares for mandatory retirement at the end of… Read more
Clippings, September 28, 2009
Library News Patrons of the Ritzville Public Library are being reminded of its overdue policy. The policy states that a fine of 10 cents per day per item will be charged for any item overdue, until the price of the item(s) has been reached. Use of the library’s public computers is denied to patrons with overdue fines. (Ritzville-Adams County Journal, 9.10.09) Ritzville Public Library Director Robin Braun was among many rural librarians who took a training course on ProQuest, a powerful… Read moreElection official: Citizen legislating is public business
Image Initiative activist Tim Eyman has been rebuffed in his attempt to overturn the Office of Secretary of State's policy of treating initiative and referendum petitions as releasable public records. That question is, of course, being litigated in federal… Read more
Indie poll shows R-71 a close call ...
Image In just three weeks, we'll have our vote-by-mail ballots in hand. Biggest intrigue: How will we vote on Referendum 71, the so-called "everything but marriage" law? According to a fresh Elway Poll by independent pollster Stuart Elway, the measure currently has a… Read more
ALA Resolution on Accessible Electronic Resources
In July, ALA Council adopted a resolution strongly recommending
From Your Corner of Washington: Dayton
Located in Southeastern Washington, near the foothills of the Blue Mountains to the south, Dayton is a small town (2,735 population) that is full of history. Besides being located along the Lewis and Clark Trail, it’s also home to the historic Columbia County Courthouse (pictured below) and the Dayton Historic Depot. Now a museum, the depot was built in 1881, and is the oldest surviving passenger train station in the state.
ImageNancy Evans: She did it all
This afternoon the Governor’s Mansion was packed with all sorts of guests – including its former lady of the house. Nancy Evans, the youngest Washington first lady in state history and advocate for saving the mansion from demolition, was the guest of honor at today’s reception celebrating the launch of her oral history as part of the Office of Secretary of State’s Legacy Project.
… Read moreTips for Becoming a Better Library Researcher
Image We in the "librarian" profession are always working hard to better ourselves. We read hundreds of books every week (at least!), we memorize data and statistics for kicks, and we constantly remind ourselves that "Wikipedia is not a primary resource, Wikipedia is not a primary resource ..." We do a lot, dear patrons, to educate… Read moreMany museums free this Saturday
Image Want to go to a museum this weekend but don’t have the bucks to pay for it? You… Read more
The "Good Enuf" Revolution
The September 2009 issue of Wired has an absolutely fascinating, and slightly scary article on the "good enough" revolution, which is predicted to increasingly impact technology and business alike. Here are some blurbs from the article:
Why lo-fi high tech will rule the world.
From digital music to video cameras to military aircraft… Read more
Join Ask-WA for Free in 2010
Image Dear libraries of Washington State, Are your users on the internet? I'm willing to bet that a lot of them are. Do they use chat software to communicate? IM tools like ICQ and AIM have been around since 1996/1997 (respectively), and companies like Google, Microsoft, and Yahoo! all provide IM services. Chat and IM aren't new, and lots of people use them to communicate with… Read moreWSL Updates for September 24, 2009
Volume 5, September 24, 2009 for the WSL Updates mailing list
Topics include:
1) SEPT – OCT DATABASE TRIALS FOCUS ON CURRENT EVENTS
2) STATE LIBRARY EVENTS VIA STREAMING VIDEO
3) WTBBL GALLERY OF TACTILE ART
4) POET LAUREATE APPLICATIONS SOUGHT
5) BCR ONLINE WORKSHOPS
6) FREE INFOPEOPLE WEBINAR WITH GEORGE AND JOAN
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------… Read more
Ninth Circuit announces Doe v. Reed hearing dates
Image The Attorney General’s Office informed us Tuesday that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has announced the schedule for the appeal filed by the state in Doe v. Reed, which deals with the… Read more
Poem recently written for retiring ILS staff
Librarians and Leisure How do librarians spend their time
when their working days are though?
How will they fill those long empty days...
what activities will they pursue?
Do they catalog their pantries,
do they alphabetize the soup,… Read more
Hard Times Resource Guide: Resource of the Week - Washington Financial Education Clearinghouse
Image Welcome to the first installation of the Hard Times Resource Guide: Resource of the Week. Every week we'll highlight a resource we think is of particular value from our Hard Times Resource Guide. Check out these and other great resources on the Resource Guide web site:… Read moreWould you die without books?
In the prison branches of the State Library we have a form titled "Please Tell Us..." that allows the inmates to tell us what the library and its services mean to them. How does the library, its collections and staff, make a difference in their lives?
To date, the best response that I have ever received was the following statement:
"I would… Read more
Extra, extra! Read all about it in the Voters’ Guide
Image Our Elections Division has posted the Online Voters’ Guide, a one-stop resource for what's on the November ballot, on its Web site here . This guide includes… Read more
Get great answers to tough questions, online and 24/7.
Your librarians will answer your questions, day or night. Have you ever had a question you couldn’t answer? Has Google left you empty-handed – or overwhelmed? Have you considered asking an expert for help? Your library has professional information specialists (we just call them librarians) who know how to go beyond Google to find you the information you… Read moreVoter registration deadline approaching
Image If you haven’t yet registered to vote in Washington, keep this in mind: Monday, October 5 is the last day you can register online or via snail mail if you want to vote in the statewide General Election on November 3. That deadline also applies if you’ve moved to… Read more
Secretary of State
Steve Hobbs
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