From Our Corner

Youth Academy gives back to the community

Secretary Reed visited the Washington Youth Academy in Bremerton, and gave a presentation on community service and encouraged students to get involved in small ways. His theme, "Find Your One Thing," inspires citizens to give back to their communites, state and country just one single action and small step at a time to make a difference. Image Students at the… Read more

Elections 101: Honors and back to school

Image Capping this year’s Washington State Elections Conference, Secretary Reed presented two big awards before about 220 county auditors and other state and county elections officials. The Voter Outreach Award went to Shirley Forslof, who has been Whatcom County Auditor since 1988. Reed and State Elections Director Nick Handy praised Forslof for working well with the county’s voter activist communities, participating in the state’s college civics… Read more

Clippings, April 30, 2010

Library News The Libraries of Stevens County are looking toward the future by involving the community in a strategic planning process to ensure that the library facilities, service and resources are fulfilling patron needs and expectations. In April and May, there will be community planning open houses at each of the nine library locations..There is also a survey available through June on the library website. (The Independent [Chewelah], 4.15.10) The Anacortes Public Library is now charging… Read more

Court OKs library Internet filters

Image The Washington Supreme Court says public libraries may filter out porn sites from their computers without violating the state's strong constitutional… Read more

Gregoire signs hard-times budget

Image Governor Gregoire has signed a new budget for Washington state, but warns that we aren't out of the woods yet. The Democratic governor signed the $31 billion… Read more

WSL Updates for May 6, 2010

Volume 6, May 6, 2010 for the WSL Updates mailing list

Topics include:

1) LETTERS ABOUT LITERATURE - NATIONAL WINNERS

2) CURRENT ISSUES - LIBRARY TRENDS WITH GEORGE AND JAMES

3) PROQUEST RENEWAL ANNOUNCEMENT

4) ARCHIVAL 101 - FREE WEBINAR FOR EVERYONE

5) FREE MOLD WEBINAR

6) BUILDING THE PARTICIPATORY LIBRARY

7) HOT TOOLS FOR TOUGH TIMES DRIVE-BY SERIES

8) USING SECOND LIFE TO COLLABORATE AND CONNECT

… Read more

Your 2-minute review of 2010 session

Image The legislative session is officially over, now that Governor Gregoire has signed the last bill. For a once over lightly, you can see all of the bills that made it to the governor's desk –… Read more

From Your Corner: How Forks got its name

This small town of 3,185 on the west (or “wet”) side of the Olympic Peninsula is well known among “Twilight” fans as the setting for the teen vampire-based tomes. But long before Stephenie Meyer helped make Forks a household name among her fans, this Clallam County town was famous for logging. Image The town’s name originates because of its location near the forks of three rivers – the Calawah, Bogachiel and Sol Duc. This photo (courtesy of our… Read more

Answers to "didyaknow...?" trivia

Image ... in last Friday's "didyaknow..?" post, we asked if you could guess which original decor items from the photograph are still in use in the Secretary's office (plus a bonus point for guessing the correct Secretary of State). The items in use… Read more

Get fast corporations info with new Android app

Image Hey all you Android users: We’ve just completed an Android app that allows you to look up the status of registered Washington corporations from your phone. It’s now available at the Android Market for download under “WA State Corporations Lookup.” This new app is great… Read more

Didyaknow...?

Did you know that some of the decor in the Secretary of State's office is the same as it was decades ago? Can you guess which original items in the picture below are still decorating Secretary Reed's office today? There are a total of four items in this old photograph that we can see in Reed's office right now, and the answers will be revealed on Monday. (A bonus point goes to you if you can guess the name of the Secretary of State in the photograph!)

Image… Read more

WA exports more than apples & jets

Image Washington is on the map as one of those "laboratory of democracy" states, with citizens who seem relatively comfortable with innovation and experimentation. Some of those ideas get exported to other states… Read more

Don’t mock this

Image We just got some exciting news from the other Washington (D.C.): We are one of 14 organizations to receive grants from the U.S.… Read more

Clippings, April 23, 2010

WA State Library News A new project coordinated by the Washington State Library has enabled small and midsized public libraries across the state to offer downloadable audiobooks, also known as "eAudioBooks." Ritzville Library District No. 2 joins the roster of 40 small and midsized public libraries, 22 public library systems, nine academic libraries and more than 350 schools and school districts that offer or are planning o participate in the program. (Ritzville-Adams County Journal, 4.8.10… Read more

WSL Updates for April 29, 2010

Volume 6, April 29, 2010 for the WSL Updates mailing list

Topics include:

1) WEEDING JEOPARDY - FIRST TUESDAYS MAY 4

2) EFFECTIVELY SERVING PATRONS WITH DISABILITIES

3) MAY IS OLDER AMERICANS MONTH

4) VIDEO IN THE LIBRARY - TRENDS AND BEST PRACTICES

5) ACCIDENTAL LEADERSHIP WITH GEORGE NEEDHAM

6) CRIME FICTION PAST AND PRESENT

7) THE NEW DISCOVERY LANDSCAPE

… Read more

9th Circuit will rehear WA felon voter case

Image The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has agreed to rehear a challenge of Washington's longstanding ban on voting by felons. Today's development, handed down in a one-paragraph, three-line order signed by Chief Judge Alex Kozinski,… Read more

Reed, McKenna optimistic about R-71 case

Attorney General Rob McKenna and Secretary of State Sam Reed emerged from the U.S. Supreme Court today optimistic that the high court will allow Washington and other states to treat initiative and referendum petitions as releasable public records.

… Read more

Gregoire OKs state employee furloughs

Image Governor Gregoire has signed legislation ordering many state employees to take 10 unpaid days off during the coming fiscal year –… Read more

How to try chat via iPhone (without the iPhone)

Image I've been playing around with mobile chat solutions for Ask-WA for the last few weeks. Mobile's the way to go for virtual reference, and Ask-WA is going there, one way or another. We're beginning a text-a-librarian pilot starting next month and running through September, and I'm interested to see what sorts of interest levels that garners from our users.

In the meantime, I've been… Read more

A book? A paper-type book?

Image Yes, it's true. We're all bloggy, electronic-book-reading, texters these days, but some of us still dig books. Real dead-tree paper books with purty pictures. For months now, our re-booted oral history program, called… Read more