News & Events

The Forest Grove Library will be opening one hour later than usual on Thursday, May 23rd, due to staff training. They will open at 11:00 am instead of 10:00 am.

If you have questions, please contact the Forest Grove Library at  (503) 992-3247.

Are you an ebook reader? Or, are you curious about ereading? From May 15th to June 1st, all of the readers who use Library2Go can check out the same book.

It's part of a pilot program called the Big Library Read. During the program, all readers can download the same book - "The Four Corners of the Sky" by Michael Malone - from Library2Go.

"The Four Corners of the Sky" is master storyteller Michael Malone’s novel of love, secrets, and the mysterious bonds of families. Malone brings characters to life as only he can, exploring the questions that defy easy answers: Is love a choice or a calling? Why do the ties of family bind so tightly? And is forgiveness a gift to others…or a gift we give ourselves? 

This is an opportunity to unite readers – and loyal library supporters – all over the world around a single ebook. Together with Sourcebooks, the independent publisher of this title, OverDrive and your library are providing a compelling novel for all to read – with a valid library card, of course.

Washington County is full of award-winning library staff! At the Oregon Library Association annual conference last week, four people who work at libraries in Washington County were honored with awards.

Left to right: Abigail Elder, Ed House, Laurie Mintz, Eva Calcagno
Eva Calcagno, director of Washington County Cooperative Library Services, won the Librarian of the Year award. She was recognized for her leadership in developing the new statewide Oregon Library Passport Program, which reduces barriers to library services statewide. Eva said "I’m honored to receive this award because it recognizes efforts to build cooperation and sharing among libraries for the improvement of public service. It’s what Washington County libraries have done for nearly 40 years." Congratulations Eva!

Laurie Mintz was awarded Library Employee of the Year! A Library Assistant at the Tualatin Library, Laurie was recognized for her generosity, mentoring and work with the Spanish-speaking community. Letters nominating Laurie mentioned her friendliness, creativity, excellent problem solving skills, and her ability to put people at ease. 

Abigail Elder, director of the Tualatin Library, won the OLA President's award for her leadership of the Association and her grace and selflessness in handling the Association’s leadership transition after the departure of the previous President.

Ed House, director of the Beaverton Library since 2001, was recognized for his successful career in Oregon libraries and years of outstanding service with an Honorary Lifetime Membership to the Oregon Library Association.

Congratulations to all the winners! We are proud to have such great staff serving the library patrons of Washington County.

Did you know that you can prepare for exams and take practice tests online through WCCLS? We offer access to a product called LearningExpress.

Use it to prepare for many education-related exams like the SAT, ACT, AP, and GED.

Looking at taking a career-related exam? LearningExpress can help you prepare for the ASVAB exams, CDL, plus much more.

Have a career you're happy in, but need to learn more about a particular software program? Check to see if LearningExpress offers tutorials for it. Bone up on Excel, Photoshop, and more!

Know someone who needs some computer basics? LearningExpress also covers Windows and Macintosh basics. 

If you're looking at making some career or educational changes, check to see if LearningExpress offers resources to help make your learning journey a little smoother!

On Saturday, May 11th, kids can learn about fitness and nutrition with the North Plains Library. Join them at the Jessie Mays Community Hall (map) from 1:00 - 2:00 pm.

Kids will learn fun exercises and games to get them up and moving and amazing and useful facts about nutrition. This is the Library’s second annual fitness and nutrition event and is recommended for kids in Kindergarten through 6th grade.

Want to learn more about fitness for kids? Check the WCCLS catalog to see the great resources available at your local WCCLS library.

Bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive illness, is a brain disorder that causes unusual shifts in mood, energy, activity levels, and the ability to carry out day-to-day tasks.

On Sunday, May 5, from 2:00 to 4:00 pm at the Cedar Mill Library, author Julie Fast will present a 4-step plan for managing bipolar disorder and creating a life of wellness.

This free program will be held in the Cedar Mill Library’s upstairs community room. To reserve your seat, contact gayathri@myasha.org or the Cedar Mill Library's Adult Reference desk (503-644-0043 ext. 114).

Julie Fast is a leading mental health expert on the topics of bipolar disorder, depression, seasonal affective disorder and mood management. She is the bestselling author of Loving Someone with Bipolar Disorder, Take Charge of Bipolar Disorder, and Get it Done When You’re Depressed.

This event is sponsored by the Cedar Mill Community Library Association in conjunction with ASHA International, a Portland based non-profit organization dedicated to promoting personal, organizational and community wellness through mental health education, training, and support.

On Saturday, May 4th, it's Garage Sale Madness in North Plains - a city-wide garage sale from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. Start the day with a sweet treat and a coffee - available for purchase from the North Plains Library from 8:00 am to 2:00 pm. Proceeds from the bake sale benefit the library. For all the details, visit the North Plains website.

For the next three Saturdays in May (the 11th, 18th and 25th), the North Plains Library staff and volunteers will be running a plant sale from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm.

Purchase premium vegetables and landscape plants, and get your garden started at a fraction of the retail cost. The plants are donated, and the proceeds of the plant sale go to purchasing new books for the library.

Grow your garden and the North Plains Library's book collection!

From April 29 through May 10, the Hillsboro Main Library (on Brookwood) will be closed until 3 pm weekdays. This is to accommodate moving adult fiction, nonfiction, magazines and shelving to the second floor of the library.

Hours at the Hillsboro Main Library from April 29th to May 10th
Monday - Friday: 3:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Saturday 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
Sunday 12:00 pm - 6:00 pm

The Hillsboro Shute Park Branch Library will be open through May 11, after which it will be closed for major renovations until March 2014.

Hours at the Hillsboro Shute Park Branch Library from now until May 11th
Monday - Wednesday 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
Thursday - Saturday 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
Sunday closed

Learn about picking up holds at the Shute Park Library

Want to learn more about the changes at the Hillsboro Library? Visit their blog about the project!

Do you use the Shute Park Library in Hillsboro to pick up your holds? This information is for you!

The Shute Park Library will be closing for renovations after May 11th. Here's what you need to know about the holds you pick up at Shute Park.

You cannot place new holds and set the pick-up location to Shute Park. Please choose a different WCCLS library to pick up your hold at. The closest library to Shute Park is the Hillsboro Main Library, on Brookwood.

If you have existing holds that will arrive at the Shute Park Library before May 11th, you can still pick them up at Shute Park.

Holds that will not arrive at the Shute Park Library before May 11th must be adjusted to have a different pick up library. This can't be done online in your WCCLS account - please phone staff at a WCCLS library to do this for you.

When the Shute Park Library closes for renovation at the end of the day on May 11th, you will not be able to pick up your holds or return materials there. The Shute Park Library will be closed for renovation until 2014.

Thank you for your patience! If you have questions about the Shute Park closure, please contact the Hillsboro Library at 503-615-6500. For assistance with your account, please contact staff at your local library.

If you search the full version of the WCCLS catalog today, you'll notice that the search results are displayed by relevance order, not alphabetically by title. This will make the full (desktop) catalog match our mobile catalog, which already displays your search results sorted by relevance.

This change will make it easier to find what you're looking for in the WCCLS catalog.

If you have any questions about the change, or need more information on searching the WCCLS catalog, please contact your local library.

This Tuesday, April 30th, the Garden Home Community Library is hosting a Sustainability Fair from 4:00 - 6:00 pm. You'll find the fair in the gym at the THPRD Garden Home Recreation Center.

There will over 30 booths from vendors wanting to share information with you. The fair is free and open to everyone, and there will be crafts and games for kids.

See a Tesla electric vehicle and the THPRD Naturemobile! There are also door prizes, including a laptop from Ecobinary.

Learn more about the fair and see a list of some of the organizations that will be there in an article from the Portland Tribune.

WCCLS is adding more titles to Library2Go, Oregon's downloadable ebook and audiobook service! Most Oregon libraries participate in Library2Go and share the downloadable titles, but WCCLS is also purchasing ebook titles that are just for WCCLS cardholders. We are adding books that were not originally in Library2Go, and are also adding extra copies for books whose wait lists are really long.

To be sure you see the titles that WCCLS has purchased just for our cardholders, be sure to log in to Library2Go before you start searching for books.

You'll know a book has been added just for WCCLS cardholders if you see the seal at the top-left of the book jacket. You'll also notice that instead of Borrow or Place a Hold, the button will say Sign in for Availability.

Questions about using Library2Go? Ask staff at your local library, or browse our online help pages.

On Sunday, April 21st, all WCCLS-hosted online services will be unavailable from approximately 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm.

What does this mean? During this time, you will not be able to access these services:

• WCCLS website
• Your online account - online, as well as the telephone renewal line
• WCCLS catalog (searching, placing holds, etc.)
• WCCLS events calendar

Library2Go will still be available during this downtime. We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience!

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.

Most agree discrimination in housing is much subtler today than in decades past, but it does persist. Every April, the nation celebrates the strides we've made, and the work that remains to be done. In honor of Fair Housing Month, in partnership with the Office of Community Development, we are highlighting a selection of books for adults, teens and children that highlight issues of fair housing and discrimination. For a more comprehensive list of titles, visit the Fair Housing Council of Oregon's website.

• Books for adults
• Books for teens
• Books for younger kids
• Books for older kids

In honor of Fair Housing Month, Washington County will be hosting a free public screening of the acclaimed documentary, Brick by Brick... A Civil Rights Story.

Monday, April 22nd, 6:00 - 7:00 p.m.
Washington County Public Services Building Auditorium
155 N. 1st Ave., Hillsboro (map)

Watch a trailer for the documentary:

Alter Wiener's father was brutally murdered on September 11, 1939 by the German invaders of Poland. Alter was then a boy of 13. At the age of 15, he was deported to Blechhammer, a Forced Labor Camp for Jews, located in Germany. He survived five camps. Upon liberation by the Russian Army on May 9, 1945, Alter weighed 80 lbs., as reflected in the photo on the cover of his autobiography, 64735: From a Name to a Number.

Alter will be sharing his life story at the Cedar Mill Library on Saturday, April 20th at 2:00 pm. The program is free and open to everyone.

Alter is one of the very few Holocaust survivors still living in Portland. He moved to Oregon in 2000, and since then he has shared his life story with more than 800 audiences in universities, colleges, middle and high schools, churches, synagogues, prisons, and other organizations.

The Oregon Book Award winners for 2013 were announced last night. Here's a rundown of the winners in some popular categories. Find a full list of the winners here.

Ken Kesey Award for Fiction
Shards by Ismet Prcic Frances Fuller Victor Award for General Nonfiction
The Wrecking Crew by Kent Hartman Sarah Winnemucca Award for Creative Nonfiction
Crazy Enough by Storm Large Eloise Jarvis McGraw Award for Children's Literature
Drawing from Memory by Allen Say Leslie Bradshaw Award for Young Adult Literature
Blue Thread by Ruth Tenzer Feldman Readers Choice Award
Wild by Cheryl Strayed
Also available as a downloadable e-book and audiobook in Library2Go! Congratulations to all the winners!

We're excited for the upcoming 9th annual storytelling festival - Art of the Story. There are some great performers coming to Washington County April 13th to 20th. We want to highlight all of the storytellers in turn, and next up is Anne Rutherford, a performer from Portland.

Anne tells smart, genuinely fun stories to audiences of all ages. Her specialties are original and vintage stories of humor and adventure, trickster tales, supernatural tales and Northwest folklore.

We found this video of Anne telling a story at an event, and had to share it, as it features a librarian and some animals who read.

Like what you see? Check out the Art of the Story performance schedule to get all the details.

April is an arts-filled month at North Plains!

On Saturday, April 13th at 1:00 pm, the Portland Ballet will be offering a free mini-performance and sample ballet lessons for kids in Kindergarten through 6th Grade. This will be taking place at the Jessie Mays Community Hall.

The Portland Ballet, a training ground for professional ballet artists, provides performance experience for pre-professional dancers and emerging choreographers and promotes ballet appreciation in the community through outreach and education. 

In addition, landscape and portrait photographer Tom Jacquemin of Hillsboro will be exhibiting his work at the library from April 11 through May 31. A reception will be held in his honor on Friday, April 19 at 6 p.m. at the library, and the public is invited to attend this free event.

All of Jacquemin’s photographs will be available for purchase and can be made in additional sizes.  He also sells his photographs at the Cedar Mill Farmers’ Market most Saturdays.

We're excited for the upcoming 9th annual storytelling festival - Art of the Story. There are some great performers coming to Washington County April 13th to 20th. We want to highlight all of the storytellers in turn, and next up is Bill Ratner.

Bill is one of Hollywood's premier voices and storytellers. For those of you who watched G.I. Joe, Bill was the voice of Flint. You'll also recognize his voice from many movie trailers and commercials.

In addition to his successful career in voiceovers, Bill is a master storyteller - National Storytelling Festival Slam Teller, Best of Hollywood Fringe Festival, eight-time Moth StorySLAM Winner - as well as a published short story writer, essayist, and playwright. He performs his stories in comedy clubs, theaters, taverns, schools, and storytelling festivals across the country.

Want to see Bill in action? Check out this video of a performance on the Comedy Central Stage in Hollywood. This performance is for adults, and contains a few "colorful" situations. It's a charming and funny story from the days of his father and uncle, growing up in 1920s Chicago.

Like what you see? Check out the Art of the Story performance schedule to get all the details.

Discover Italy’s charming Amalfi coast through the eyes of tour guide and travel writer Chantal Kelly on Thursday, April 11th, at 7:30 p.m. at the North Plains Public Library.

Part travelogue and part history, Kelly’s book, Gelato Sisterhood on the Amalfi Shore, will fascinate anyone who’s ever wanted to indulge in travel to Italy. The book also offers a number of mouth-watering recipes.

Born and raised in Brussels, Belgium, Kelly developed an early love of travel as she vacationed with her family thoughout Europe. She gained fluency in five languages, worked for an Italian travel agency, and ultimately formed her own boutique agency, guiding small groups throughout France, Italy, and other European destinations.

The author will have her book for sale and for signing after her presentation. This event is sponsored by The Friends of the North Plains Public Library.