From Our Corner

Washington At Play: Costumes!

Wow. So I'm loving the helmets. Washingtonians really like, as you can see from this picture from 1936, a good excuse to dress up. In this case it's for Leif Erikson Day. (I myself have been meaning to pick up a shield for this very occasion.) Those of you with Scandanivian roots may be interested in… Read more

New civics resource: Simply Washington

Want to learn more about the beautiful state of Washington? Browse through our new online book, Simply Washington, which explains all aspects of Washington State – from profiles on key players in state government, to the basics of voting, to lessons in law creation. We have also highlighted what makes this state so unique,… Read more

Ref22: Using Screencasts in Virtual Reference

What: Ref22: “Using Screencasts in Virtual Reference” When: Tuesday, October 13th, 8:30 – 9:30 am PST Where: Wimba WA_TrainingRoom1 Tuesday, October 13th, we will host our very first webinar in what will be a monthly series called Ref22 (it’s “22” because it’s the 2nd Tuesday of every month). Ref22 is meant for reference and virtual reference librarians in particular, and will cover a… Read more

5 Questions about charity scams

Last week, disaster hit the South Pacific and now many organizations are asking people to donate to the relief effort there. Charities Manager Rebecca Sherrell gives you some tips about how to protect your donations against scammers. Q. I want to donate to the Samoan tsunami… Read more

Washington At Play: Marbles!

Marbles?! YES! I always wanted to learn how to play those. Sadly, marbles aren't exactly hot in an era of sophisticated online games. Still, you may be thrilled to find out that there is still a group of dedicated marble sharks who compete each year. Perhaps we can get a Washington representative at nationals this year? Anyone? Image Why so much talk about fun and games? Because it's… Read more

Washington At Play: Log Cutting!

Okay, okay, I know what you're thinking. Log-cutting? Really? Is this how I'm supposed to spend my day off? Well believe it or not, back in the day, log-cutting contests like the one pictured below provided folks with a real hoot of an afternoon. So where's the tradition gone if it was such a blast? Well as a matter of fact you can still see some riotous logging shows in Washington ... quite entertaining.… Read more

That Ecology connection

One of Chris Gregoire's first big breaks back in the '80s was when then-Gov. Booth Gardner named her state Ecology Director. Despite her slim environmental credentials, she became a Cabinet star and the name-ID helped her win five statewide elections – three as attorney… Read more

Reading for Others

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="304" caption="Reading"][/caption] Reading takes on a new meaning for some inmates as they try to keep in touch with their children. Many of the inmates will try to read the same books that their children are reading at home. Currently one father is reading the Monster Manor series by Paul Martin, trying to stay one book ahead of his daughter. Not only does it give him something to talk… Read more

Today is key voter registration deadline

Image If you haven’t registered to vote or need to update your current voter registration info due to moving or changing your name, better do it today if you want to vote in next month’s election! Today’s the deadline to send in mail-in or online registration forms… Read more

From Your Corner of Washington

Image - Ocean Shores Submit us your photo from your corner of Washington, and add our… Read more

Washington At Play: Camping!

Oh yes, we Washingtonians are known for our outdoorsy passions – and camping is certainly a favorite state pastime. Which reminds me ... can I still squeeze one final marshmallow-roasting weekend in? State Parks makes it easy to search for campsites.

… Read more

Washington At Play: Swimming!

Brought to you by Archives Month: Washingtonians take a dip in the beautiful Loon Lake in eastern Washington back in 1920. Sweet suits! So, feeling crazy and want to take a chilly fall dip? Experience WA lets you find all sorts of spots for water fun.… Read more

And hat's off to Joe Turner

Joe Turner, The News Tribune's irascible and terrific Capitol reporter, is hanging it up after three decades at his craft, including 20 years at the Statehouse. Turner, who was once described as a "blue-collar scribe", has produced hard-hitting, no-nonsense coverage of state… Read more

Hat's off to State Archivist

Washington State Archivist Jerry Handfield is a nationally renowned expert in his field, with more than 20 years of experience in archives, history and records management, including service as State Coordinator for the National Historic Publications and Records… Read more

WSL Updates for October 1, 2009

Volume 5, October 1, 2009 for the WSL Updates mailing list

Topics include:

1) BROADBAND AND LIBRARYNET MEETINGS

2) THE LAST GREAT RACE – IDITAROD OCT 15

3) FREE BASICS OF ARCHIVES WORKSHOPS IN OCTOBER

4) HISTORICAL AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY, AND FISHERIES LITERATURE

5) INFOCAMP – THE UNCONFERENCE OCT 10,11

6) FREE OCLC CONTENTDM SEMINARS OCT 6,7

… Read more

Transforming Your Library's Website

In the latest issue of Library Technology Reports, Building the Digital Branch: Guidelines for Transforming Your Library’s Website, David Lee King explores the idea of the digital branch—a library website that is a vital, functional… Read more

Taxes in your future? Well, maybe ...

Image Gov. Chris Gregoire's stance, in both her 2008 re-election campaign and in the 2009 legislative session, was death on taxes. Now? She's willing to at least consider it next winter. The Democratic controlled Legislature, at her insistence, closed a $9 billion… Read more

Hate moving? Imagine King County Elections' headache

Just as Washington's largest county elections department was settling in to a state-of-the-art headquarters building, they've had to move, at least temporarily, to avoid possible flood waters from the Howard Hanson Dam. The department, which tends to the needs of over 1.1 million… Read more

New polls show Eyman's I-1033 well ahead

Image If Referendum 71, the public vote on the new "everything but marriage" domestic partnership law, looks like a close call, new polls show that Washington's other statewide ballot measure, Initiative 1033, is sailing well ahead of its opposition. Rasmussen Reports, in… Read more

Free stuff: Archives 101

Image If you have interesting historical photos or records and want to know how to take care of them, check this out: The State Archives and other historical agencies are presenting “The Basics of Archives,” a series of free one-day workshops throughout Washington… Read more