NOTES BETWEEN FRIENDS

Friends of the Olympia Timberland Library
Eighth and Franklin, Olympia, WA
December 2005 - January 2006

Adult Winter Reading Club Starts This Month
Timberland Regional Library sponsors its ninth annual Adult Winter Reading Club January through March. It’s a chance to read some good books this winter and a chance to win some prizes. To join pick up a brochure titled “Winter Reading Takes
You Away” at any of the Timberland libraries. The brochure includes an entry form. Read or listen to at least five books during January through March and turn entry forms in for each of the five books. Participants must be 18 or older and have a current Timberland library card. Grand prizes include a one-night stay and breakfast at the Tokeland Hotel in Tokeland; a one-night stay and breakfast at the Shelburne Inn in Seaview; two nights at the Charles Nelson Guest House in Ocean Park; one night and breakfast at the Governor Suite of the Phoenix Inn in Olympia; one night at the Ocean Crest Resort in Moclips; one night at the Lake Quinault Lodge on the Olympia Penisula; and one Adult Winter Reading Basket. There may be other prizes. Drawings for the grand prizes will be held April 12

Library Now Has Wi-Fi
Wireless (Wi-Fi) internet access is now available in most of Timberland’s libraries. It allows patrons to bring their own lap-top computers to the library where they can get Internet access and research the library’s research databases, catalog, and other resources without waiting for a library internet computer. Information about using wireless in TRL libraries can be found at http://www.trlib.org//trlinfo.hetm#wireless. Library staff will not be providing technical assistance.

Next Book Sale is February 4 and 5
The winter book sale is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, February 4th and 5th. Members will be allowed to enter early at 8:00 a.m. Saturday for the pre-sale. Memberships for 2006 will be sold at the door or you can use the form on the back of this newsletter to pay your membership now. The general sale will begin at 10:00 a.m. Bags of books will be sold Sunday for $3.00 per bag.

COMING EVENTS AT THE LIBRARY

Page Turners
The book for Feb. 3 is “She’s Not There” by Jennifer Finney Boylan. It’s an autobiography of the author’s gender transition from male to female. “Runaway: Stories” by Alice Munro will be discussed March 3. These eight short stories take place in Canada and are about women trying to leave their lives behind and find better ones.
Page Turners meets 10:00 a.m. to noon in the library. The Senior Page Turners will discuss “The Interpreter of Maladies” by Jhumpa Lahiri, a series of stories of people from India. The Senior Page Turners meet Jan. 17 from 1 to 2:30 p.m. at the Olympia Senior Center.
Teens Talk About Books
This book discussion group meets Thursday, Jan. 12, 7-8 p.m. Find out about new books and recommend books for Timberland to buy.

Reading Explorers
This book discussion group for ages 9-12 will meet Jan. 17, 7-8 p.m. They will discuss “Chasing Vermeer” by Blue Balliett, and vote on which book to read for the next meeting. Registration will begin one week prior. Call 352-0595.

Legal Concerns for Seniors
This will be a discussion of estate planning, Medicaid, probate, guardianships and end-of-life decisions led by Katharine and Candace Bauer, Olympia attorneys. Information on free legal services will be provided. The time is 1-3:30 p.m., Jan. 21.

Paul Robeson and the Peace Arch
Professor and author Bob Keller traces the life of Paul Robeson, black American actor, singer, attorney and activist. He will relate the story of an incident when the American government banned Robeson him from traveling to Vancouver B.C. He sang from the American side of the Peach Arch while a large group of Canadians listened from the other side. The lecture will be presented Jan. 26, 7-8 p.m.

Highlights from November and December Board Meetings

• There is a vacancy on the board due to the resignation of Mary Campbell. It will be left open until a secretary can be recruited.
• Jean Finely, publicity chair, took leftover books from the last book sale to the Olympia Community Center.
• Mary Flannery announced at the December meeting that Friends has 271 paid up members.
• Emergency kits need new supplies such as water and flashlight batteries. Helmets for staff are also needed. Funding was approved.
• Approval was given to buy poinsettias for the library for the holiday season. A patron purchased a tree from St Peter Hospital Foundation’s Christmas Forest and loaned it to the library for the season.
• The Board has a request to donate a set of books on Washington history to a school. This effort is being sponsored by the League of Women Voters. A representative will be invited to explain the program.
• Cheryl Heywood, Olympia Library Manager, reported that parents decided to continue Book Babies on their own during the summer months without help from the staff. It was very successful.
• Cheryl reported on the Organization Study just completed by the Timberland Regional Library. The new structure reduces the number of administrators. Six positions will be eliminated and five other new positions created.
• Timberland received a grant of $93,000 from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to upgrade the library computers previously donated by the Foundation.
• Comcast donated $10,000 to the Mother Goose program and an additional $55,000 to support production costs.
• Olympia and Lacey libraries will be the test sites for using electronic time sheets.
• Ed Miller, a retired state worker, gave each of the Board members a small carved wooden box made with different kinds of wood. Staff will also receive boxes.
• Four kits of the Sylvester Windows will be ready by mid-January. The reproductions of the paintings will be laminated. The city of Olympia has gone out for bids on lighting the paintings. This will reduce the reflection. The temporary signage will be replaced by permanent signs.
• Funds for programs, Page Turners, and staff activities were requested and approved.
• Carrie Dye, youth services coordinator, reported on “Puppets Please Marionettes” show for children that was funded by Friends. The children loved it.
• Sarah Pete, adult programs librarian, has been working with the Hispanic Roundtable and the Latino Youth Summit of Mason, Lewis and Thurston County where interest has been steadily growing to encourage youth to pursue college education and careers.

By Wanda Hedrick