Redmond Library seminar: How to Approach a Foundation

The Redmond Library will host a free nonprofit seminar entitled, "How to Approach a Foundation”. This program will teach you how to initiate contact with potential funders, plan calls and meetings, and build partnerships with donors. In addition, the Washington Women's Foundation and United Way of King County will describe their organization's funding programs and guidelines as well as "insider tips" for making a compelling case for your funding request. This free training is presented by The Foundation Center of San Francisco.

Date:: Oct 29, 2008 Time:: 9:00 am to 1:00 pm More information:: Click here.

Nonprofit & Philanthropy Resource Center
The Redmond Library is home to the Nonprofit & Philanthropy Resource Center, which serves the entire King County Library System. This collection of resources includes information on such topics as nonprofit organizations and all aspects of fundraising and philanthropy. For more information, see About the Nonprofit & Philanthropy Resource Center.

Microsoft Building 83 under Construction

Construction work is currently underway on Microsoft Building 83 at the 4500 block of 156th Ave NE in Redmond. Construction will also begin soon on nearby Building 81, as well as expansion of an existing garage. These structures are all on land that was formerly the Safeco campus.

Update:

See Microsoft Building 83 Construction Halted

Redmond Land Use Application Documents
You can find collections of related land use application documents for projects in the City of Redmond on the Land Use Applications page. The documents include Vicinity Maps, Notice of Applications, and Site Plans. Here’s the site plan for the two new Microsoft Buildings, 81 and 83:

You can find additional land use-related information for the City of Redmond on the City Document Library page.

Aerial Views of Construction Areas
Live Search Maps provides a variation of aerial mapping called bird's eye view. Rather than looking straight down on the area being photographed, a bird's eye view is an aerial image that is taken 30° off center. The effect is striking — you see features in a more 3D-like perspective. This is a useful way to view a construction area. Here's a bird's eye view of the Microsoft campus where Building 81 and 83 are being built.

For more information on bird’s eye view features, see A bird’s eye view of Redmond High School.

Other Blog Postings on Construction
Here’s a list of other Redmond Library blog postings on construction:

Nintendo's New Office Building in Redmond

A New Bridge for Redmond: The NE 36th Street Overpass

Fall is Salmon SEEson in Redmond

Come see wild adult salmon migrate up the Sammamish to their spawning grounds in Bear Creek. The City of Redmond is sponsoring Salmon Spotting Stations along the Sammamish River Trail south of the 85th Street Bridge (just south of the new salmon-friendly water conservation garden).

Interpretive naturalists from Nature Vision will lend you a pair of polarized glasses to help you spot adult coho, sockeye and Chinook salmon migrating — and tell you how to help these amazing wild species survive.

Dates:	Saturday, Sept 20 and Oct 4 from 9 - 11 a.m.
Location:	Sammamish River Trail south of the 85th Street Bridge
Contact:	For more information, click Salmon SEEson in Redmond.

The Holidays In September!

It's never too early to start thinking about holiday gifts for your favorite reader.  I happen to be a fan of giving experiences or sharing "stuff", so here are a few suggestions for the bookworm(s) in your life:

• Elliot Bay Book Company's Maiden Voyage First Edition Program: I bought this gift last year to be shared among two other friends.  It's so fun to receive the new first edition in the mail (on a kind of random schedule, not every other month like you might initially expect). They even wrap it in traditional brown kraft paper that's easily recyclable!  Since there are three of us, once we receive all six new editions (signed!) we'll divvy up and keep two at the end of the year.  I'm making this a perpetual gift for them each year, so it'll be the gift that keeps on giving.
• Nancy Pearl's Book Lust Journal: Again, this is another shared gift among two other friends.  I got the idea when one of us moved away. . .I thought it would be fun to have a long distance book journal.  We each write reviews of the books we read.  It comes around to me maybe twice a year and I take the time to enjoy what my friends have written about the latest books.  When we started I was finishing my MBA so I'm sure they were thrilled to read business textbooks!  Our friend that moved away is now back in Seattle, so it makes it much easier to exchange the journal.  We fill about one journal a year and are currently working through our third.
• Jane Austen Society of North America, Puget Sound Chapter: Grab a friend and attend or join the Society!  I'm not a member, but I did attend their most recent meeting and had a lot of fun.  Very interesting group!

Happy Reading!

- Jaime

KCLS Offers Eco-Friendly Bags

If Mother Nature were a library patron, she would be pleased. All 43 KCLS libraries now offer patrons BioBags for carrying their library materials. The eco-friendly bags are 100% compostable and biodegradable. The bags are produced from cornstarch and vegetable oil. This is just another way KCLS is choosing to adopt greener practices. For more details about how KCLS is going green, visit InfoGreen.

Here are some interesting facts about BioBags:

• No polyethylene is used in the production of BioBags.
• BioBags are shelf stable, just like paper plates or paper towels. There are no chemical additives to enhance decomposition. The bags biodegrade naturally when expose to the earth’s elements and micro-organisms in the soil.
• BioBags will decompose in a natural setting at an extended rate comparable to other naturally biodegradable materials, such as paper, leaves and food waste.

For more info about BioBags, see BioBag Facts.

Other Blog Postings on Environmental Topics
Here’s a list of other Redmond Library blog postings on environmental topics:

King County EcoConsumer: Educating the Public About Conservation

infoGreen: Green information in the KCLS collection

An online guide to noxious weeds in King County

KCLS Top 5 Children’s Books: Week of August 25th

Here are the top 5 most requested children's titles by KCLS patrons for the week of August 25th:

by Eoin Colfer		Artemis Fowl: The Time Paradox Artemis's mother has contracted a deadly disease—and the only cure lies in the brain fluid of African lemurs. Unfortunately, Artemis himself was responsible for making the lemurs extinct five years ago. Now he must enlist the aid of his fairy friends to travel back in time and save them. Not only that, but he must face his deadliest foe yet...his younger self. check availability
by Erin Hunter		Warriors: Cats of the Clans Hear the stories of the great warriors as they've never been told before! Cats of the Clans is chock-full of visual treats and captivating details, including full-color illustrations and in-depth biographies of important cats—from fierce Clan leaders to wise medicine cats to the most mischievous kits, as well as loners, rogues, and kittypets. check availability
by Erin Hunter		Warriors: Outcast A secret prophecy shapes the lives of Firestar's grandchildren, but only one of the three knows about it. Jaypaw is captivated by the power it promises, and he believes the key to that power may lie buried in the distant past—with the ancient cats who once walked these woods and now prowl through his dreams. His search for answers leads him toward the mountains—the home of the Tribe of Rushing Water. check availability
by Jeff Kinney		Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules Kinney's popular Web comic, which began in 2004, makes its way to print as a laugh-out-loud "novel in cartoons," adapted from the series. Middle school student Greg Heffley takes readers through an academic year's worth of drama. check availability
by Stephenie Meyer		Eclipse High school graduation looms for Bella, and conventional worries over college applications vie with her plans for immortality and marriage to a vampire classmate, Edward Cullen. In this sequel to Meyers TWILIGHT and NEW MOON, Ilyana Kadushins elegant voice again moves from scenes of typical teen angst to moments of horror, including an attack by newborn vampires on the Cullen family. check availability

Marymoor Park: Friday Night Track Racing

The Friday Night Track Racing series at the Group Health Velodrome is a thrill for bicycle racers and spectators alike. World-class athletes compete under the spotlights while family and friends picnic on the lawn or enjoy the view from the stands. The popular "Kiddie Kilo" happens the first and third Fridays of each month.

Click on the following link for both the 2011 Wednesday & Friday Night Race schedule.

Group Health Velodrome
The Group Health Velodrome, located in Marymoor Park was constructed in 1974 as part of a major parks project in King County. The following Spring, it officially opened for racing. Over the next several years, railings, lights, and warm-up circles were added.

Currently, the velodrome is operated by the Marymoor Velodrome Association (MVA) in conjunction with the King County Department of Parks and Recreation. The MVA is a non-profit, volunteer association consisting mainly of racers and enthusiasts.

The track itself is an outdoor facility with a racing distance of 400 meters per lap. This makes it one of the longer velodromes in the world—most such track facilities have racing distances of either 3 laps per 1000 meters or 250 meters. The surface is concrete and, in early 2005, was completely resurfaced to provide a smoother finish.

Redmond Digital Arts Festival: Oct 4th & 5th

	Explore the digital arts through free hands-on workshops in video game production, 3D scanning, motion capture technology and more. Presenters from Gas Powered Games, Figure Prints, Smashing Ideas, DigiPen, Causal Games Association, and Konica-Minolta will bring to life the latest in the digital arts. Artists are invited to submit films or still images for our film festival and 2D exhibition. Artist submissions and free registration is available at www.redmondartsfestival.com.