One of the more interesting items available at the Gala are the Author Salons. Tickets to the Salons are sold for a fixed price and in limited quantities, so you have the opportunity, in a private home or intimate venue, to delve into the authors’ experience over conversation and food!
The event will be held at the Bellevue Hyatt on March 23, 2013 at 6 p.m. Nancy Pearl, librarian and book reviewer, will emcee the event and thirty popular Northwest authors will also be featured.
The KCLS Foundation funds programs that reach out and encourage residents of all ages to enjoy reading and learning. In 2012, more than 200,000 children, youth and adults benefitted from the Foundation-supported programs.
"
The Redmond Library recently completed a weeding project to verify books that hadn’t been checked out in years were a) actually still on the shelf and b) otherwise ready to be retired. It took nearly 6 months to analyze the Redmond branch collection and remove books that are under-utilized – called “dead” in library book parlance. 
Next, they will start analyzing specific topics to help ensure the books available are the ones that Redmond patrons want to check out. In addition, this data analysis tool allows staff to generate reports of “grubby” books – items that have been checked out so frequently they are probably worn out and in need of retiring. (The Hunger Games trilogy, anyone?)
![MP910220897[1]](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8DRkg4Iqxdz-12zUP9Y1dgzRUmfKiUWBJQQAD876s70CBi-nl2MJEtLcHZxtLROm4EwStbLFqPM9Xr1YSMZZqQpqI8LVXhgVl8ExzwFAs_Q4elFkJmqqQyBKSN868QMOOpPUSKgKlqc9M/s1600-h/MP910220897%25255B1%25255D%25255B8%25255D.jpg "MP910220897[1]")
Amanda was honored by the 
Extra special thanks to everyone that made my year such an amazing travel experience…it would not have been as excellent of an experience without each of you! I hope to meet you again in the King County Libraries at future events!
For me, part of the fun of any travel is all of the research and planning that goes on before I even step out of the front door! I took a look at my trusty spreadsheet to see what “interesting” facts I could share about my year in library travel.
El Fin. La Fin. Конец. La Fine. Kết thúc.
inside. The branch has been refreshed and is laid out a bit differently since my previous outing! The Managing Librarian, PhilisAnn, was kind enough to spend a few minutes with me talking about the changes. We also spent some time discussing the great downtown location and how crazy it can be during 
ever interested in meeting people across all KCLS departments and functions, this is the place to be! Highlights from the meeting included discussion of the new 
If library patrons have difficulty coming to you, reach out to them! The King County Library System has a variety of outreach services and mobile libraries and for my 49th “branch” visit and 28th trip, I caught the 
ABC Express encourages early literacy and daycare providers can take advantage of monthly daytime visits for the young patrons. In the afternoons and evenings, it also visits communities likely to have a need for library materials, though with residents that might not have an easy way to access a traditional branch.
Greenbrier neighborhood! I met Jim, an Outreach Services Specialist, who was kind enough to spend time with me talking about various services that ABC Express and other travelling libraries can provide. A patron overheard us talking, and unprompted, came over to tell me how Jim makes a point to know all the children that come aboard. I was able to witness this too as Jim greeted the children by name as they arrived and checked out! He says he’s lucky enough to have a job that he absolutely loves and that by being able to encourage children to read and being a positive influence in their lives, he can help make a difference.
Good things come to those that wait and I waited to visit the KCLS Shipping Department in Preston until nearly the end of my jaunts! We headed out for trip number 27 for a lunch time tour of the wizard behind the curtain.
The shipping and materials distribution department is in east King County in a large warehouse-style building. While the library trucks parked out front certainly gave it away, its anonymity belies just how crucial to the operations of KCLS the automation and staff inside it really are! 
afternoon. In addition to innovative library programs, part of KCLS’ world-renown is in its circulation capabilities. The Automated Materials Handling (AMH) system, utilizing RFID technology, installed in Preston is a large piece of this puzzle. It’s so impressive, libraries from many different countries visit the facility to see how KCLS moves its materials – nearly 12 million in 2010. They keep a map on the wall with color-coded pins to track everyone that visits and there is a fantastic distribution of color across the globe!
in-Time” collection. These materials are usually old information formats, like VHS, or very popular bestsellers. For older materials, it doesn’t make sense to have these items take up valuable shelf space in the libraries as they don’t circulate as often anymore. (Fun Fact 3: “Dark Shadows”, in VHS format, still circulates very, very well and I’m sure it’ll spike again 
when the 
It was very neat to be able to see the movement of material through the system and meet some of the staff that works hard to quickly deliver our books to us. In the future, I’ll have a much better appreciation of the books I put on hold. I know now just what it takes to get that book from the Kent, or White Center or Richmond Beach, shelves to my Redmond holds!
