4/11-18: Hearing Voices? It's a Storytelling Festival

WCCLS is hosting the 6th Annual Hearing Voices Storytelling Festival April 11 - 18.

This year the festival features four professional storytellers/ensembles: Willy Claflin (San Francisco, CA), Nuestro Canto (Beaverton, OR), the Brody Theater (Portland, OR) and Oregon Shadow Puppet Theatre (Portland, OR). Festival dates, times and venues details are available on the website www.wccls.org/hearing_voices.

The festival performances are designed for the enjoyment of adults and children ages 6 and up, unless otherwise noted. The week-long storytelling extravaganza features fourteen storytelling performances throughout the county.

Events will be held in the WCCLS member libraries, the Glenn & Viola Walters Cultural Arts Center in downtown Hillsboro, Centro Cultural in Cornelius and the Jessie Mays Community Center in North Plains.

On the evening of Saturday, April 17 the Tigard Public Library will host the final storytelling concert featuring internationally acclaimed teller Willy Claflin, Nuestro Canto and the Brody Theater.

The festival wraps-up on Sunday, April 18, with Claflin presenting the Gargantuan Turquoise Stomping Boots Storytelling Workshop followed by a community-wide story swap hosted by the Portland Storytellers’ Guild. The story swap is open to tellers of all skill levels.

4/19-21: WCCLS Catalog will be unavailable

On the evening of Monday, April 19th, the Washington County Cooperative Library Services (WCCLS) will begin upgrading the county’s online catalog software, Polaris. The upgrade is estimated to take 24 – 48 hours. The library catalog and access to patron accounts will be unavailable from 9:00 p.m. on Monday, April 19th through Wednesday, April 21st.

Library materials will not be due April 20 or 21.

WCCLS staff will post a notice on www.wccls.org as soon as the system is back up and the catalog is available.

Here’s what this means to you — from Monday night until the catalog becomes available:

You will not be able to

• browse books, audiobooks, CDs, DVDs, and other library materials in our online catalog.
• place hold requests on library materials.
• view and make changes in your patron account
• renew library materials either online or by telephone.

You will be able to

• use Library2Go if you have logged into it recently and have established a Library2Go account.
• access online resources, electronic databases and other information on the WCCLS website.

If you have questions, please contact or visit your local Washington County library. You can find the phone numbers on Your Libraries.

In the meantime, take a look at the features available in the new version of the library catalog including how to find what you're looking for, and changes in your library account record (PDF). We even have a video of new features.

We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your patience.

Minds at Play: Gaming @ the Tigard Public Library

A world of games awaits you at the Tigard Public Library. They just won a State Library grant to bring you more. Make the library your social network through game events of all kinds for all ages, including video games, trivia challenges, murder mysteries, board games and more.

The program is part of the Minds at Play, a year-long gaming series for people of all ages sponsored by a grant. The series will provide opportunities for patrons to enhance their technology skills while socializing and engaging in some friendly competition.

Gaming in the library is a tradition that began in the 19th century. Librarians learned that inviting patrons to play games was an effective way to build community, while helping people learn to use the library.

Here are all the events for Spring 2010

Teen Minds at Play
TGF (Teen Game Fest)
Wednesday, April 7, 5–7 PM
Community Room
TGF n.

1. A gathering of teens to play Dance Dance Revolution™, Guitar Hero®, Wii™ games, bingo, Twister® and other gaming devices.
2. A place with plenty of snacks.
3. A program often featuring a special theme with crafts and activities.

In addition to our video-tastic games, flex your head muscles with our mind-bending puzzles and brainteasers.


Adult Minds at Play
Wii™ Sports for Boomers and Seniors
April 12, May 10, June 14, July 12
2–3:30 PM in the Community Room
Calling all boomers and seniors!

Join us for the debut event of our Wii™ Sports series and learn how to bowl, golf, play tennis or baseball with the Wii™ gaming system.

All you need is the ability to swing your arm while holding the Wii’s™ small controller. We’ll show you the rest! Try your hand at more traditional games, too.

This event will be held on the second Mondays of April, May, June and July in the Library Community Room.

Teen Survivor: Library Edition
Thursday, April 22, 5–7 PM
Puett Room
Who will survive? Join us for an evening of team competition, food challenges, trivia games and scavenger hunts. Can you conquer the Real Library?

Family Minds at Play
Family Game Fest
All Ages — Friday, April 23
4–6 PM in the Community Room
Bring the whole family and get your game on!
We’ll provide board games, Twister®, video games on the big screen and snacks.

Adult and Teen Minds at Play
Retrogaming
Friday, May 14, 5–7 PM
Technology Room
Join teens and adults for a communal gaming experience and get swept back to the 80s with old-school console and computers games.

Can you make it across the Oregon Trail or through the asteroid field?

Teen Minds at Play
Duct Tape Mystery Prom Night
Thursday, May 20, 5–7 PM
Community Room
It’s prom night at the Library, but a crime has been committed. Help us solve this mystery by following the trail of duct tape clues.

Tigard Public Library is located at 13500 SW Hall Blvd.

Minds at Play is supported in whole or part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services through the Library Services and Technology Act, administered by the Oregon State Library.

BookShare Program Recognized for Early Literacy Partnership

With the help of dedicated volunteers, Cedar Mill Library brings storytimes and children’s books to child care providers in the Cedar Mill area. This outreach service, called BookShare, enriches the early literacy development of infants, toddlers and preschoolers in local childcare homes and centers.

In the fall of 2009, BookShare, began a partnership with the Early Intervention and Early Childhood Programs of the Woodside Center.

Recently the Northwest Regional Education Service District Board of Directors presented its Partner in Education Award to Cedar Mill Library’s outreach program, BookShare. Their letter of recognition best describes the services and their impact:

“Through your efforts, Jody, and the work of volunteers Margaret Ransom and Sharon Mock, the Cedar Mill Community Library has contributed enormously to the success of the literacy program at the ESD’s Woodside Early Childhood Center in Beaverton.

"Your coordination of early literacy training for ESD staff and parents, story time for children at Woodside, and the loan of library books through the BookShare program have made a wonderful difference in the lives of the children we serve an­d their families. The ESD is proud to acknowledge your efforts!”

Congratulations to Jody Westerman, outreach librarian, Sharon Mock and Margaret Ransom, the volunteers who bring stories to life in the special education classrooms, and all of the BookShare volunteers who help to bring books and stories to the young children in our community!

Teen Summer Reading Art Contest Announces Winners!

The First Place Winner of the Teen Summer Reading Art Contest is Jennifer Zhou!

Washington County Cooperative Library Services is pleased to announce the winners of the 2010 Teen Summer Reading Art Contest!!

1st Place—Jennifer Zhou (Age 16, Westview High School)

2nd Place—Melissa Reneé Axtell (Age 16, Gaston High School)

Honorable Mention—Tie:
Sarah Hansen (Age 13, Homeschooled Student) & Daniel Kim (Age 15, Southridge High School)

Our librarians are sending out a big thank you to everyone who submitted a piece for consideration. In total, over 40 pieces were received!

Artwork judging took place on Thursday March 4th. Judges were looking for original pieces that create an exciting representation of Summer Reading in Washington County and incorporate the 2010 Teen Summer Reading theme ("Make Waves @ Your Library").

In addition, pieces were examined for reproducibility. The winning piece will be used to create posters, bookmarks, buttons, and a wide variety of promotional materials.

Special thanks to our 2010 Panel of Judges:

• Heidi Byerly, Forest Grove teen library user
• Mady Harlan, Garden Home teen library user
• Grace Nepokroeff, Tigard teen library user
• Rebecca Richardson, Cedar Mill teen library user
• Mariam Rija, Hillsboro teen library user
• Sarah LaBarre, Artist and Oregon College of Art and Craft Instructor
• Rick Samuelson, WCCLS Youth Services Librarian

EBooks debut Monday, March 15 via Library2Go

On Monday, March 15th the Washington County Cooperative Library Services (WCCLS) will expand its downloadable collection with the addition of eBooks available at www.wccls.org/library2go.

This new service is made possible through WCCLS’s participation in a statewide consortium known as Library2Go. From the comfort of their homes, WCCLS cardholders can browse the collection, check out, and download eBooks, audiobooks and videos anytime, 24/7.

“Using local funds, the consortium members have pooled their resources to enable the purchase of thousands of best-selling and classic titles. All of the eBooks can be downloaded and read on your personal computer or compatible portable reading device,” said Eva Calcagno, Director of the Washington County Cooperative Library Services.

Oregon’s Library2Go opening eBook collection features thousands of titles including fiction such as Sue Grafton’s U is for Undertow and non-fiction such as Accidental Billionaires: the founding of Facebook, a tale of sex, money, genius and betrayal by Ben Mezrich.

eBooks can be read on a PC or Mac® using free reader software called Adobe® Digital Editions. eBooks can also be transferred to popular e-reading devices like the Sony® Reader and the Barnes & Noble nook™.

To check out eBooks, audiobooks, and video, users need a valid WCCLS library card, computer, and Internet connection. Once downloaded, digital media can be enjoyed on your home or office computer and transferred to popular devices such as MP3 players, iPods®, Smartphones, and more.

At the end of the lending period, titles automatically expire and are returned to the virtual collection. Users may also choose to return eBooks early and gain access for checking out additional titles.

Library2Go is sponsored in Washington County with funding from WCCLS, a library Cooperative serving nearly 520,000 residents. Library2Go is also supported in whole or part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services through the Library Services and Technology Act, administered by the Oregon State Library.

Featured Resource — SIRS Researcher

Do the positive aspects of social networking sites outweigh the negatives? Should animals be kept in zoos? Should the minimum legal drinking age be lowered to 18?

Research the pros and cons of these topics and other complex social issues of the day in SIRS Researcher.

Critical current issues and enduring social issues are covered through articles, multimedia, and documents from over 1,800 national and international sources.

A perfect resource for teens' homework assignments or adults' catching up on the current controversies in the news.

Check out the SIRS Researcher with your WCCLS library card handy.

3/19: Beaverton Mayor to Dedicate Korean Books

On Friday, March 19, Mayor Denny Doyle will officiate a ceremony at the Beaverton City Library at 2 p.m. to dedicate more than 1,000 Korean language, cultural and educational books. He will also publicly recognize this generous gift from Beaverton's sister city Cheonan, South Korea.

The public is invited to attend and refreshments will be served.

In July of 2009, Mayor Sung Moo Yong and a delegation of nine Korean government officials from Cheonan visited Beaverton to commemorate the 20th anniversary of their sister city relationship.

During the visit, Mayor Sung joined Mayor Doyle on a tour of the Beaverton City Library, which featured the International Languages Room.

The tour sparked Mayor Sung's interest in contributing to the Beaverton community through a contribution of Korean language books.

"Beaverton is very grateful for this one-of-a-kind gift that is sure to broaden our understanding and awareness of Korean culture," Doyle said. "The greatest way to show our appreciation for Cheonan's generosity is by utilizing these books in our educational and cultural pursuits."

Beaverton City Library is located at 12375 SW Fifth St. at Hall Blvd.

Internet Bandwidth Reduced at WCCLS Libraries

Washington County Cooperative Library Services and its member libraries share one Internet connection with all Washington County agencies, many city governments, and other agencies. Sharing a connection this way makes the Internet more affordable for everyone, but Internet traffic in the libraries is beginning to overload the connection. As WCCLS is a responsible partner with these other agencies, Internet bandwidth on its network is being reduced beginning Monday, March 1, 2010.

In the libraries, users of public Internet stations and wireless networks will experience slower downloads. Websites offering streaming audio and video (YouTube, for example) may not be usable at times. However, reduced bandwidth in the library should not affect searching for books, music and videos in the online catalog, nor should it impact placing requests or viewing your patron account information.

Home users, on the other hand, could notice slower response from the library catalog and their patron accounts. However, accessing information from Online Resources or downloading Library2Go books should not be affected.

We are working together with our partners to increase Internet bandwidth by June, 2010. In the meantime, we must be good neighbors and manage library Internet traffic responsibly, so that all those who serve the citizens of Washington County will have access to the information they need to do their jobs. We appreciate your understanding that temporarily reducing Internet bandwidth in WCCLS libraries is for the good of all.

3/30: Using Net Advantage for financial research, at Beaverton

Did you know that WCCLS's online resources can help you choose financial investments? It's true, and it's free.

Net Advantage is a great database for investors, brokers, analysts, and researchers. It provides data on corporate bonds, company profiles, mutual fund profiles, and facts, figures, analysis and projections for publicly held U.S. corporations, as well as S&P's independent research, data and commentary.

Like most WCCLS online resources, you can use it at home, at work, or in the library—as long as you have your WCCLS library card.

On March 30 at 7 PM, WCCLS presents a free training session for Standard & Poor’s Net Advantage subscription database at the Beaverton City Library, Meeting Room B.

Dan Sovocool, Standard & Poor's Director of Reference Markets, will teach how to:

• find stock reports
• research mutual funds
• search industry surveys
• view company descriptions and financial information.

This class is free and open to the public. No registration required.

Beaverton City Library is located at 12375 SW 5th St at Hall Blvd.

3/22-28: OCAC closed for Spring Break

The OCAC library will be closed for Spring Break from Monday March 22nd through Sunday, March 28th.

While the library will not be open, holds placed on OCAC materials will not be delayed by the closure.