1/11 - Oregon Poets, Oregon History at Beaverton

As part of the Oregon Reads 2009 and Oregon’s 150th Birthday celebrations, Beaverton City Library presents A Reflection on Social Justice in World War II.

This event, which honors Oregon poet William Stafford, will take place in the Beaverton City Library Auditorium, Sunday, January 11, from 2 pm to 4 pm. It is free, and co-sponsored by the Friends of William Stafford.

Lawson Fusao Inada, Oregon Poet Laureate, will read from Legends from Camp, poems about his family’s internment.

Paul Merchant, William Stafford Archivist at Lewis & Clark College, will read from Stafford’s work from conscientious objector camps.

The event will commemorate William Stafford’s life as well as the WWII internment experiences of the Yasui family relayed in Stubborn Twig, by Lauren Kessler, the book chosen for Oregon Reads 2009.

Bring your favorite William Stafford poem to share!

Beaverton City Library is located at 12375 S.W. 5th Street.

1/10 - Walsh Shuttle Piper Matt Rucker at Cedar Mill

Cedar Mill Community Library is kicking off its second annual Winter Reading & Arts Festival Saturday, January 10. Matt Rucker will perform at 2:00 pm, playing the Walsh Shuttle Pipes.

Matt will play various Scottish and Irish tunes. These bellows blown pipes are similar in style and shape to pipes dating back to 1695 and are ideal for intimate performances where the Highland pipes would prove too overpowering. His repertoire includes a wide range of music from softly meditative to lively jigs and hornpipes.

Matt plays the Great Highland Bagpipe competitively as a soloist and was the Aggregate Winner for the Grade 4A Piping competition at the 2008 Portland Highland Games. In his spare time, he is a piper with the newly formed Portland Metro Youth Pipe Band. As well as being an accomplished piper, Matt is a homeschooled high school senior who writes computer games, studies piano and Aikido, and is an active library volunteer.

The performance will take place Saturday, 1/10, 2pm on the main floor of the Cedar Mill Community Library. It is free, everyone welcome, no reservations required.

The Winter Reading & Arts festival runs from 1/10/2009 to 3/21/09. The festival will combine literature and reading enjoyment with programs by local artists and performers who reflect the multicultural dimensions of Cedar Mill and Bethany. Their goal is to enhance cultural learning experiences and build awareness of the impact of arts, heritage and humanities on our community’s quality of life, sense of place, and community identity. For more information, visit our website or call the reference desk at 503 644-0043 Ext 114.

Cedar Mill Community Library is located at 12505 NW Cornell Road, at the very back (north) of the parking lot, with an entrance off NW Saltzman Road (just north of Cornell Road and Dogwood St).

1/11 - Classical Music Concert at Hillsboro Main

Hillsboro Main Public Library will be presenting a classical music concert, Sunday, January 11 at 2 PM.

Violinist George Shiolas will be accompanied by flutist Abigail Magnes. They will play selections from Bach, Vivaldi, Bartok and others.

They will also be performing as a duo Sunday, February 22, at 2 PM, at Tualatin Public Library.

Hillsboro Main Public Library is located at 2850 NE Brookwood Parkway.

12/26 - Closures & Late Openings - Updated 11:30

Who would have imagined that our little snow storm would be affecting us for two weeks? Alas, it is.

Closed today, Friday, December 26:

• Banks Public Library
• Beaverton City Library

Late opening today, Friday, December 26:

• Garden Home Community Library
  12 noon – 3pm

Early closure today, Friday, December 26:

• Hillsboro Main Library
  10am – 6pm

Closed for renovation

• Hillsboro Shute Park Library

12/24 Closures - 11:15am version

Changes are noted in italics.

The following libraries are closed today:

• Banks Public Library
• Cornelius Public Library
  (scheduled to open Friday 11-5)
• Garden Home Library

The following libraries are open today:

• Beaverton City Library
  10:00am to 5:00pm
• Forest Grove Public Library
  10:00am to 12:00 noon
• Hillsboro Main Library
  10:00am to 6:00pm
• Sherwood Public Library
  10:00am to 2:00pm
• Tigard Public Library
  10:00am to 5:00pm
• Tualatin Public Library
  10:00am to 1:00pm
• West Slope Library
  12:00pm to 4:00pm

If you are considering visiting your WCCLS library today (even one that is listed as open), it may be best to call first. Hours, phone numbers, and the like are available at http://www.wccls.org/your_libraries/index.cfm

Tuesday 12/23: WCCLS libraries close

photo by Rocket Ship

As the Arctic Blast! continues, several libraries have announced closures to the public for today:

• Banks Public Library
• Garden Home Library
• Hillsboro Main Public Library
• Sherwood Public Library

Hillsboro Shute Park Library is still closed for renovation

The following libraries are open today:

• Beaverton City Library is open from 10:00am to 5:00pm
• Cedar Mill Community Library & Cedar Mill @ Bethany are open until 4 PM Tuesday
• Cornelius Public library is open from 11:00am to 5:00pm
• Forest Grove City Library is open until 5:00pm
• North Plains Public Library plans to open from 1:00pm to 5:00pm
• Tigard Public Library is open from 10:00am to 5:00pm
• Tualatin Public Library plans to remain open until 6:00pm
• Update: West Slope Community Library is open from 12:00pm to 4:00pm

Library Closures - Monday 12/22/08 Update 1:00pm

The following libraries are closed on Monday 12/22 due to inclement weather:

Banks Public Library
Beaverton Public Library
Cedar Mill Community Library
Cedar Mill Community Library @ Bethany
Forest Grove City Library
Garden Home Community Library
Hillsboro Main Library
North Plains Public Library
Sherwood Public Library
Tualatin City Library
West Slope Library

Hillsboro Shute Park Library is closed through January 5 for plumbing repairs.

The following libraries are open:

Cornelius Public Library will close at 4:00pm.
Tigard Public Library is open until 5:00pm.

Library Closures Sunday 12/21

Library phone numbers and normal hours of operation can be found under the "Your Libraries" section of the wccls home page. Check those for clarifications of the following announcements.


The following libraries are closed:

Cedar Mill Community Library
Cedar Mill Library @ Bethany
Beaverton City Library
Sherwood Public Library
Hillsboro Library Main Branch
Hillsboro Library Shute Park Branch



The following libraries are open:

Tigard Public Library intends on being open from 1-4

Library Closures 12/20/2008

The following libraries are closed due to bad weather:

Banks Public Library
Beaverton Public Library
Cedar Mill Community Library
Cedar Mill Library @ Bethany
Cornelius Public Library
Garden Home Community Library
North Plains Public Library
Sherwood Public Library
West Slope Community Library


The following Libraries Remain Open:

Hillsboro Main Library
Tigard Public Library
Tualatin Public Library

Canceled 12/19: Celtic Muse plays at Cedar Mill

The Cedar Mill Community Library, 12505 NW Cornell Road, presents the Winter Reading & Arts Festival. This second annual event runs through March 21, 2009.

Cancelled 12/19 due to inclement weather!

The Festival starts on Friday, December 19 with a concert by Celtic Muse. Celtic Muse is two local harpists, Jennifer Pratt-Walter and Valerie Blessley.

Both artists teach harp, as well as composing and arranging. They hope to spread a message of joy, peace, and hope with their music and instruments.

Audiences of all ages are invited to delight in the celtic harp's beauty and mystical power. The concert is free, open to the public, and will begin at 7 pm in the library’s upstairs meeting room. No reservations required.

More information is available on the Cedar Mill Community Library's website

Library Closings - Friday 12/19/08

The following libraries have changes to their hours on Friday due to severe weather:

Banks Public Library is closed Friday due to the weather.

Cornelius Public Library plans to close at 5:00 for the rest of the week.

Hillsboro Shute Park Branch is closed from December 15 through January 5 for plumbing repairs.

OCAC library is uncertain what, if any, hours they will be open through Saturday of this week. Please call ahead for daily recorded updates of campus closures: 503-297-5544. The library will be closed for the holidays December 21 through January 5.

West Slope Community Library will close at 4:00 p.m. today and for the rest of the week. They plan to open at 10:00 a.m. as usual, but call the library at (503) 292-6416 before you come in.

Library Closings - Thursday 12/18/08

The following libraries have changes to their hours on Thursday due to severe weather:

Sherwood Library will close at 6:00 today.

North Plains Public Library will be open from 1:00 to 5:00 today.

Banks Public Library is closed Thursday and Friday due to the weather.

Beaverton City Library will close at 6:00 the rest of this week.

Cornelius Public Library plans to close at 5:00 for the rest of the week.

Hillsboro Main Library will be closing at 6:00 tonight rather than the usual 8:00 due to weather and road conditions.

Hillsboro Shute Park Branch is closed from December 15 through January 5 for plumbing repairs.

OCAC library is uncertain what, if any, hours they will be open through Saturday of this week. Please call ahead for daily recorded updates of campus closures: 503-297-5544. The library will be closed for the holidays December 21 through January 5.

Tualatin Public Library intends to close at 6:00 the rest of the week.

West Slope Community Library will close at 4:00 p.m. today and for the rest of the week. They plan to open at 10:00 a.m. as usual, but call the library at (503) 292-6416 before you come in.

Library Closings - Wednesday 12/17/08, Updated 2:10 PM

The following libraries have changes to their hours on Wednesday due to severe weather:

Banks Library is closed on Wednesday.

Beaverton City Library will close at 6:00 the rest of this week.

Cedar Mill Community Library and Cedar Mill @ Bethany will close at 4:00 Wednesday.

Cornelius Public Library will close at 3:00 today. They plan to close at 5:00 for the rest of the week.

Forest Grove City Library is closed for the day.

Garden Home Community Library will close at 5:00 on Wednesday.

Hillsboro Main Library will close at 6:00 on Wednesday.

Hillsboro Shute Park Branch is closed from December 15 through January 5 for plumbing repairs.

North Plains Public Library will close at 12:00 on Wednesday.

OCAC library is closed today. They are uncertain what, if any, hours they will be open through Saturday of this week. Please call ahead for daily recorded updates of campus closures: 503-297-5544. The library will be closed for the holidays December 21 through January 5.

Sherwood Library is closed on Wednesday.

Tualatin Public Library will close at 4:00 on Wednesday but intends to close at 6:00 the rest of the week.

West Slope Community Library will close at 4:00 p.m. today and for the rest of the week. They plan to open at 10:00 a.m. as usual, but call the library at (503) 292-6416 before you come in.

Library Closings -Tuesday 12/16/08

The following libraries have changes to their hours on Tuesday due to severe weather:

OCAC library is closed for the day. Due to the weather (of course!) we are uncertain what, if any hours we will be open through Saturday of this week. Please call ahead for daily recorded updates of campus closures: 503-297-5544. The library will be closed for the holidays December 21 through January 5.

Banks Public Library will close at 5:00 today and for the rest of the week. Preschool Story Time, scheduled for Wednesday at 10:15, has been cancelled for Wednesday the 17th. Call the library (503-324-1382) or Banks City Hall (503-324-5112) to confirm that the library is open before attempting to come to the library. Forecast weather conditions over Wednesday and Thursday indicate that we may close for the entire day either or both days.

Sherwood Public Library will close at 6:00 today and for the rest of the week.

Garden Home Community Library will close at 7:00 on Tuesday.

Beaverton City Library will close at 6:00 the rest of this week.

West Slope Library: West Slope will close at 4:00 p.m. today and for the rest of the week. They plan to open at 10:00 a.m. as usual, but call the library at (503) 292-6416 before you come in.

Cornelius Public Library will close at 5:00 for the rest of the week.

Library Closings - Monday 12/15

The following libraries are closed Monday due to severe weather:

• Sherwood Public Library
• Garden Home Library
• Tuality Health Clinic Library

North Plains Public Library will open at 1:00 and close early at 3:00.

Tualatin Public Library will close at 4:00.

Cornelius Public Library will close at 4:00.
Cedar Mill @ Bethany will close at 5:00.
Beaverton City Library will close at 6:00 the rest of this week.
Cedar Mill Community Library main library will remain open until 8:00.

West Slope Library: Call the library at (503) 292-6416 for hours on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

WCCLS libraries closed 12/14/08

These libraries are closed or closing early on Sunday December 14 due to inclement weather.

Beaverton Library - closed
Cedar Mill Main Library - will close at 2:30 pm
Cedar Mill Library at Bethany - closed
Sherwood - closed
Tualatin Library - will close at 4 pm
Hillsboro Main Library - will close at 4 pm

12/19-3/22: Winter Reading & Arts Festival at Cedar Mill

Cedar Mill Community Library is presenting its Winter Reading and Arts Festival once again. It runs from December 19, 2008 to March 22, 2009, and there's a lot going on. A line-up of performances and activities from around the world!

Your Library Brings You the World! is this year's theme. The festival combines literature and reading enjoyment with programs by local artists and performers who reflect Cedar Mill and Bethany's multicultural dimensions. Cedar Mill's goal is to enhance cultural learning experiences and build awareness of the impact of arts, heritage and humanities on our community’s quality of life, sense of place, and community identity.

The reading portion of this year’s Festival will center on the Stubborn Twig: Three Generations in the Life of a Japanese American Family, by Lauren Kessler. This book, selected for the statewide 2009 Oregon Reads project, tells the story of an immigrant family in the Pacific Northwest.

Cedar Mill will be producing an oral history project. If you are an immigrant or the child of an immigrant, they invite you to tell your story by participating in the project.

The festival kicks off with a performance by Celtic Muse.

The full calendar is available on the Cedar Mill Community Library's website. There is also an RSS feed at http://feeds.feedburner.com/CmclWinterFestival.

The Cedar Mill Community Library is located at 12505 NW Cornell Road (just north of Cornell on Saltzman Road, on the east side of the road).

12/15-1/5: Hillsboro Shute Park closed

Hillsboro Shute Park Branch, 775 SE Tenth Avenue, will be closed from December 15 through January 5. The library, which opened in 1973, will be replacing its original plumbing.

If you usually pick up holds at Shute Park, you have two options.

You may have library materials sent to the Hillsboro Main Library. Hillsboro Main is less than 4 miles away, at 2850 NE Brookwood Parkway.

Or, you can "suspend" your holds so they are delivered later. You'll keep your place in the hold list.

If you check out materials before Shute Park closes, they won't be due back until the library reopens.

But the outdoor book drop will remain open 24/7.

The Hillsboro Main Library will be open daily except for Christmas and New Year's Day. Trimet bus 46 goes there on weekdays.

12/21 - Family Holiday Singalong at Hillsboro Main

photo by Rosana Prada

It's a Hillsboro tradition to ring in the holidays with the Family Holiday Singalong. Local favorites Runway 3 will perform for the fifth year in a row at the Hillsboro Main Library.

Runway 3 will perform old chestnuts as well as new songs. The set list includes Frosty the Snowman, Suzy Snowflake, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, and many other songs.

Best of all, lyric sheets will be provided. So come singalong on Sunday, December 21st, from 2-3:30 PM at Hillsboro Main Library, 2850 NE Brookwood Parkway.

12/18: Holiday Musical Review at Tualatin

Tualatin Public Library is pleased to present a Kid's Company NW performance. They will perform their Sweet Holiday Treats musical review at 7:30 pm on Thursday, December 18, 2008. The Tualatin Public Library is located at 18878 SW Martinazzi.

Sugar plums will dance in your head during this light-hearted, 45-minute show. It's fun for the whole family. This original musical arrangement of "sweet" traditional and popular songs is beautifully costumed. Join us for live music and delicious holiday traditions.

Kid's Company NW from the Northwest Childrens Theater has been taking original musical shows out into the community for 16 years. This troup is made up of talented performers ages 10-14 who love to act, sing, and dance. These kids come together from all over the greater Portland metro area.