From Our Corner
Clippings, April 16, 2010
Library News A $5 million bond to pay for a new police station, library and other projects is on its way. The Ferndale City Council voted Monday, April 5, to authorize the city administration to begin the process that would culminate with the city receiving the money in June. More votes for approval will be needed before they receive the funding, however. (Bellingham Herald, 4.7.10) http://www.… Read moreWSL Updates for April 22, 2010
Volume 6, April 22, 2010 for the WSL Updates mailing list
Topics include:
1) WTBBL WINS NETWORK LIBRARY OF THE YEAR AWARD
2) WASHINGTON READS - TASTES OF WASHINGTON, PART II
3) PNLA LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE - APPLY NOW
4) JOIN THE MAYDAY MOVEMENT
5) ALA LAUNCHES ITS FIRST PRESERVATION WEEK
6) DO YOU DEWEY 200? RELIGION & PUBLIC LIBRARIES
7) GEORGE AND JOAN ON SUCCESSFUL MIDDLE MANAGEMENT
… Read moreIncome tax on high-wage earners?
Image In the seven decades since Washington's first (and only) voter-approved state income tax was thrown out by the state Supreme Court, voters have been asked regularly to revisit the issue. It could be on the 2010 statewide ballot, if Bill Gates Sr. and other sponsors of Initiative 1077 collect enough signatures in the next two months. It's the latest controversial issue to surface as possible fodder for the November 2 ballot. The potential… Read moreAnd the award goes to...WTBBL!
Image For many years, the Washington Talking Book & Braille Library in Seattle has played a crucial role in providing services to Washingtonians who are visually or physically impaired, from talking books to Braille materials to the Evergreen Radio… Read more
R-71 records: McKenna, Reed head to Supreme Court
Attorney General Rob McKenna and Secretary of State Sam Reed hope to persuade the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold the state's strong voter-approved Public Records Act and the policy of allowing release of initiative and referendum petitions, as most states do. Image… Read more
McSweeney’s ‘Panorama’ Says Newspapers Still Relevant
WNYC's NPR show, On the Media, has a ten-minute story on Dave Eggers' recent one-off publication, a newspaper-style printing called Panorama. This McSweeney's publication is cited as "a celebration of the print form and a demonstration of why newspapers are still uniquely relevant in the digital era."
Visitors from China's Aerospace visit Capitol
A Chinese delegation led by the Vice President of the Chinese Society of Astronautics paid a visit to the Secretary of State's office today. It was a quick trip down to Olympia before heading back to China. While in Washington they also visited the Boeing plant in Everett.
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Clippings, April 9, 2010
Library News Timberland Regional Library will install a major upgrade of the library catalog system in mid-May. The new system is expected to include several useful new features. In order to train all public services staff, the 27 Timberland library branches will be closed one day each between April 12 and April 30. All Timberland libraries will be closed on Monday and Tuesday, May 10 and 11 for installation. The new system is scheduled to "go live" on May 13. (Nisqually Valley News [Yelm… Read moreTea'd off in Olympia
Image Today was the second annual Tea Party rally on the state Capitol steps. KTTH talk show host David Boze and former KVI talk-jock Kirby Wilbur were among those who addressed the crowd, and initiative giant Tim Eyman was among those in attendance. The anti-tax rally falls on the deadline for people to file their federal income taxes. Many of the estimated 3,000 at the Olympia rally waved signs or U.S. flags and shouted anti-tax slogans.… Read moreThe Huffington Post Celebrates National Library Week
In recognition of National Library Week, the Huffington Post's Art Brodsky has posted a timely article decrying the all-too-frequent budget crisis in libraries across the country. He cites cuts in places such as Boston, Florida, New Jersey, Indianapolis, etc. He… Read more
WSL Updates for April 15, 2010
Volume 6, April 15, 2010 for the WSL Updates mailing list
Topics include:
1) SUPPORTING STUDENT SUCCESS - MONEY STILL AVAILABLE
2) ASK-WA - ALL YOUR REFERENCE IN ONE PLACE
3) IN THE NEWS - RENEW WASHINGTON
4) ALA ONLINE LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES
5) HOW LIBRARIES STACK UP - 2010
6) NW DOCUMENTARY FILM RELEASED
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Eyman, Gregoire clash over tax rollback
Image Tax rebel Tim Eyman, already pursuing an initiative to restore the supermajority requirement to pass taxes in Olympia, now is weighing in with ballot measures aimed at rolling back all or part of the $631 million in new revenue approved by the Legislature… Read more
Census mail-back? Time's-a-wastin'
Image The once-every-10-years national nose-count is coming up on a big deadline. Friday's the day the Census wants to have your household's info returned. They call it "Take 10" – 10 simple questions, on a… Read more
Why Neil Gaiman Loves Libraries
Neil Gaiman talks about why he loves libraries. Celebrating National Library Week:
/**/ via Minnesota Public RadioHouse leader Kessler to retire
Image Lynn Kessler, who could probably win the contest for Washington's most popular legislator, is hanging it up. After 18 years in the state House, most of it in leadership, the Hoquiam Democrat stunned her colleagues by announcing her retirement. As the… Read more
A Photo Tour of the Camas Public Library
Yesterday I got to drive down to Camas, WA to provide QuestionPoint training for our Ask-WA project. In typical "spring in Washington" weather fashion, it dumped rain down on me as I headed down the I-5, and the sky broke into a beautiful, sunny, warm day about 30 miles north of Camas.
It was my first visit to the… Read more
Library Legislation Tracker – April 13, 2010
Courtesy Legislative Planning Committee, Washington Library Association State Bills of Interest. This tracker covers the sine die special session. 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 involved see the WLA site… Read moreNo Heritage Center just yet
Washington's newly adopted $3.7 billion construction budget doesn't greenlight construction of the long-planned and previously approved Washington State Heritage Center on the Capitol Campus. Image The project, championed by Secretary of State Sam… Read more
Secretary of State
Steve Hobbs
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