From Our Corner

Knowing when to leave or as I like to put it run for the hills

After my first year working at the Washington State Penitentiary library I was ready to make a run for it, and "it" could have been anything at that point. I was tired of all the issues that come up with working around inmates, such as the theft of materials, the blatent disregard for authority, the endless request for information, being alone with no co-workers, and the constant battle with balancing the Department of Corrections policies with library policies. I started looking for… Read more

Clippings, Nov. 19, 2008

Clippings, November 19, 2008

“If only the Lehman Brothers had been librarians. With the stock market in flux...libraries are busier than ever. Use of libraries nationwide has spiked. And here in North Central Washington, usage is up 15 percent from last year, said Dan Howard, director of public services for North Central Regional Libraries,’” (Cashmere Valley Record [Cashmere], 11-05-08)

“What’s a good read worth? Othello residents may soon find out.” A library status report… Read more

Airway Heights Corrections Center Branch Library

In the beautiful area of Spokane the Airway Heights Corrections Center (AHCC) Branch Library provides library services to the offenders of Airway Heights Corrections Center. Walking into AHCC Branch Library you will find a large room with high windows and plants thriving in the sunlight. Several tables and chairs are scattered around the room, providing a place for study or just reading the newspaper. In aproxmitaly 3800 sq. ft. this library is home to 19,000 items and the books are… Read more

Weird Washington – This Wednesday!

Join us for an evening event at the Washington State Library on Wednesday, November 19, 2008 at 6:30 p.m. featuring Jeff Davis and Al Eufrasio, authors of the book Weird Washington. Jeff and Al will share a few of their favorite stories from their exploration of the weird and wonderful landmarks Washington has to offer. Come to learn about the… Read more

Clippings, Nov. 14, 2008

Clippings, November 14, 2008

The Yakima Valley Regional Library has adopted a new name—Yakima Valley Libraries and is hosting a design contest to create a new logo. (Yakima Herald-Republic, 11-07-08)

The Fort Vancouver Regional Library Board will have a public hearing on Nov. 10 to discuss how to achieve at least $1 million in budget reductions. The library is in daily communication with Westfield Vancouver mall officials who are proving receptive to the need for the… Read more

The Greatest Show on Earth

When digitizing historical newspapers here at the Washington State Library, advertisements are an endless source of amusement. We find baroquely phrased and lovingly illustrated ads for cure-all potions, fancy frocks, watering holes, and the latest entertainments. I will share some of the standouts in future blog entries to give you a taste of some of 19th century Washingtonian's preoccupations. Today, I will begin with one of America's most beloved and derided traditions: the circus.

… Read more

How to work in a prison library! or at least how I did it.

Ok, not an easy questions to answer as every state and in some cases every institution is slightly different. However, for me it was a matter of getting really bored at my old job and needing a change of pace. Working in a large public libary in Riverside California I found I need more of a challenge and I needed something that would give me enough of a varity to keep from getting bored. So surfing the PNLA website for job listings I found… Read more

WSL Updates, Nov. 13, 2008

Volume 4: November 13, 2008 for the WSL Updates mailing list

Topics include:

1) FIRST TUESDAYS PROGRAM ON WEB 2.0 NOW ONLINE

2) WEIRD WASHINGTON PROGRAM AT THE STATE LIBRARY

3) DUPAGE PROGRAM ON NOV. 21—INFORMATION LITERACY FOR LIFE

4) CHUNKIT! A NEW FREE TOOL FOR INTERNET RESEARCH

5) APPLY FOR AN ICMA PUBLIC LIBRARY INNOVATION GRANT

6) GUIDE TO IDENTIFYING NITRATE FILM AVAILABLE

7) COLLECTIONS OF CHILDREN’S MATERIALS… Read more

Questions Welcome

Whenever I tell someone that I work in a prison I always get questions like, "Are you scared?" "What are the inmates like?" but no one really expects my answers. That yes sometimes and for the most part they are the guys you walk by on the street. There is no pat answer for anything, but I would like to answer some of your questions. So tell me what you want to know, what questions are burning in your mind when you think about prisons, prisons library and I will will do my best to answer… Read more

Clippings, Nov. 12, 2008

Clippings, November 12, 2008

“The city of Kelso is slashing its street paving budget and laying off a full-time library employee to balance the budget for the next two years.” (With color photos) (Daily News [Longview], 10-27-08) http://www.tdn.com/articles/2008/10/27/area_news/doc49055b1c888a7792338084.txt

“Longview City Council members agreed to lay off three part-time library… Read more

Clippings, Nov. 7, 2008

Clippings, November 7, 2008

“Roy City Council received suggestions Monday for drastic changes to ease mounting debt.” A speaker from the Association of Washington Cities “suggested the council look at key ways to cut costs for this year, and make a 2009 budget feasible….Council must decide what services to provide. ‘That’s a fact,’ Gjertsen said. ‘You have to decide on the library or streets, the library or police.’” (Nisqually Valley News [Yelm], 10-24-08)

School library… Read more

The American Heritage Book of English Usage

I sent out a site like this earlier in the year. This one is better. Check out the section on E-Mail ! www.bartleby.com/64/

Hello World!

[caption id="attachment_9" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Some of our real estate on the State Library home page"][/caption] The Research & Development team at the Washington State Library is dedicated to building online access to the library's historical… Read more

Clippings, Nov. 6, 2008

Clippings, November 6, 2008

Buildings:

“A remodeling project at the Pasco branch of the Mid-Columbia Library System is on hold while the library district reviews an agreement with the city….’Apparently there’s some reluctance now on the part of the district to move forward because of the discussion the council had last week(about the future expiration of the Pasco-MCRL contract)’,” said the City Manager. The city, which owns the building, remains willing to do the remodeling.… Read more

Adaptable

ILS has a core group of librarians that offer adminstrative, technical, and personal supprt to the front line staff. As each library is spread out across the state, standardization has become a struggle, but it has been achieved in so many ways. Movement among the offender population is constantly changing, as they move from one institution to another so we pride ourselves in being able to offer the same services at each location. Interlibrary loans, circulation procedures, materials, and… Read more

Clippings, Nov. 5, 2008

Clippings, November 5, 2008

“Unless Vancouver Mall management relents on strict lease conditions, Fort Vancouver Regional Library District officials feel compelled to shut down the system’s third-most popular branch.” $1.2 million needs to be shaved from the 2009 FVRL budget; closure of the mall branch would save half of that. The mall lease insists that the library be open all 73 hours per week that the mall is open, and that FVRL fund $500,000 in internal improvements. Some say… Read more

Newspaper Gem – 1908 Election

From the desk of Mary Paynton Schaff Let's travel back 100 years and find out what Election Day 1908 was like in Walla Walla. The presidential battle served up William Howard Taft for the Republicans, and William Jennings Bryan - who was appearing for an impressive third time on the Democratic ticket. The Tuesday, November 4 Evening Bulletin (before its merger with the Daily Union to create the Union-Bulletin) ran a… Read more

Re-entry into society

So, what do you put in the collection to help your patrons get a job when they get out? An important part of our libraries’ mission is to have the resources to help our patrons re-enter the community. A big part of a successful re-entry is getting a job. Using a day labor agency isn’t always a viable option for an ex-offender. In the Spokane, WA area where I’m at, it’s estimated that you need to earn at least $10.50 to support a family of four. That often isn’t what these… Read more

Clippings, Oct. 31, 2008 – Part 2

Clippings, October 31, 2008, Part 2

The city of Pasco has received a report written by consultant Ruth Metz of Portland, considering options for library service when the city’s contract with Mid-Columbia expires in two years, “because there’s a chance the (library) district may have to reduce how much service the city gets for its dollar…..The city’s options, Metz said, include establishing its own municipal library, partnering with Richland to form a regional library, annex to the… Read more

Have a Creepy Halloween!

[caption id="attachment_149" align="alignright" width="199" caption=""Eels Clinging to Rock at Kettle Falls""][/caption] This Kettle Falls photo made our skin crawl with anticipation for our upcoming collections. We're discovering incredible images all the time and are dying to unveil them on-line! Keep… Read more