From Our Corner

Mr. Fairweather Goes to Olympia

Image From the desk of Steve Willis, Central Library Services Program Manager of the Washington State Library: Although the word "snarky" wasn't really used in 1889, the concept was there-- as we shall see. In this case study we should start with the 1889… Read more

From the Archives: Logging railroad photo

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(Photo courtesy Washington State Digital Archives)

Washington’s timber industry is a colorful part of our pioneer heritage, with logging still employing thousands of people in the woods or in mills, or delivering logs to… Read more

Dorothy Cutler, 1917 – 2013

by Rand Simmons and Kristy L. Coomes Dorothy R. Cutler was one of the power-houses of the Washington State Library during the 1950s through the 1970s. Dorothy died on March 20, 2013. She was 95. Dorothy’s career began in the 1940s with her first job at Salem (Oregon) Public Library. She also served in the Special Services Branch, U.S. Army, in Hawaii and Guam, during World War II (1943-1946), and following at the Contra Costa County (California) Library (1946-1951). She earned a B.A. from… Read more

WSL Updates for March 28, 2013

Volume 9, March 28, 2013 for the WSL Updates mailing list Topics include: 1) EVERYONEON IS HERE – HAVE YOU GOTTEN YOUR TOOLKIT? 2) FIRST TUESDAYS – TAKE THIS JOB AND SHELVE IT! 3) GET YOUR CAMERAS READY FOR SNAPSHOT DAY 4) CELEBRATE PRESERVATION WEEK WITH FREE WEBINARS 5) PAID PRESERVATION INTERNSHIP FOR GRADUATE STUDENT 6) FREE CE OPPORTUNITIES NEXT WEEK --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) EVERYONEON IS… Read more

Spotlight on Staff: Mary Schaff

Image Since 2005 Mary Schaff has been a positive instigator, relentless investigator, and outstanding professional as part of the Washington State Library Public Services group. A native of the Seattle area, Mary brings to her job a love… Read more

From the Archives: Razor clamming photos

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(Photos courtesy of Washington State Digital Archives)

With news that the state Department of… Read more

Clippings for the week of March 15, 2013

[caption id="attachment_4996" align="alignright" width="227"] Image Image courtesy North Pend Oreille Heritage collection[/caption] Library News The Pierce County Library system has chosen “The Paris Wife” as the book for this year’s Pierce County Reads program. The program includes a swag of April events themed around 1920s Paris and a May visit by author Paula McClain of Cleveland… Read more

Olympia bids farewell to late Gov. Booth Gardner

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Legislators applaud members of the Gardner family sitting in the Senate gallery. (Photo courtesy of Legislative Support Services Photo Department)

Olympia paid its final tributes to the late… Read more

Hanford turns 70

Image It was on March 22, 1943, that construction began at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation. The site was used to produce… Read more

2013 Proposed Legislation Affecting Libraries 03/22/2013

Courtesy of the Legislative Planning Committee, Washington Library Association Library Related Legislation. 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 referenced above.

Library Tracker 3-22-… Read more

More titles added to digital newspaper project

Image Good news for genealogists and history buffs: There are more historic Washington newspapers to peruse on your computer! The State Library just announced that the Library of Congress has uploaded another batch of… Read more

Sea Serpent at Devil's Head

Image From the desk of Steve Willis, Central Library Services Program Manager of the Washington State Library:

Sea serpent stories are developing into a subgenre in this column. Although the creature described here… Read more

Breaking News! New titles for Washington NDNP!

From the desk of Shawn Schollmeyer, NDNP Washington Coordinator

This week the Library of Congress uploaded the next set of our long awaited newspaper titles for the National Digital Newspaper Program. Historic Washington state newspapers can now be searched and viewed on the Chronicling America website. The added benefit, besides being able to… Read more

Revenue update: `Flat is the new up'

Image A new Washington revenue forecast was what passes for good news at the beleaguered state Capitol: at least things didn't get worse. Lawmakers and the new governor still have a potential budget… Read more

From the Digital Archives: Skiing Mount Rainier

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(Photos courtesy of Washington State Digital Archives)

While it’s never been mistaken for Whistler Mountain or Alpental, Mount Rainier many years ago attracted skiers to its slopes above Paradise during winter. These… Read more

Examine the development of the PNW literary tradition with this WA Read

Image From the desk of Sean Lanksbury. PNW & Special Collections Librarian The Pacific Northwest: Growth of a Regional Identity By Raymond Gastil and Banett Singer. (Jefferson, N.C. : McFarland & Co., Publishers, 2010. 221 p.) The Pacific Northwest: Growth of a Regional Identity attempts to distill and… Read more

EveryoneOn, Libraries, and Digital Literacy

The EveryoneOn launch is Thursday, March 21, 2013. Image EveryoneOn is a national campaign powered by Connect2Compete, a national nonprofit organization bringing together leaders from communities, the private sector, and leading foundations. Through EveryoneOn programs and the power of technology, the lives of Americans will be improved - regardless of their age, race, geography, income, or education level. The use of technology to access… Read more

Intern gets 'up close & personal' with how a bill becomes law

Image Olympia interns are sometimes saddled with the mundane and routine, but Nate Hauger, legislative intern for Secretary of State Kim Wyman, got a rare front-row seat in seeing how a bill becomes law. Hauger, a junior political… Read more

Registration deadlines loom for April election

Image What, another election? Yep. Many Washington voters took part in a special election last month, but there is another election, ending April 23, that affects about a tenth of the voters. If the April election affects you but you haven’t… Read more

Free Noontime Event at State Library, 3/21/2013

Image The Wolves of Washington March 21, 2013 @ 12 p.m. Presented by Linda Saunders, Director of Conservation, Wolf Haven International Come learn about the return of wolves to the state of Washington after being gone for almost 80 years! We will discuss how this top predator may benefit the natural ecosystem in our state. You will also learn about the plan Washington State has to promote the existence of wolves in the wild, and how peaceful co-… 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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