Washington County Cooperative Library Services Celebrating 40 Years of Connecting People, Books and Resources

For Immediate Release: Wednesday, August 31, 2016

Washington County, Oregon: The Washington County Cooperative Library Services (WCCLS) is pleased to announce the celebration of providing 40 years of connecting people, books and resources for the residents of Washington County with a series of community events, a commemorative library Passport and four limited edition WCCLS card designs.

In 1976, Washington County asked voters to approve the first countywide funding measure to support public library access for all residents. At that time, over half the population of Washington County did not have free, public library access. The first countywide levy provided funding to allow the six cities (Beaverton, Cornelius, Forest Grove, Hillsboro, Sherwood and Tigard) with public libraries to freely open their doors to any county resident. Eva Calcagno, Director of the WCCLS remarked, "it was fitting that in our nation’s Bicentennial year, Washington County residents agreed to establish a free public library system, a cornerstone of our democracy, to guarantee that all residents would have open access to library resources for education, civic engagement and entertainment."

The Cooperative grew over the years, more libraries joined WCCLS, and others expanded to meet the needs of our growing population. This fall, Aloha Community Library will become our 13th member library (and 16th location) when it opens in newly remodeled space in the Thriftway Marketplace on Farmington Road. Voters have continued to support countywide tax funding for WCCLS, all but once in the last 40 years.

Calcagno stated, "WCCLS and our member libraries appreciate the faith residents have in our ability to offer quality collections, programs and services for the families of Washington County."

We invite the community to join in celebrating 40 years of free access to public libraries for all residents of Washington County (wccls.org/wccls40).

Explore with your Passport to WCCLS September 10 – December 16 we invite residents to pick-up a commemorative WCCLS Passport at their local library and collect a stamp at each library location they visit. WCCLS will conduct an anniversary Passport Prize Drawing on December 20.

Passport Drawing Prizes:
Apple iPad Air 2 (16 GB, Wi-Fi only), Classic Film Series (4 tickets) Sherwood Center for the Arts, Family Matinee Series (4 tickets) Sherwood Center for the Arts, THPRD – Conestoga Party (kids party for 10), Cultural Experience: Admission Passes for two to Pittock Mansion, Wine Tasting Experience for two to Blooming Hill Vineyard and WCCLS Book Bag includes water bottle and commemorative 40th WCCLS Anniversary T-shirt.

More information, including WCCLS member library locations and hours, is available in the WCCLS Passport or at wccls.org/wccls40.

Commemorative Library Cards available mid-September! WCCLS is offering four limited edition anniversary library card designs; get one while they last at our member libraries!

Special Anniversary Events visit our online calendar (www.wccls.org/calendar) for a series of local library events that celebrate the WCCLS 40th anniversary.

SEPTEMBER

• 10th – 11th – Various times: Tigard Library, Tigard Family Fest
• 12th, 10:30 a.m.: Beaverton Library Main, Truck Day
• 15th, 7 p.m.: Tualatin Library, Pearl of the Ice Age Floods
• 17th, 11 a.m.: Hillsboro Brookwood Library, Library Tour
• 17th, 2 p.m.: Hillsboro Shute Park Library, Library Tour
• 18th, 1 p.m.: Garden Home Library, Ruby Anniversary Celebration

OCTOBER

• 4th, 4 p.m.: Sherwood Library, Celebrating 40 Years with WCCLS!
• 4th, 6:30 p.m.: Forest Grove Library, Kick-off of Annual Friends Cultural Series
• 9th, 2 p.m.: Cornelius Library, Volunteer Appreciation & Library Anniversary Celebration
• 15th, 1 p.m.: Banks Library, Ceremonial Groundbreaking
• TBD: Aloha Library, Grand Opening Celebration.

NOVEMBER

• 10th, 6:30 p.m.: West Slope Library, Multicultural Tales of Thankfulness with Storyteller Alton Chung
• 13th, 3 p.m.: Cedar Mill Library - West African Kora Concert

DECEMBER

• 5th, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.: Tuality Healthcare, Anniversary Open House
• 9th, 6:30 p.m.: North Plains Library, Bells of the Cascades Concert

The Washington County Cooperative Library Services (WCCLS) includes: Banks Public Library, Beaverton City Library, Beaverton City Library @ Murray Scholls, Cedar Mill Community Library, Cedar Mill Community Library @ Bethany, Cornelius Public Library, Forest Grove City Library, Garden Home Community Library, Hillsboro Public Libraries (Main and Shute Park), North Plains Public Library, Sherwood Public Library, Tigard Public Library, Tualatin Public Library, and West Slope Community Library. Two specialty libraries are also a part of the Cooperatives library card service — the Oregon College of Art & Craft and the Tuality Health Education Resource Center.

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