West Slope Library closed Friday, 9/30

The West Slope Community Library will be closed all day Friday, September 30th for staff in-service. 

The library will resume regular hours of operation on Saturday, October 1st.

Kindle now compatible with Library2Go

We are pleased to share with you that Kindle users are now able to download ebooks from Library2Go. To get started, visit the Library2Go page and click on the Kindle image on the left of the screen.

For information about using public library ebooks on your Kindle, visit Amazon's help page.

Check out the help pages on Library2Go as well.

We have updated our Library2Go information page to reflect the fact that Kindles are now compatible with Library2Go. As we learn more about how Kindle lending works, we will be updating the page with more information.

If you have questions, please contact your local library or contact us. 

Happy downloading!

Beaverton Libraries closed Thurs., 9/22

Both the Beaverton City Library and Beaverton City Library @ Murray Scholls will be closed on Thursday, September 22nd, for a staff in-service day.

Both libraries will resume normal hours of operation on Friday, September 23rd.

Online resources are back to normal

Thank you for your patience as we worked on resolving an unexpected issue with how our online resources were displaying. The online resources should be displaying normally again.

If you are still seeing the online resources display in an unusual way, or if you are still having trouble accessing them, please try clearing your browser's cache. Delete your cookies, temporary files, browser history, etc. Then close and re-open your browser. You should now be able to access the online resources as normal. 

If you've tried this already and are still having trouble accessing online resources, please contact us.

Nook and e-reading workshop at the Hillsboro Public Library

Questions about ereading, the Barnes and Noble NOOK, or Library2Go? Come to the Nook workshop at the Hillsboro Public Library on Tuesday, September 27th, from 6:00 - 7:30 PM.

If you have a NOOK, bring your device to get help from Barnes and Noble staff. If you are considering purchasing a NOOK, this would be an excellent time to try one and ask questions. Learn about the new NOOK Simple Touch, the original NOOK, and NOOK Color (and all the apps!) at this hands-on workshop.

Also get your questions about the library's ebook service, Library2Go, answered by library staff.

No registration is required for this workshop, just drop-in and expect to spend 10 - 20 minutes (depending on your questions).

Questions about this workshop? Contact Hillary Ostlund, reference librarian at Hillsboro, at hillaryo@ci.hillsboro.or.us.

Our website is back up

Thank you for your patience as we worked on bringing you our new homepage to wccls.org.

At the moment the display of our online resources has some issues, which we are working to resolve. However, we believe you should still be able to access our online resources.

When you go to access the online resource you want, click on the Bookmark this link to the right of the resource. 

Then click on the Continue to... link to access your chosen resource.

If you have any questions or are not able to access your chosen resource, please contact us.

Thank you for your patience!

Meet Oregon Poet Laureate Paulann Petersen at the Garden Home Library

Meet Oregon's Poet Laureate Paulann Petersen at the Garden Home Community Library on Tuesday, September 20th, 7:00 - 8:15 PM.

Ms. Petersen will read some of her poetry and answer questions. Books of her poetry will be available to purchase. This event is free and all are welcome.

Paulann Petersen was named to a two-year appointment as Oregon's sixth Poet Laureate by Governor Ted Kulongoski on April 26, 2010. "Paulann Petersen is the perfect choice to serve as Oregon's poet laureate," said Governor Kulongoski. "Her wonderful poetry and her commitment to sharing her craft with the people of Oregon through her teaching and service exemplify the kind person that is ideal to serve in this position." Petersen was born and raised in Oregon and spent half of her adult life in Klamath Falls. She is a widely published poet, with four collections – The Wild Awake (2002), Blood-Silk (2004), A Bride of Narrow Escape (2006) and Kindle (2008) – and several chapbooks to her credit.

Petersen has received several awards, including Stanford University's Wallace Stegner Fellowship in Poetry, two Carloyn Kizer Poetry Awards, and Literary Art's Stewart Holbrook Award for Outstanding Contributions to Oregon's Literary Life. Her poetry is featured on TriMet public transportation in Portland as part of Poetry in Motion as well as in many publications. Petersen is a committed teacher who has taught high school English and led dozens of workshops schools libraries, colleges, and writer's conferences across Oregon.

Sign up now to get our new monthly e-newsletter

On September 15th we'll be sending out our first issue of a new WCCLS e-newsletter called Make It! The monthly e-newsletter will feature a selection of great seasonal titles chosen by library staff across Washington County - all craft, hobby, DIY, home and garden-related.

Sign up now so you don't miss the first issue! Visit our Good Reading sign-up page, mark the box next to the newsletter(s) you want, and enter your email address at the bottom of the screen.

WCCLS website down Tuesday 9/13, to bring you a new homepage

On Tuesday, September 13th, starting at 9:00 PM, the wccls.org website will be down for a few hours. We will be working hard to bring you a new homepage for wccls.org. We are excited about the new design, which is based on public surveys and user testing.

Public surveys show that Washington County residents particularly value the following aspects of library service, which we highlighted on the new homepage:

• Programs for children
• Library open hours
• New titles added to library collections
• Online resources for job hunters

User testing showed the need for an easier way to get answers to commonly asked questions. The “How Do I” box in the center of the page is the result.

The new page will feature the ability to search the entire wccls.org site, as well as the catalog and online resources.

We also have included information that particular audiences will find useful. Information for Spanish speakers, teens, kids, homebound patrons and job hunters will easily accessible from the new homepage.

Once the new site is up, we welcome your feedback! Send us an email to webmaster@wccls.org, or let us know via Facebook or Twitter.

A preview of the new wccls.org homepage

Portland Guitar Duo in concert at the Cedar Mill Community Library

Come see the Portland Guitar Duo in concert at the Cedar Mill Community Library on Friday, September 16th, at 7:00 PM.

Formed in 1999, the Portland Guitar Duo, James Manuele and Foti Lycouridis, share a mutual enthusiasm for the medium. Their repertoire covers the Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic and 20th Century periods and is performed on original, authentic guitars from the 1800s that have been restored to playing condition.

Born in California, James Manuele began playing the guitar at age eleven. He earned his Bachelor of Music degree at Mansfield University, where he also studied voice and viola. Later, he earned his Masters of Music in Guitar Performance at Portland State University and currently teaches at both Clark College in Vancouver and at Concordia in Portland.

Foti Lycouridis was born in Egypt of Greek parents. In 1981, he started his music education at the University of Portland. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Guitar Performance and a Master's in Music Theory. He also performs on 19th c. guitar, 10-string guitar and Baroque lute.

For a preview, watch the video of the Portland Guitar Duo performing at Oregon State university:

Featured Resource - GREENR

Search in the box above

GREENR (Global Reference on the Environment, Energy, and Natural Resources) is a source for studying sustainability and the environment. This resource allows you to navigate issues, organizations, and country portals, and provides news, video, primary source documents, interactive maps, refereed case studies, and more in research categories such as energy systems, healthcare, food, and green collar jobs.

Check out GREENR with your WCCLS library card handy.

Libraries closed Monday, 9/5 in observance of Labor Day

All WCCLS libraries will be closed on Monday, September 5th in observance of Labor Day.

Normal hours will resume on Tuesday, September 5th. Visit wccls.org/closures for a list of upcoming holiday closures for the rest of 2011.