June 22, 2010

AHOY READERS! UPPER COUNTY LIBRARIES LAUNCH SUMMER READING PROGRAM

ROSLYN – The Roslyn and Cle Elum libraries will host kick off events the last week of June for their annual summer reading program for local kids.

The theme for this year’s program is “Make a Splash – Read!” Participating children will explore the world of water and water fun through stories and activities about oceans, rivers, lakes, and pools and the creatures that live there. The program is free and open to all children from birth through age 17.  

The goal of the program is to keep kids reading during the summer months, both for the pleasure reading brings, and to make sure they keep up the literacy skills they’ve been developing all year in school. As incentive, participants earn prizes for time spent reading or being read to by others.

All children who spend at least 20 hours reading by August 4th will earn a special prize and be entered into a grand prize raffle for a chance to win a new bike from the Police Department or a gift certificate from Fred Meyer.

Fun art and science programs are planned for each week through August 4^th at both libraries, and weekly Wii tourneys will take place at the Roslyn Library every Tuesday in July for kids ages 10 and over.

The Roslyn Library kicks off its program on Wednesday, June 23rd at 1:00 pm with an ice cream party. The Carpenter Library will hold their kickoff party on Friday, June 25^th at 10:30 am. Kids will sign up for the program and receive their colorful reading logs and a schedule of events. The program ends with a celebration picnic on August 4^th.

For more information, call the Carpenter Library at 674-2313 or the Roslyn Library at 649-3420 or visit the Roslyn Library online at www.roslynlibrary.org.

Click here for 2010 Summer Reading Program.

April 19, 2010

GRANT PROVIDES ART BOOKS TO ROSLYN LIBRARY

ROSLYN – The Roslyn Library recently received a big box brimming with brand new art books that range in style and form from two substantial Whitney biennials to three large format collections of the work of portrait artist Chuck Close, to the kimonos of Japan and a collection of contemporary works called “Fractal Dice” by Keith Tyson.

The twenty-nine books were made possible by a non-profit organization called Art Resources Transfer, Inc. Its mission is to document and support artists’voices and work and to make those voices accessible beyond conventional art spaces and outlets. To that end, ART, Inc. has been distributing free books, videos, and interactive materials on art and cultural issues to public, school, and alternative libraries in rural and inner city areas since 1990 through their Distribution to Underserved Communities Library Program.

The grant came at a time when the Roslyn Library had been seeking ways to enhance its collection of art books.

“Art books are usually quite expensive, so this is a real boon for the Roslyn Library and for the artists of our community who may be seeking inspiration,” said Erin Krake, Roslyn librarian. “We’ve added a lot of other books over the last year with help from area artists, too, so that part of the collection is really starting to fill out nicely.”

The books have been processed and are on the shelves and check-out ready. For a list of new books and other materials, visit the library’s website and click on “New Books List.”

March 31, 2020

ROSLYN LIBRARY HOSTS CITIZEN DIPLOMACY EVENT

ROSLYN – For all those world travelers in our midst, or for those who’d like to visit far-flung locales, but who don’t have the time or money, or for those who just like to meet new people and learn new things, the Roslyn Library is offering an opportunity to meet with people from around the world at an informal lasagna dinner on Friday, April 9^th starting at 5:00 pm at the library, 109 S. First Street in Roslyn.

Eleven men and women from Cameroon, Chile, Czech Republic, Djibouti, Indonesia, Kyrgyz Republic, Jamaica, Kosovo, Morocco, and Panama will be in and around Roslyn all that day as part of a visit organized and co-sponsored by the University of Washington’s Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program, the World Affairs Council, and the Roslyn Library.

The eleven Fellows will meet with Cle Elum / Roslyn students, then visit the Roslyn cemeteries and Salmon la Sac to learn more about the natural and human history of our area. Their day concludes with a casual lasagna dinner with community members at the Roslyn Library, where residents will have a chance to learn one-on-one about the Fellows’ home countries and teach them about ours. It is a sort of “citizen diplomacy,” an opportunity for regular folks to build relations and understanding with other nations.

This program is part of the library’s World Affairs Series. Much like the Armchair Travel Series the library has presented in the past, the World Affairs Series provides the opportunity for our community to engage with other cultures. In this case, however, the library brings real people from around the world right to Roslyn’s doorstep. Each gathering has been different, from a presentation by Sudanese health workers to a reception at the Roslyn Brewery for a group of young, emerging leaders from various countries in Europe.

These next international guests are visiting from the Evans School of Public Affairs at the University of Washington in Seattle. The fellows take part in one year of advanced non-degree study to gain hands-on experience and theoretical knowledge of how the U.S. approaches work in their professional fields.

They come from a variety of backgrounds and experiences, from an Indonesian tax expert to a maritime captain from Djibouti named Ismael. But, they have one thing in common – they want to become better at their professions, they want to learn and share, and they want to experience the United States. A trip to Roslyn, far from the insulated university and the sprawling city, provides a richer picture of American life for these men and women and an extraordinary opportunity for those who live here.

The dinner is free and open to the public, but an RSVP to the library would be appreciated so that organizers can ensure there is enough food and drinks for all.

For more information about the visiting fellows, visit http://evans.washington.edu/courses-degrees/international/humphrey/2009-fellows. For information about the World Affairs Council and its mission to provide opportunities for everyone to practice global diplomacy, visit http://www.world-affairs.org/. For information about the Roslyn Library’s World Affairs Series, for pictures of past events, and for information about the library’s other programs and upcoming events, visit http://www.roslynlibrary.org.

March 1, 2010

ROSLYN LIBRARY BOOK CLUB HOSTS COMMUNITY DISCUSSION ON “THREE CUPS OF TEA”

ROSLYN – The Roslyn Library is joining with the other public libraries in the county to offer our first ever One Book One Community program, in which we encourage everyone in our community to read and talk about the same book.

We have chosen the book Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortensen, which is the story of how Mortensen's life was transformed in a remote village in Pakistan, and how he turned that transformation into a crusade to build schools for the boys and girls of this volatile and remote region. 

In 1993, Greg Mortenson started to climb K2 in honor of his younger sister, but when another member of his group got sick, they turned around, and Greg became lost in the mountains of Pakistan. He wandered into a poor village, where the village chief and his people took him in. Moved by their kindness, he promised to return and build a school for the children. Over the next decade, Mortenson built more than 78 schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan. He has dedicated his life to building literacy and peace, one child at a time.

This is an inspirational story of ordinary people from vastly different cultures coming together to make a difference in our world through the vision and dogged determination of one flawed, but big-hearted man.

People throughout the county are being encouraged to read this book with us, and we have organized special events to coincide with the book at each library that will help readers engage with the book's themes on a deeper level. In this case, those themes include the education of Muslim girls, following one’s dream and living a life of service, understanding the religion of Islam, terrorism, Pakistani and Afghani culture, the landscape of the Himalaya, mountaineering, peace, and much, much more.

On Thursday, March 4^th, the Roslyn Library Book Club will host an open community discussion about the book at 6:00 pm. All who have already read it or who are interested in picking up a free copy to read are invited to join in the discussion. Tea and cookies will also be enjoyed as we engage in what promises to be a lively and heartfelt discussion.

The Roslyn Library’s event schedule for this project is located online at www.roslynlibrary.org by clicking on Events & Programs, then on the One Book One Community link.

Community members may borrow a copy of Three Cups of Tea from any of the public libraries in Kittitas County. The story is also available in a children's book called Listen to the Wind and in a young reader edition. Copies of the books for children and young adults are also available to borrow.

The Roslyn Library is temporarily located at 109 South First Street in Roslyn. The library is open five days a week, from 10:00 am to 7:00 pm Monday through Thursday, and from 1:00 to 5:00 pm on Sunday. For more information, call (509) 649-3420 or visit the library online at www.roslynlibrary.org.

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