News & Events

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, you can do it free of charge by visiting your local WCCLS member library.

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)

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

To see a current list of which libraries will be closed, please visit wccls.org/closures.

Washington County's online list of severe weather shelters and warming centers has been updated for Feb. 15-20.

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.

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.

1. There will be no new Penguin titles available in Library2Go, due to Penguin ending their contract with OverDrive.
2. Existing Penguin titles in Library2Go will remain. However, the Kindle formatted Penguin titles will only transfer to a Kindle device via USB. Transfer over wifi is no longer available for Penguin titles.

For details on #2 - that is, how you can access existing Penguin titles in Library2Go if you have a Kindle, or use a Kindle reading app, check out the information we posted on our Library2Go help page.

If you have a Nook, iPad, Android tablet, or other device compatible with the OverDrive Media Console app, you can continue to read ebooks as usual, by choosing the EPUB version of the book at checkout. Find step-by-step help guides for the OverDrive app for iOS devices here, and for Android devices here.

The larger issue of publishers, ebooks and libraries is complex, to say the least. If you are interested in learning more about the current issues in the publishing industry and the library world with regards to ebooks, here are some articles you may find interesting.

From the LA Times' Jacket Copy: Why can't you borrow that Penguin e-book from the library? by Carolyn Kellogg

From Library Journal's Digital Shift: Penguin Group Terminating Its Contract with OverDrive by Michael Kelley

A December article from the New York Times: Publishers vs. Libraries: An E-Book Tug of War by Randall Stross

*Image credit: Kindle by ...-Wink-... on Flickr

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

Here are a few statistics for you:

• In FY 2010-2011, library patrons checked out and renewed library materials over 12.7 million times
• About half of all Washington Co. residents have library cards - 272,266 of them! (as of 6/30/11)
• 4,240,084 visits were made to WCCLS libraries
• 86,117 ebooks and audiobooks were downloaded by WCCLS cardholders from Library2Go
• Programs offered at WCCLS libraries had a total of 228,896 attendances

Find this information and more by reading WCCLS' annual report online (PDF).

It's exciting to see that use of WCCLS libraries continues to increase! This is just one of the reasons we are converting to RFID - to make it easier to handle a steadily growing workload.

This graph of library material circulation over the past 10 years says it all, don't you think?

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

You can access the iPad-compatible books in two ways:

1. Search in the upper left hand corner for iPad, or
2. Tap on the red Story Books icon on the main screen, then click on the green iPad Books button.

Browse for a book you'd like, then tap on the iPad button above the book cover image.

TumbleBook Library reports that they are adding iPad compatibility to the rest of their books over the coming months.

We hope you enjoy sharing great books with your young readers on your iPad!

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.

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!


Our team is now winding their way through the stacks at the Beaverton Library, tagging those books, DVDs, CDs and more. If you're a Beaverton patron, listen for those beeps and know that a team of taggers is hard at work on the project.

We are converting to RFID technology to increase staff efficiency, enhance the security of library materials, and, most importantly, make it even easier for you to use the library. For more details about the project, including answers to frequently asked questions, visit our RFID information page.

Here are some pictures of our hardworking taggers in action!


Dany is in the mystery section
Carol in the children's area

Are you a local teen artist? Submit a design to our Teen Summer Reading Artwork Contest. The winning design will be used on all 2012 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.

See this page (PDF) for all of the contest details and the official entry form.

The Cedar Mill Teen Library Council made a fun video promoting the art contest:

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!

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.


When you hover over an event on the calendar, you'll get a window that shows you the full details for the event. This means less clicking to find out about an event.

From here you can also click to get an email reminder about the event, or add the event to your own personal calendar. (See image to the left.)

Other features of the calendar include the ability to export events to Excel, or to subscribe to a library's events by email or calendar feed. (See the image below.)

You can also get RSS feeds for calendar events as well, and you'll find all of those listed here.

WCCLS libraries have great events each week and we're pleased to have a calendar that makes it easier for you to find those events and get reminded of them. If you have any questions about using the WCCLS events calendar, please email us at webmaster@wccls.org.

To get to the events calendar from the WCCLS homepage, just look for the events icon near the top right of the page.

WCCLS' winter newsletter is out in English and Spanish!

Highlights include information about WCCLS' RFID conversion project, a preview of the great storytellers coming to Washington Co. for our Hearing Voices program, and a spotlight on WCCLS' wonderful books by mail program for homebound folks.

You can subscribe to receive this quarterly newsletter in your email inbox! To sign up for the English newsletter, click here and fill in the form at the bottom of the page. Visit this page to get the Spanish newsletter. 

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").

See the full list of award winners from the ALA here.

You can also browse lists of award-winning books (including the ALA awards), with links to the WCCLS catalog, by visiting our Award Winners book lists. You're sure to find some excellent titles to share with your young readers.

Also, in your hunt for good kids titles, don't overlook the book lists provided on the WCCLS for Kids page at wccls.org/kids. Happy reading!

The North Plains Public Library has an amazing series of events all throughout the month of February, all for their fifth annual One Book, One Community program. The book this year is Cutting for Stone, by Abraham Verghese.


 The kick-off event for the program is on Saturday, February 4th at 6:30 pm at the library. It features music, a taste of Ethiopian cuisine, and the distribution of 100 copies of the book.

For information about all of the great events happening throughout February in North Plains, visit the NPPL website.

Do you ever get discouraged by the length of the holds queues for books in Library2Go? We have a tip to share with you.

Log in to Library2Go before you start searching for books. Library2Go is a state-wide service, shared by most public libraries in Oregon. That means the people on the hold queue for a book are from all over the state. WCCLS has purchased extra copies of the most popular titles in Library2Go that are available only to people with a WCCLS library card. This means the wait won't be quite as long for you as it would be otherwise.

How do you know if a book has extra copies just for you, a WCCLS cardholder? Look for the gold icon.

You will only see these icons indicating extra copies if you are logged in to Library2Go with your WCCLS library card, so log in first thing, before you start searching for books.

You'll find the icons next to each format that extra copies are available for a title:


If you have more questions about using Library2Go, check out our online help pages, accessible from the WCCLS homepage by clicking on the blue Download books button, or ask at your local library.

Banks Public Library will close at 5pm today and will open for normal hours at 11am, Thursday, 1/19.

As of 5:20pm, Tuesday, 1/17/12, no libraries have announced closures or late starts due to the storm moving into the region tonight, but watch this space for updates.

Tax season is upon us, and we have compiled a page of resources to help you get through it.

You'll find it at wccls.org/taxhelp or under Taxes on the Online Resources page. The page includes a list of which WCCLS member libraries will be offering distributing federal tax forms. (Remember that the state no longer distributes printed forms to libraries.)

We also include links to where you can download state and federal forms, as well as links to information about ordering printed forms from the state or federal governments.

Need assistance filing your taxes? The AARP's Tax Aide program may be able to help. They have locations throughout Washington County, and many are at WCCLS libraries. Our tax page links to the Tax Aide program locator, which will provide you with details and contact information.

Good luck!

Most, but not all, WCCLS member libraries will be closed in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on Monday, January 16th.

Two libraries will be open - the Tigard Public Library and the Tualatin Public Library. Please note that Tualatin's hours are limited on Monday, 1/16 - they will be open 10am to 6pm.

Beginning in January 2012, WCCLS is installing Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID) technology in member libraries in order to increase staff efficiency, enhance the security of library materials, and, most importantly, make it even easier for you to use the library.

Every single item of the 1.6 million books, DVDs, and more owned by WCCLS member libraries will be tagged by a team moving from library to library. Currently the team is just finished up at the Shute Park Library in Hillsboro, and has moved on to the Brookwood location of the Hillsboro Library.

Want to learn more about the RFID project at WCCLS? Visit our page of information, FAQs, and links to media features about the project. You'll find it at wccls.org/RFID.

As our intrepid team of taggers moves through all the WCCLS libraries, we will keep you posted on their progress. Watch this space! (Or better yet, subscribe to our blog for updates in your RSS reader or email inbox.)