Library closures for the holidays

Check the table below to find out when WCCLS member libraries will be closing over the holidays. We wish you a safe and happy holiday season! Remember that you can download ebooks and audiobooks any time at Library2Go.

Library	Monday Dec. 24th	Tuesday Dec. 25th	Monday Dec. 31st	Tuesday Jan. 1st
Banks	Closed	Closed	Closing at 3 pm	Closed
Beaverton	Closed	Closed	Closed	Closed
Beaverton Murray Scholls	Closed	Closed	Closed	Closed
Cedar Mill	Closed	Closed	Closing at 5 pm	Closed
Cedar Mill at Bethany	Closed	Closed	Closing at 5 pm	Closed
Cornelius	Closing at 3 pm	Closed	Closing at 7 pm	Closed
Forest Grove	Closed	Closed	Closing at 5 pm	Closed
Garden Home	Closing at 3 pm	Closed	Closing at 3 pm	Closed
Hillsboro	Closing at 6 pm	Closed	Closing at 6 pm	Closed
Hillsboro Shute Park	Closing at 6 pm	Closed	Closing at 6 pm	Closed
North Plains	Closing at 5 pm	Closed	Closing at 5:30 pm	Closed
Oregon College of Art and Craft	Closing at 5 pm	Closed	Closing at 5 pm	Closed
Sherwood	Closing at 2 pm	Closed	Closing at 5 pm	Closed
Tigard	Closing at 5 pm	Closed	Closing at 5 pm	Closed
Tualatin	Closing at 6 pm	Closed	Closing at 6 pm	Closed
Tuality Health Resource Center	Closed	Closed	Closed	Closed
West Slope	Closing at 4 pm	Closed	Closing at 4 pm	Closed

Website will be unavailable Tuesday 12/18

The WCCLS website will be unavailable on Tuesday, December 18th at 9:00 pm, for approximately one hour. This is in order to perform scheduled maintenance.

While the site is down, you can still access the following:

• WCCLS online catalog
• Your account
• Library2Go
• WCCLS events calendar

Thank you for your patience! If you have questions or comments, you can reach us at webmaster@wccls.org.

Teen Summer Reading Art Contest

Are you a local teen artist? Submit a design to our Teen Summer Reading Artwork Contest. The winning design will be used on all 2013 Teen Summer Reading program materials across Washington Co., including posters, bookmarks, flyers and more.

The winner also receives a $150 gift certificate from Powell's Books. The second place winner receives a $50 gift certificate for Blick Art Materials, and the winner of honorable mention will get a $25 Blick gift certificate.

Submissions will be accepted starting January 2nd, and the last day to submit your entry is February 15th. Click here to get all of the contest details and the entry form. (PDF) Good luck!

Book sale at the Garden Home Community Library

The Garden Home Community Library is holding their annual used book sale! The sale is on Saturday, December 1st, from 9 am to 3 pm, and it's part of the Holiday Bazaar in the Garden Home Recreation Center.

Documentary film showing at Cedar Mill: "Education Under Fire"

The Cedar Mill Library is hosting a presentation of the documentary Education Under Fire, about the Baha´i Institute for Higher Education in Iran. Join them on Saturday, December 1st at 2:00 pm for the documentary and for a discussion afterward, led by Professor Loni Bramson.

Library closures for Thanksgiving week

See the chart below for WCCLS member libraries hours during the week of Thanksgiving. Remember that you can download ebooks and audiobooks 24/7 using Library2Go!

Library closures for Veterans Day

Most WCCLS member libraries will be closing in observance of Veterans Day.

Some libraries are observing the holiday on Sunday, while others are observing it on Monday.

Vote! Ballots due by 8pm tomorrow, 11/6

Election Day is tomorrow! Ballots must be received at official collection sites by 8:00 pm on Tuesday, November 6th. Many WCCLS libraries are ballot drop sites. Find a full list of all of the drop sites in Washington County.

With only two days left in the state's vote-by-mail election period, Washington County has received ballots from about 49 percent of all registered voters in the county. Washington County elections officials are encouraging voters to send in or drop off their ballots as soon as possible this general election season so that all ballots are processed in a timely manner.

If you have questions about vote-by-mail, voter eligibility, or other related issues, visit the Washington Co. Elections Office website, or give them a call at 503-846-5800.

Get out there and vote!

A history of Swedish Oregon at the Cedar Mill Library

On Friday, November 16th, at 7:00 pm join Swedish-American author Lars Nordstrom at the Cedar Mill Library.

Lars will present a fascinating journey through the Swedish history of the state of Oregon from the 1800s into the 21st century. Lars has compiled wide-ranging material, some of it never before translated into English, for his book Swedish Oregon. 

Beating The Age Game - The Over 40 Job Search

On Tuesday, Oct. 30th from 6-8 p.m., the Garden Home Community Library is hosting a session on job searching for people over 40. This session is free and open to anyone.

Learn how to reduce the effect of age in your job search in order to level the playing field.

Ballot drop sites in Washington County

Election Day is less than two weeks away! If you have questions about vote-by-mail, voter eligibility, or other related issues, visit the Washington Co. Elections Office website, or give them a call at 503-846-5800.

Ballots must be received at official collection sites by 8:00 pm on Tuesday, November 6th. Many WCCLS libraries are ballot drop sites. Find a full list of all of the drop sites in Washington County.

Washington County elections officials are encouraging voters to send in or drop off their ballots as soon as possible this general election season so that all ballots are processed in a timely manner. Get out there and vote!

World Book online access is unavailable

At this time, online access to World Book products is unavailable outside of WCCLS member libraries. World Book is working to restore access, and once everything is up and running, we will let you know. Apologies for the inconvenience!

Local author discusses Borderline Personality Disorder at Cedar Mill Library

Early in February 2009, local author Helen Coffey lost her daughter Heather to suicide after a long battle with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). On Tuesday, October 23, at 6:30 pm in the Cedar Mill Library, Helen will discuss issues related to mental health. In addition, Helen will go over the symptoms of BPD and touch on current trends in treatment.

Helen Coffey is the author of Don’t Let Anyone Know: A Story about Mental Illness. Copies will also be available for sale during the program, held in the Cedar Mill Library's upstairs meeting room. No reservations required.

Changes with Library2Go - good news for Nook tablet owners, changes to Adobe Digital Editions

For those of you who own a Nook tablet and check out Library2Go ebooks, we have some happy news for you! Barnes & Noble now has included the OverDrive Media Console app in their app store. This means that you can now check out and download EPUB ebooks and MP3 audiobooks directly to your tablet. We have more information and links to instructions here.

WCCLS website and catalog available again

Due to a power outage in downtown Hillsboro, the WCCLS website, online catalog and telephone renewal systems were unavailable from approximately 12:20 pm to 3:40 pm on Friday, October 5th. We thank you for your patience while our systems were down.

The power outage appears to have been caused by a "wires down incident" on West Main St. in downtown Hillsboro. WCCLS systems operated on backup power for approximately 1 hour. After that, since power had not been restored, we safely powered down our systems. We're sorry for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience.

If you have any questions about your library account, please contact your local WCCLS member library.

"To Cut or Not to Cut: Censorship in Literature" at Tualatin Library

To Cut or Not to Cut: Censorship in Literature

Tuesday, October 2 at 7:00pm
Tualatin Public Library

Recent efforts to remove the “n” word in literature—from the new edition of Mark Twain’s Huck Finn in which the word is changed to “slave” to the attempt to halt a high school production of August Wilson’s Joe Turner’s Come and Gone because of what some considered offensive language—raise questions about censorship.

Library2Go - temporary downtime Saturday evening, 9/29

The Library2Go website will have short periods of downtime this Saturday, September 29th, between 8:30 pm and 10:30 pm. 

Featured Resource — World Book Online For Kids

World Book Online For Kids was developed especially for our young readers. It offers easy-to-read articles and a wealth of engaging activities, multimedia, games, and science projects, all with the authority you’ve come to expect from our trusted partner, World Book.

Check out World Book Online for Kids with your WCCLS library card handy.

Cedar Mill Library Named Top Workplace

The Cedar Mill Library, a WCCLS member library, was recently honored by the Oregonian as one of the Top Workplaces in Oregon. The library ranked number 4 out of 40 small businesses recognized. The library was also given a separate award for being the top ranked organization for "Appreciation" meaning employees feel genuinely appreciated.

Aloha Community Library Grand Opening on Sept. 22nd

The Washington County Cooperative Library Services congratulates the organizers behind the formation of a new, community library in Aloha. Beginning September 22nd, the volunteer-run library will open to the public for regular library service 12 hours per week. The library is located at 17683 SW Farmington Road, Suite E, Aloha, in the Bales Thriftway Market Center (map). The library will officially open to the public at 10 am on Saturday, September 22nd, with a ribbon-cutting scheduled for 11 am.

Storytime at the Aloha Community Library

For more details about the library, and for answers to commonly-asked questions about the Aloha Community Library, click here. At this time, the Aloha Community Library is not a full member of WCCLS, its books and materials are not available through the WCCLS catalog, and Aloha will maintain its own circulation and catalog system.

Free Citizenship Classes

Hillsboro Public Library-Shute Park Branch, 775 SE 10th Avenue, is offering citizenship classes for 8 weeks to anyone with a green card and a basic level of English.

The course includes U.S. history, government structure, civil rights and basic civic concepts.  The classes will take place on Mondays, starting October 1st  from 6 to 7:30 p.m.  For more information, please contact Mission: Citizen, 503-928-2310 or missioncitizen@gmail.com.  Registration is not required but class size is limited to 20.

Para más información vea el calendario de eventos y WCCLS en Facebook en Español.

Website downtime Tuesday evening, 9/18/12

The wccls.org website will be unavailable from 9 pm to approximately 11 pm on Tuesday, September 18th, for routine maintenance.

The WCCLS catalog and online accounts will still be available while the wccls.org website is down, as will Library2Go. You may want to bookmark the following links so that you can still access them:

WCCLS catalog: http://catalog.wccls.org/polaris/Search/default.aspx
Online accounts: https://catalog.wccls.org/polaris/logon.aspx
Library2Go: http://library2go.lib.overdrive.com

You may also renew your items via telephone at 503-846-3245.

Thank you for your patience! If you have any questions, please contact us at webmaster@wccls.org.

Some wording changes in the WCCLS catalog

When we search the WCCLS catalog, we often click on the buttons near the title to place the item on hold, find out which library has it, or learn more about the item. The wording on those buttons will change on Monday, September 17th.

Borderless: Oregon Humanities Conversation Project

Hillsboro Public Library is pleased to offer an Oregon Humanities-sponsored program as part of their Conversation Project series.

Borderless: Migration, Globalization, and Changing Communities
Presented by Lewis & Clark Associate Professor Elliot Young
Thursday, September 27, 6:30 p.m.
Hillsboro Main Library

In this time of cataclysmic change in our country and our world, it is important to ask not just how to get the economy back on track, but what kind of economy we want. In 1983, Benedict Anderson wrote Imagined Communities, a book about the origins of the modern nation-state and the powerful identification with nations for which millions have fought and been willing to die. This is the focus of "Borderless: Migration, Globalization, and Changing Communities," a free conversation with Lewis & Clark College associate professor Elliott Young on Thursday, September 27, at 6:30 p.m. at Hillsboro Main Library. This program is hosted by Hillsboro Public Library and sponsored by Oregon Humanities.

A Celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month

Many Backgrounds, Many Stories...One American Spirit

Join us at the Tualatin Public Library on Saturday, September 15, from 12:00-3:00pm for a free Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration featuring Antonio Centurion. Antonio is a master of the Paraguayan Harp. He is a native Paraguayan and a proud descendant of the Guaraní Indian.  In addition to the music, we will have free face painting for the kids by artist Kim Millen from U B Painted. Kim has a Bachelor of Fine Arts and is well known in the Portland area for her talent and fun personality. Refreshments, door prizes, and a piñata are also featured in this special event.

The Life, Times & Songs of Woody Guthrie at 100 Years

Ramblin' Man - Sept. 14

The Life, Times & Songs of Woody Guthrie at 100 Years. Performance by the Northwest folk singing duo, The Wanderers, Bill Murlin and Carl Allen. Cedar Mill Library. Friday, September 14, 7 pm.

Join us for an evening in celebration of an American icon during the Centennial of his birth. Bill Murlin and Carl Allen of "The Wanderers," a Northwest folk singing duo that has performed together for 50 years, will present the songs and music of Woody Guthrie.

The concert is free and will be held in the library's upstairs community room. Come early as seating is limited. Doors will open at 6:30 PM, and only the first 100 people will be admitted.

Beaverton Libraries closed on Thurs., 9/13

Both Beaverton Library locations (Beaverton City Library and the Murray Scholls library) will be closed all day on Thursday, September 13th for staff in-service day.

Materials checked out at either Beaverton library will not be due on September 13th. Normal hours of operation at both libraries will resume on Friday, September 14th.

All WCCLS libraries closed for Labor Day

All WCCLS member libraries will be closed on Monday, September 3rd in observance of Labor Day. Regular hours of operation resume on Tuesday, September 4th. Have a safe and happy weekend!

For Library2Go ebook users - no new activations 8/27 starting at 10:30 pm

Do you use Library2Go ebooks in the EPUB or PDF formats? The message below is for you.

From 10:30 pm on Monday, August 27th to approximately 4:30 am the next morning, Adobe is taking their Activation Service offline for maintenance. This means you will be unable to authorize a device with a new Adobe ID during this time. 

Who does this affect? The only people affected by this downtime will be people activating their device with an Adobe ID for the first time. That means, if you are creating a new Adobe account and want to authorize your device with it during the maintenance window, you will be unable to do so. This includes authorizing ereaders like the NOOK, or authorizing the OverDrive Media Console app on your smartphone or tablet.

Who will not be affected? Anyone just downloading or reading ebooks should not be affected by this downtime. Also, if you have previously activated a device with an Adobe ID, you should still be able to activate additional devices during this time. If you read Kindle ebooks, this downtime does not affect you at all.

If you have more questions about Library2Go, please contact your local WCCLS library.

Website will be unavailable Tues., August 21st after 9 pm

The wccls.org website will be unavailable from 9 pm to approximately 10 pm on Tuesday, August 21st, for routine updates.

The WCCLS catalog and online accounts will still be available while the wccls.org website is down, as will Library2Go. You may want to bookmark the following links so that you can still access them:

Updates to the look of the Library2Go help pages

The Library2Go help pages on the WCCLS website are some of our most-visited. This is a testament to the popularity of the Library2Go download service. It's also a result of the fact that downloading isn't always completely intuitive for some of our users new to the process, and especially to those people new to mobile devices and e-readers in general.

Meet Pamela Phillips, the author of "Tie One On" at the Garden Home Library

On Tuesday, July 31st at 7:00 pm, Pamela Phillips will talk about scarf tying as well as about ovarian cancer awareness at the Garden Home Community Library.

A retired flight attendant, Pamela was diagnosed in 2009 with Primary Peritoneal Carcinoma, a rare type of aggressive ovarian cancer.

After a year of chemotherapy and 16 months of wearing headscarves, she learned many ways to cover her head. Pamela wrote Tie One On, an instructional and inspirational book, after getting questions on how to tie her turban scarf from women in her support group.

Top 5 Oregon travel books this summer

Well it's summer, and it's the season of getaways, whether local or further afield. Out of curiosity, I did a search in the WCCLS catalog to see which of the travel guidebooks were most popular this summer. It turns out that WCCLS patrons are an active bunch, and that you're getting out there making the most of what Oregon has to offer this summer.

Here are the five most popular guidebooks in the WCCLS catalog for the past three months:

Carousels of Oregon presentation at Garden Home Community Library

On Tuesday, July 24th at 6:00 pm, videographer and historian Darrell Jabin visits the Garden Home Community Library to share his short documentary called Oregon Carousels: Creating New Traditions.

Read to ride at the Washington County Fair

The Washington County Fair starts next week! It opens on Thursday, July 26 and the last day is Sunday the 29th.

This year, young readers have the chance to earn free ride passes at the fair. They just need to read two books, fill in the report form, and get 2 carnival ride passes.

RFID project completed early and under budget

WCCLS set an ambitious goal of implementing a countywide RFID materials tracking system in a year’s time. The project began in August 2011 and tagging wrapped up in early July 2012. The goals were to improve inventory management, reduce staff handling of materials, speed up the checkout process for patrons and increase the security of the countywide collection.

To that end, here is what we accomplished:

• A temporary project manager was hired and a Request For Proposal (RFP) was issued and reviewed
• 3M Library Systems was selected as the vendor
• RFID tags were purchased and teams of 10-15 contract “taggers” placed and programmed the tags in over 1.4 million books, CDs, DVDs, and other materials in all member libraries
• The tagging process started at Hillsboro's Shute Park Library on January 1, 2012 and finished with Tuality Health Information Center by the end of June 2012.
• RFID readers were installed at check-out desks, in library backrooms and processing areas at all member libraries
• Security gates were installed in 16 libraries
• Self-Check Out machines were installed or upgraded in 12 libraries

We estimated that the project would go into mid-August, but are pleased that the equipment was installed on-time and staff exceeded estimates for how long it would take to complete the tagging, finishing over a month early. Any cost savings from the project will remain in the WCCLS reserve fund to be used for future projects of countywide value.

- Eva Calcagno, WCCLS Director

Catalog and accounts will be unavailable

The WCCLS catalog and online accounts will be unavailable from 9:00 pm on Monday, July 16 until 7:00 am on Tuesday, July 17th. This is due to database maintenance.

The following services will not be available:

• Renewing your items, whether online or by telephone
• Searching the catalog
• Placing holds
• Logging in to your WCCLS account

We thank you in advance for your patience. If you have questions about your account, please contact your local WCCLS library.

New Cultural Pass venue: Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum

We're pleased to share that we've added the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum to our roster of Cultural Passes available for check out at your local WCCLS member library.

All Libraries Closed for July 4th

All WCCLS member libraries will be closed in observance of Independence Day on Wednesday, July 4th. Have a safe and happy 4th of July!

Last chance to see Phillip Margolin speak at WCCLS libraries this summer

As part of this year's Adult Summer Reading Program, WCCLS libraries are hosting bestselling mystery author Phillip Margolin. His last appearance as part of this program is Wednesday, June 27th at 7:00 pm, at the Forest Grove Library.

Website downtime Wednesday evening, June 27th

The wccls.org website will be unavailable from 9 pm to 11 pm on Wednesday, June 27th, for routine server maintenance.

The WCCLS catalog and online accounts will still be available while the wccls.org website is down, as will Library2Go. You may want to bookmark the following links so that you can still access them:

• WCCLS catalog: http://catalog.wccls.org/polaris/Search/default.aspx
• Online accounts: https://catalog.wccls.org/polaris/logon.aspx
• Library2Go: http://library2go.lib.overdrive.com 

You may also renew your items via telephone at 503-846-3245.

Thank you for your patience! If you have any questions, please contact us at webmaster@wccls.org.

Tigard Library - change in open hours

Beginning July 5, the Tigard Library will be closed all day on Thursdays because of citywide budget reductions.

Patrons may still return items in the book drops and renew online any time. No items will be due on Thursdays.

Library hours on other days will remain the same. Find the Tigard Library's hours and contact info here.

Switching between the mobile and full versions of the WCCLS catalog/accounts

Last week we launched WCCLS Mobile, a version of the WCCLS catalog and online account that is optimized for mobile devices. Find it at m.wccls.org.

Depending on your mobile device, you may be getting automatically redirected to the mobile version of the catalog/accounts. Some people have been asking how they can access the full, desktop version of the catalog/account on their mobile device.

Learn African dance at the Garden Home Library

The Garden Home Community Library invites you to explore, learn and play with dances and rhythms from Ghana, Senegal and Cuba.

WCCLS Mobile is here

We are happy to share that mobile-friendly access to the WCCLS catalog and online accounts is here! You will find WCCLS Mobile at m.wccls.org.

Summer Reading 2012 starts today!

It's June 1st, and that means it's the first day of Summer Reading in Washington County! Readers of all ages can sign up for summer fun at their local WCCLS library. Summer reading programs are available for kids, teens, and adults this year.

Online patron account address now begins with HTTPS

As of today, May 31, 2012, the URL (web address) of your patron account online will begin with "https" instead of "http." The extra "s" means your personal information is protected by Secured Socket Layer (SSL) technology. SSL allows the web browser to communicate with your account in a way that prevents eavesdropping and tampering with patron account information.

You may notice that your browser no longer remembers your barcode and password when you log in to your WCCLS account online. If this is the case, check to make sure that your browser is set to remember passwords. In Internet Explorer, you should find that information under Internet Options > Content > AutoComplete Settings. Make sure that the box next to User names and passwords on forms is checked.

This change to https does not require you to do anything additional with your patron account login. Thank you for using wccls.org and the Polaris catalog!

All WCCLS libraries closed May 28th

All WCCLS member libraries will be closed on Monday, May 28th, in observance of Memorial Day. Regular library hours will resume on Tuesday, May 29th.

Find all scheduled library closures at wccls.org/closures. Have a safe and happy Memorial Day Weekend!

Forest Grove Library opening late on Thursday, 5/31

The Forest Grove City Library will open at 1:00 pm on Thursday, May 31st, due to a staff in-service.

Find the hours and contact information for the Forest Grove Library here.

RFID project update

Our team of taggers is still hard at work, making their way through all WCCLS member libraries, adding RFID tags to library materials. Last week they tagged the one millionth item!

As you can see by our pile of books to the right, we're making our way up the stack. To see the numbers of items that have been tagged so far at each library, visit our RFID info page.

Website maintenance Thursday night (5/17)

Starting at 9:00 pm on Thursday, May 17th, the WCCLS website will be down for a few hours. This is due to regularly scheduled maintenance work. You will still be able to access the WCCLS catalog, online accounts, and Library2Go.

Thank you for your patience! If you have any questions, please contact us at webmaster@wccls.org.

How to place a hold on a specific issue or year of an item

When searching for items that come in a series or are available in a number or years, such as magazines or travel books, you will notice that to place a hold, you need to choose a specific year or issue that you want to request. Here's how to do it...

Let's say we're looking for a Fodor's guide to London.

When we find it in the catalog and go to place a request, we get a message saying that we need to select and request an individual copy.

To do this, scroll down the list and select the issue that you're after. Look for the hand/book icon and click on that to request the specific title.

Once you've clicked on that icon, you'll go through the usual steps that happen when you place a request.

We hope this helps you make sure you get what you need in the catalog! If you have questions about placing requests or using the catalog, the librarian at your local WCCLS library will be happy to help.

New e-newsletter for Forest Grove readers

The staff at the Forest Grove City Library have launched a monthly e-newsletter, Grove Reads, full of staff reading recommendations and information on upcoming library events. Take a look!

How to clear the cache in your internet browser

Since we upgraded our catalog and online accounts earlier in the week, you may still be getting messages that the catalog and accounts are down when you try to visit. This is because the cache in your browser needs to be cleared. Once that happens, you should be able to access the catalog and online accounts without trouble.

Below are directions for clearing the cache for Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Chrome.

• Internet Explorer 9 (PDF)
• For Internet Explorer users - sometimes clearing your cache in the normal way isn't enough - you may still get this page instead of the catalog. For you we recommend pressing these keys together: <Ctrl> <Shift> <P>. This opens another browser window in Private mode. Visit the catalog or your account - it should work like normal. When you close this window, you'll find you can access the catalog as usual again.
• Firefox 12 (PDF)
• Chrome (PDF)

OCAC Library starts summer hours next week

The OCAC (Oregon College of Art and Craft) Library begins its summer hours on Tuesday, May 15th. The library will be open Tuesday through Thursday, 12 pm to 3 pm. This will be in effect until the fall. If you request materials that are held at OCAC, they may take longer to get to your pickup library, due to this change in hours.

Update - password for your online account

If you had a password that included a non-alphanumeric character (that is, special characters like @, #, &, or !) before we upgraded our system yesterday, you will no longer be able to log in to your account.

Banks Library closed for renovations

The Banks Public Library is closed for renovation. They will open in 3 to 4 weeks, and we will let you know when there is a firm date that the library will re-open.

WCCLS catalog and online accounts upgraded and active

The WCCLS catalog and online accounts are now available. We were able to get services up and running ahead of schedule and we thank you for your patience while our systems were down for an upgrade.

Cornelius Library closed May 7th

The Cornelius Library will be closed on Monday, May 7th. They will have normal hours of operation on Sunday May 6th, and will resume their usual schedule on Tuesday, May 8th.

Children's Day Fiesta at the Cornelius Library

The Cornelius Library, in partnership with Centro Cultural, presents the Cornelius Children's Day Fiesta on Saturday, April 28th from 11 am to 4 pm. Events will be held at the Echo Shaw Elementary School at 10th and Linden. There will be a parade at 11:15 featuring 80 horses and rodeo cowboys, and more fun, free children's events all day. 

New categories for online resources

If you visit WCCLS' online resources page today, you'll notice that the list of categories down the left-hand side of the page is significantly shorter. Librarians have improved the categories to make it easier to find the resource you need.

Oregon Book Award winners announced for 2012

The winners of the 2012 Oregon Book Awards were announced last night in Portland. Here's a list of the winning titles, with links to the WCCLS catalog.

Are you an ebook borrower? The Pew Center wants to hear from you

The Pew Internet and American Life Project is doing a nation-wide study on the rise of ebooks and how this affects Americans and their libraries. As a part of this project, the Pew Center would like to hear from all of you Library2Go users (that is, ebook borrowers) out there.

WCCLS catalog and accounts are available - here's how to access them again

Our catalog and online accounts are back up and working. If you got this message instead of the WCCLS catalog on online accounts, here's what you need to do to connect. 

(Remember, you should always be able to access the WCCLS catalog and your account if you visit http://catalog.wccls.org directly.)


Your internet browser is storing a cached version of this page, instead of directing you to the WCCLS catalog. To fix this, you need to clear the cache on your browser. We have supplied instructions for different internet browsers here:

Internet Explorer 9 (PDF)

• For Internet Explorer users - sometimes clearing your cache in the normal way isn't enough - you may still get this page instead of the catalog. For you we recommend pressing these keys together: <Ctrl> <Shift> <P>. This opens another browser window in Private mode. Visit the catalog or your account - it should work like normal. When you close this window, you'll find you can access the catalog as usual again.

Firefox 12 (PDF)

• For Firefox 12 users - if after clearing your cache, you are still unable to access your patron account via the link at wccls.org, you will need to bookmark this link (http://catalog.wccls.org) to access the catalog and your account.

Chrome (PDF)

• For Chrome users - if clearing your cache following the above directions doesn't work, please try holding down the <Shift> key while clicking the reload button in your browser.

If you use an older browser, you may want to consider updating it. Otherwise, we can supply you with instructions for an older version of the browser, or for a browser not listed here - just send us an email at webmaster@wccls.org and we'll be pleased to assist you.

If none of the above works, please bookmark http://catalog.wccls.org and use that link to access the catalog and patron accounts. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience!

Early literacy workshops at the Beaverton Library

The Children’s staff at the Beaverton City Library invites parents and children to participate in a free workshop series to help parent and caregivers “Make Every Day a Reading Day.” The six workshops engage infants, toddlers and preschoolers in fun activities, while practicing vital early literacy skills children need before they start learning to read. Parents will come away from each session with new book sharing ideas, tips for helping your child learn, and a free book.

Fingerplay Fun at your Washington County libraries

Our children's librarians love helping kids get ready to read. This April, WCCLS is celebrating the Week of the Young Child by handing out free copies of their brand-new Fingerplay Fun rhyme booklet. These little books contain dozens of fun and infectious nursery rhymes that are designed to encourage movement, language and literacy development. As an added bonus, WCCLS has filmed a number of their librarians performing the rhymes. To view these fun and helpful videos, visit wccls.org/rhymes (for rhymes in English) or wccls.org/rimas (for rhymes in Spanish).

Libraries reaching out to the Latino community - how you can help

There is a state-wide library project underway to reach out to the Latino community to learn more about how they use their cell phones to find information and entertainment, what information they look for and where, what is missing or hard to find, and what other information they would like to have available via their cell phone. The project is called Díganos (Tell Us) and we'd like you to help if you can.

Sustainability Fair, Garden Home Community Library, 4/17, 4-7pm

On Tuesday, 4/17, 4-7pm, at Garden Home Community Library's Sustainability Fair, peruse booths with information on living sustainably.  Learn more about recycling (including where to recycle batteries of all shapes and sizes), gardening, sustainable remodels, rainwater harvesting, regional travel options, organic baby food, and more.  Recycled crafts to keep the kids entertained while you peruse the booths. Door prizes!

Exhibitors include but not limited to:

• Friends of Trees
• Regional Green Building Hotline
• Happy Baby Food
• Safe Routes to School
• Interstate All Battery Center (battery recycling!)
• Metro Regional Travel Planning Options
• Portland Pollution Prevention
• PGE
• Tualatin Valley Water District
• Washington County Recycling
• Master Gardeners
• and more!

Site Maintenance 9pm-12am, 4/12/2012

From 9pm to midnight tonight, we'll be doing server maintenance, so if you're browsing the WCCLS catalog or logging in to renew materials or check your account, expect service interruptions (odd-looking screens) during that time.

Library2Go users may have to log in more than once and may see "Invalid Account" errors.  Disregard the errors during maintenance time as they may just mean Library2Go's servers can't talk to ours for the moment.  Try again Friday.  If you have questions or concerns, drop us a line at webmaster@wccls.org.

Thanks for your patience.

Tax help at Washington County libraries

Tax Day is rapidly approaching! Visit wccls.org/taxhelp to see which libraries have forms available. You'll also see a link to find out where AARP volunteers are available to assist you in filing your taxes this year. Good luck!

Garden Home Library hosts Oregon Poet Laureate Paulann Petersen

The Garden Home Community Library Book Group will celebrate National Poetry Month with a poetry discussion and workshop with Paulann Petersen.

April is Fair Housing Month

National Fair Housing Month celebrates the passage of the Fair Housing Act of 1968, which prohibited discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, and familial status in the sale or rental of housing. This Act was subsequently amended and revised by legislation in 1974 and 1988 to produce what is the Fair Housing Law of the United States.

April showers bring the Honey Dewdrops to Cedar Mill

"...fresh, homegrown music...deeply rooted in tradition"

On Thursday, April 5 at 7:00 pm, the Honey Dewdrops will perform at the Cedar Mill Library

Hailing from the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Charlottesville, VA, the Honey Dewdrops are Laura Wortman and Kagey Parrish.  Together, writing and singing in the veins of folk and old country music, Laura and Kagey have been touring the country over the past 4 years and have appeared on "A Prairie Home Companion," gained Folk Radio notoriety with a #1 album and have shared the stage with musical greats such as Carolina Chocolate Drops, Mary Gauthier, and Matt Flinner Trio.

The Honey Dewdrops combine a high lonesome duet harmony vocal style with contagious energy, soulful new songs and a fresh angle.  The result, with guitars, a banjo and a mandolin, is a sound that welcomes you in like a dear old friend.  Warm and honest, the Dewdrops fill up a room with sound and spirit.

The Honey Dewdrops will perform this free concert in the Cedar Mill Library's upstairs community room.

To get a preview of the concert, check out this clip on YouTube:

Hearing Voices Storytelling Festival begins in two weeks

The Hearing Voices storytelling extravaganza begins in two weeks, on April 7th. We have a great festival planned and hope you can join us for the fun.

Auto Repair Reference Center and NoveList back up

Earlier in the week we reported that NoveList and Auto Repair Reference Center were down. They are now both up and running this morning. Thank you for your patience!

NoveList and Auto Repair Reference Center currently down

At the moment, NoveList and Auto Repair Reference Center are unavailable, due to technical issues with the provider of those resources. At this time we do not know when access will be restored. Thank you for your patience!

Possible service interruption with Library2Go

OverDrive (the vendor that powers the Library2Go service) will be doing technical maintenance at 4:00 AM on Monday, March 26th. They've told us there might be a brief interruption to service, resulting in people not able to download titles.

Washington County Severe Weather Shelter/Warming Centers Update

Washington County's online list of severe weather shelters and warming centers has been updated for March 22-27.

For the latest information on shelter openings in the metro area, including Washington County, dial 211 or 503-222-5555 to access the 211info Information and Referral System.  Shelter information is also available online at http://www.co.washington.or.us/Housing/News/severe-weather-shelters.cfm.

"From Print to Pixels: The Act of Reading in a Digital Age" - program at the Cornelius Library

Mark Cunningham

Engage yourself in thoughtful conversation about the future of reading & the impact of e-books. Join author Mark Cunningham in the Oregon Humanities Conversation project, From Print to Pixels: The Act of Reading in the Digital Age.

OCAC Library hours during Spring Break

The OCAC Library will have reduced hours for Spring Break - Monday, 3/26 through Sunday, 4/1. The library will be open Tuesday - Thursday, 12 pm to 3 pm that week. Usual hours will resume Monday, April 2nd.

RFID update - over half a million items tagged!

Well the taggers just keep rolling. As of this morning, they've tagged a whopping 586,100 items in four buildings - Hillsboro Main, Hillsboro Shute Park, and Beaverton Main and Murray Scholls. In a few days the taggers will be moving from Murray Scholls on to Sherwood.

Writers' Group at the Hillsboro Library

The Hillsboro Library offers an opportunity for adults to practice the craft of writing and meet new people. Local writer, library volunteer, and Parallel Play Writers' Group member, Rebecca Colucci, leads this drop-in opportunity for writers at the Hillsboro Main Library. The intent is to provide a time and place for writers to gather together and practice their craft alongside one another.

Teen Art Contest winners announced

We are pleased to announce the winner of WCCLS' 2012 Teen Summer Reading Art Contest.

Introduction to the iPad at Tualatin

Are you considering buying an iPad? Want to know how they compare to other options? The Tualatin Public Library hosts Joe Hallett, a freelance technology writer, who will provide an introduction to the iPad's many functions.

Washington County Heritage Online

Explore the heritage of Washington County, Oregon through digitized photos. Washington County Heritage Online is a cooperative project of local libraries, museums, and cultural institutions in Washington County to create a digital repository of photographs chronicling the county's rich history.

Hearing Voices Storytelling Festival - coming soon!

Staff at WCCLS and at WCCLS member libraries have been working hard for months now to bring you the Hearing Voices Storytelling Festival. It's coming soon - in four weeks - and we are excited about the great storytellers and events coming to Washington County this year.

A blast from WCCLS' past

Staff at the Cedar Mill Community Library have unearthed some treasures from WCCLS' past and shared them online for everyone to enjoy. We love this image of the WCCLS Book Van from 1975, and there's a great article about WCCLS early dates from the Valley Times of 1976.

You'll find the full images below, and at Cedar Mill's Library History Project on Flickr. If you are a Cedar Mill patron, you'll enjoy seeing the pictures of volunteers getting the building ready for the library. 

Banks Library closing early due to weather

The Banks Public Library is closing at 5:00 today due to the weather.

You can find Banks' contact information here. 

Libraries - old and new

Recently we heard from a library patron who said this:

I appreciate the ability to read books on my kindle very much! I do have a small problem with my actual library card as the plastic is peeling off because it is so old.

We loved this comment because it kind of sums up what libraries are these days - a favorite place to go, learn and explore, ever since childhood. But then you can also download books for your e-reader without every stepping foot in the building.

It's an exciting time for libraries. We're still a well-used old favorite, like the peeling library card in your wallet, but at the same time, if you have a shiny new tablet or e-reader, you can borrow ebooks from us!

If you do need to get your library card replaced, please visit your local WCCLS member library for assistance.

Of course, that library card number will also get you access to downloadable ebooks and audiobooks at Library2Go.

(Image credit: San Jose Public Library Card by Wurlitzer Heart)

Presidents Day Closures

Some WCCLS member libraries will be closed on Monday, February 20th in observance of Presidents Day.

Library2Go update - changes for ebooks published by Penguin

Last week, the publisher Penguin announced that they were terminating their contract with OverDrive. OverDrive is the vendor of the service that powers Oregon's Library2Go website for ebook downloads.

This means a couple of changes for users of Library2Go.

WCCLS by the numbers

Looking at WCCLS' annual report for fiscal year 2010-2011, the numbers really speak for themselves. WCCLS libraries are well-used!

Great books for kids - now on on your iPad

You can now access selected TumbleBooks on your iPad! Start by visiting the TumbleBook Library (with your WCCLS card handy) on your iPad.

Attention teens! Art contest deadline is coming up

Video: Cedar Mill Teen Library Council

The deadline for the Teen Summer Reading Art contest is fast approaching! Submissions are due by February 29th.

Read our original post here for all the details, including entry rules and forms.

Have fun! We're looking forward to seeing your submissions.

RFID project update

The RFID project at WCCLS is well underway, and two libraries have now been completed!

As you can see by our progress meter, Hillsboro Main and Hillsboro Shute Park have had their materials tagged with RFID tags. Shute Park had over 80,000 items processed, and Hillsboro Main had over 173,000 items!

WCCLS catalog and website will be unavailable Thursday night

The WCCLS catalog and website will be unavailable starting at 9:10 PM on Thursday, February 2nd until Friday morning. Library users will not be able to log in to their accounts.

This is due to regularly scheduled maintenance. We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you in advance for your patience!

Improved events calendar online

If you view our online events calendar today, you'll notice that it's had a facelift. We want to share some of the features that might make it easier for you to keep up with events at WCCLS libraries.

WCCLS' winter newsletter is out

WCCLS' winter newsletter is out in English and Spanish!

Award-winning books for kids and teens announced

This week, the American Library Association announced award winners for books for children and teens in a variety of categories.

Some of the most familiar awards might be the Caldecott Medal and the Newbery Medal.

But the awards cover a wide range, from the Theodor Seuss Geisel Award ("for the most distinguished beginning reader book"), to the Stonewall Award ("for books of exceptional merit relating to the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender experience").