10/18-24: Teen Read Week!

Area teens will be reading just for the fun of it as the WCCLS member libraries celebrate Teen Read Week™, October 18–24, 2009. The theme this year is Read Beyond Reality.

Library staff are offering an array of activities especially for teens —a gaming party at the Beaverton City Library, a book-themed movie night at the Cedar Mill Community Library and a Teen Rock party at the Tualatin Public Library.

The whole list of teen events is online. Check with your library for more details!

Wi-Fi at your Washington County public library

Looking for Wi-Fi? Look no further than your Washington County public library!

WCCLS is pleased to announce that every Washington County public library now offers free wireless access. To use it, all you need is your WCCLS library card, your password, and your wireless-enabled device (laptop, smart phone, or PDA).

Due to high demand from the public, WCCLS libraries struggle to provide enough computer and internet access. Patrons frequently must wait for a computer, and have a limited time to use it.

With the expanded public wireless network, there are no time limits.

This WCCLS supported project will save member libraries time and money. They won't need to install and maintain local wireless networks or continue to purchase and install wired PCs to meet the increasing public demand.

We began implementation with smaller member libraries that did not offer wireless access in June, and then proceeded to the Cooperative's other libraries. Cost for the hardware, equipment, wiring, software and maintenance are part of the WCCLS budget and were included in the 4-year WCCLS local option levy approved by voters in November 2006.

For more information, see the full media release.

Tualatin wants you ... to volunteer!

The Tualatin Public Library is looking for volunteers to join the team!

Our volunteers assist with checking in and shelving returned books, locating the books our patrons request, and other tasks which keep our materials circulating.

We also have volunteers who work with our Public Services staff doing projects that keep our collection up-to-date and in good condition, and to assist staff with presenting fantastic programs and events to the community.

Contact Victoria Eggleston, Volunteer Coordinator, (503) 691-8105 or veggleston@ci.tualatin.or.us to find out more about volunteering at the Tualatin Public Library.

The Tualatin Public Library is located at 18878 SW Martinazzi Ave, just north of Nyberg Rd.

Photo, Circulation staff members always on their toes, thanks to Newton Free Library

Text a librarian - get answers on the go!

Photo by Ken Banks, kiwanja.net

Now, when you get questions on the go, you can get answers almost instantly. This week the Washington County Cooperative Library Services (WCCLS) has launched a service that enables patrons to send a text message to a librarian from their handheld electronic devices. A librarian will text an expert answer back to the patron within 10 minutes during the hours of service.

All WCCLS library card holders can use this service. WCCLS and Beaverton, Cedar Mill, Garden Home, Hillsboro, Sherwood and the Tigard Public Libraries are participating.

So if you are on the go and need an answer — text your question to a librarian and have the answer delivered to your phone or PDA within minutes.

• Text (309) 222-7740
• Text the code WCC in front of your question
• A librarian will text an expert answer within 10 minutes during the hours of service (see hours below)

The service is available Monday – Friday: 6 AM – 8 PM, and Saturday 7 AM – 3 PM. Afterhours, patrons will receive a message that an answer will be sent when the service is available.

So, ask away. We have answers!

Tualatin offers Digital Camera classes

photo by Gene Han,
aka LarimdaME

Tualatin Public Library is happy to present a series of digital camera classes through the fall.

Wayne Welch of Oregon Photo & Digital will be presenting the classes, which will meet in the Library’s Community Room. Registration is required. Please visit us online at www.tualatinlibrary.org and click on the events calendar, or call 691.3077 to sign up today.

The classes include:

Saturday, September 26, 11:00am – 4:00pm
Shooting with Wayne
Class fee of $50 per person to be paid to the Tualatin Public Library by Friday, September 11. Weather permitting, we will venture outside and take advantage of the cool fall colors. Wayne will give us practical advice in the field. Bring your own lunch.

Wednesday, October 28, 7:00 – 8:30pm
Beginner’s Digital Camera
Class fee of $5 to be paid at the beginning of class. For individuals who have just purchased, or are considering purchasing a digital camera.

Wednesday, November 11, 7:00 – 8:30pm
Intermediate Digital Camera
Class fee of $5 to be paid at the beginning of class. For individuals who own a digital camera and want to learn more.

Wednesday, November 18, 7:00 – 8:30pm
Advanced Digital Camera
Class fee of $5 to be paid at the beginning of class. For individuals who are interested in learning advanced techniques in digital camera photography.

Sign up for one, or all four classes.

Tualatin Public Library is located at 18878 SW Martinazzi Ave, just north of Nyberg Rd.

Thursday, 10/8: Celebrate Oregon's Day of Culture

Please join the Washington County Cooperative Library Services in celebrating Oregon's Day of Culture on Thursday, October 8th. Sponsored by the Oregon Cultural Trust, the Day of Culture's focus is on celebrating culture close to home and recognizing the culture that surrounds us everyday.

What better place to do that than at your local library? Check out the diverse array of cultural programs offered in our fourteen member libraries at wccls.org/calendar.

To find out more about Washington County based artists, performers and arts organizations, visit www.artstage.info, a website hosted by the Westside Cultural Alliance. And, for a listing of events across the state go to www.OregonDayofCulture.org.

The public libraries of Washington County serve a primary role as cultural institutions, welcoming nearly 1.5 million people through our doors each year. Libraries are the neighborhood gathering places, the "front porches" of our communities, and open to all.

In addition to books, libraries offer movies and music, provide forums for discussion, host artistic and educational displays, and provide entertainment options. At the library you can learn to knit, practice a foreign language, improve your photography skills, meet an author, hear a story, explore, and just about anything else you can think of. (And if you do think of something else, please let us know!)

This year on October 8th, celebrate culture close to home!

Eva Calcagno
Manager, Washington County Cooperative Library Services

10/4: WCCLS website & catalog will NOT be down after 6:15 PM

The WCCLS website and catalog will be available the evening of Oct 4th.

The scheduled maintenance is being postponed. We'll let you know when we do. Thanks for your patience!

Save Time and Save Money with E-mail Notices

The Washington County Cooperative Library Services (WCCLS) is urging library patrons to choose to utilize its email notification service to receive notices for holds that are ready for pickup, courtesy reminders for items that will soon be due, as well as notification regarding any overdue items.

The email service saves both the patrons and the libraries time and money. Patrons will be able to avoid overdue fines – receiving email notices before items are due, a benefit only available through the email service. Quicker delivery of notices – email is days faster than the U.S. mail method. And, it is a better and more timely use of your tax dollars by cutting down on the volume of printing and postage to mail overdue notices. With an increase in the use of email notices the service will enable the Cooperative Library Services to limit the number of phone lines required to operate the automatic phone notification service.

WCCLS realizes that not all residents have email accounts, nor will they all prefer the electronic email notification method. The Cooperative will still maintain the mailed and phone notification system. “We believe that once people understand the benefits of email notification – faster, cheaper and more specific – they will want to switch,” says Eva Calcagno, Manager of the Cooperative Library Services.

Email provides more specific information than phone notification, so patrons will know the titles of materials that are waiting to be picked up or are about to be due.

It is easy for patrons to opt-in to the email notification service. You can sign up online, or visit your library. Staff will be happy to make the necessary switch to the library card account. Bring your library card or a valid piece of identification (in addition to your library card barcode number), and email address and phone number. For additional details please visit one of the WCCLS member libraries.

Changes in Online Resources

You may have noticed changes in the Online Resources area of our website.

The Oregon State Library, who makes licensing agreements for some of our electronic resources, will be changed vendors August 31. They formerly had a contract with EBSCO; now they will be contracting with Gale.

What that means to you is that you'll still be able to access your favorite databases like Auto Repair Reference Center and ReferenceUSA. There are 40 new databases, but they are covering the same areas that the old databases did, such as peer-reviewed journals, agricultural, legal and medical information, investment reports, computer journals, the ERIC database for education, Spanish language journals and magazines, and much more.

You'll find new resources on art, music, cooking, geography, hospitality & tourism, gardening, and home improvement

Here are six of the new databases to check out:

1. General OneFile — A one-stop source for articles on a wide range of topics: business, computers, current events, economics, education, environmental issues, health care, hobbies, humanities, law, literature and art, politics, science, social science, sports, technology, and many general interest topics.


2. Academic OneFile — Academic OneFile has peer-reviewed, full-text articles from the world's leading journals and reference sources.


3. Kids InfoBits — Kids InfoBits is a database developed especially for beginning researchers in Kindergarten through Grade 5.


4. InfoTrac Student Edition — This periodical database is designed for high-school students with access to a variety of indexed and full-text magazines, newspapers, podcasts, and reference books for information on current events, the arts, science, popular culture, health, people, government, history, sports and more.


5. Health & Wellness Reference Center — Whether you're interested in western or alternative medicine, Health & Wellness Resource Center includes references, full-text journals and a Disease Profiler module for all levels of health research


6. Small Business Resource Center — When starting a new business, entrepreneurs need all the help they can get. Small Business Resource Center is like having experts on call 24 hours a day.

We have posted a comparison of the more popular online resources with the new online resources that have replace them.

Forest Grove Library Closed 9/9

Forest Grove City Library will be closed all day on Wednesday, September 9, for staff training. The library will re-open for regular hours at 10am on Thursday, September 10.