The INDEPENDENT, February 15, 2012
Between the Bookends
by Nancy Burch, Librarian
Vernonia Public Library
While researching the founding of Vernonia’s library and library board, the
original hand-written resolution establishing a “free public library” and a “li-
brary board” was discovered. Items such as this very real document linking
Vernonia’s past to its present, are fascinating to me. This resolution was
passed, “this 20th day of February, 1928” and is included with the appoint-
ment of the first library board by D.B. Reasoner, City Recorder. Also includ-
ed in this binder are original by-laws of the library, and handwritten minutes
of the board meetings from 1928 through 1936, listing such items as circu-
lation, number of library “members”, number of books, and expenditures.
One example, from 1933 shows that circulation for 1932 was 14,623 with
811 library members, and with the number of books totaling 1,155. If you’re interested in compar-
isons, circulation for 2011 was about 26,000, registered borrowers numbered 2,456, and the li-
brary’s collection now totals 25,267.
Many changes in connection with libraries have taken place over the years — Internet use, au-
tomated library systems, Nooks and Kindles with downloadable books, circulating collections of au-
dio and video materials, as well as changes in services and activities now taking place in libraries.
Programs for children and adults have become routine events in Vernonia’s library. The upcoming
visit by author Molly Gloss is just one example of programming for adults. Ms. Gloss will be here to
discuss her novel, The Hearts of Horses, on Monday February 27 at 5:30. This novel, set during
World War I, tells of nineteen-year-old Martha Lessen as she uses her unconventional methods of
“gentling” wild horses for ranchers in eastern Oregon. I liked this book even more as I recently
reread it, and really hated to bid good-bye to this remarkable young woman and her cowboy
dreams. Also, in conjunction with the Columbia County Reads theme, western movies will be shown
on Saturday, February 18 at 2:00 p.m. and on Thursday, February 23 at 6:30 p.m.
Themes have also changed in the novels that are being written today. As time has passed, many
of the shoot ‘em up westerns and dark Victorian novels have morphed into novels with issues per-
tinent to those we face today, or might be facing in the future. Reflecting some of these newer con-
cerns are some of the library’s new acquisitions including Left for Dead by J. A. Jance (drug wars
along the U. S. border), Red Mist by Patricia Cornwell (the use of forensics in solving crimes), The
Dry Grass of Autumn by Anna Jean Mayhew (segregation), Home Front by Kristen Hannah (over-
seas deployment and single parenting), Lone Wolf by Jodi Picoult (life support), and Enclave, a
young adult novel by Ann Aquire (dystopian society).
Where libraries used to be places where only whispering was allowed and business was con-
ducted by stern librarians, they have become places where patrons may share ideas, use comput-
ers, participate in programs, borrow all types of materials and be assisted by helpful staff members.
For some staff and patrons, they have almost become second homes. Hopefully, libraries will not
entirely lose the character of yesteryear as they progress to the future.
Vernonia Public Library: 701 Weed Avenue
Hours: Mon., Wed., Fri. 10 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Tues., Thu. 1:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Sat. 10 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Preschool Story Time: Mondays, 10:30 a.m
when school is in session.
Phone: 503-429-1818
Oregon 1st lady to battle poverty
At the 2012 Food Security
Summit on January 20, First
Lady of Oregon Cylvia Hayes
unveiled the Oregon Prosperity
Initiative, an effort to attack
poverty and restore the middle
class in Oregon. Oregon has
one of the highest rates of
childhood hunger and home-
lessness in the nation, and fail-
ing to address hunger costs
Oregonians $2.1 billion annual-
ly, primarily from health care
costs associated with poor nu-
trition and educational losses
for kids who are too hungry to
concentrate.
The Oregon Prosperity Ini-
tiative aims to ensure that peo-
ple who are currently struggling
to feed and shelter themselves
and their families have access
to critical resources. At the
same time, the initiative will
promote strategies to address
the long-standing, systemic
root causes of poverty.
“It is unacceptable that in
our state, with its rich natural
resources and human ingenu-
ity, so many people are strug-
gling to make ends meet,” said
Hayes. “It is time to turn this
around, maximize our poten-
tial, and make Oregon a more
prosperous place to live and do
business.”
In the short term, the Ore-
gon Prosperity Initiative will
See Oregon on page 6
Page 5
New Forest plan will consider
multiple uses during planning
From page 4
planning process, says Vilsack,
is to preserve jobs in forest
communities.
The Department of Agricul-
ture predicts the new rule will
mean fewer lawsuits over log-
ging, with earlier cooperation in
planning the sales. Forest Ser-
vice chief Tom Tidwell says the
focus will be on local contracts
for restoration and stewardship
work, “The byproducts, the out-
puts of that work, is that the
saw timber and the biomass
that’s used for renewable ener-
gy – that they are a key compo-
nent. Without that industry,
there’s no way we’re going to
be able to do the work that we
need to do to restore these
forests.”
A key part of the forest plan-
ning rule is the use of “best
available science” in decision-
making, which could be the
most controversial part as well.
There are sometimes conflict-
ing studies about such topics
as climate change and the ef-
fects of logging and mining on
public land.
While every forest is differ-
ent, Rob Klavins, wildlands and
wildlife advocate at Oregon
Wild, says having some basic
standards and minimum pro-
tections for clean water, wildlife
and recreation make sense. He
says the conservation commu-
nity is pleased with the new
planning rule, but concerned
about whether the specifics
can be enforced, “It’s all well
and good to have great vision
statements and mission state-
ments, but it’s really important
that those are backed up with
requirements that are clear and
understandable – for the agen-
cies to carry out the vision, and
for the public to be able to
make sure that they are actual-
ly following the rules.”
The guidelines haven’t been
updated since 1982, and sev-
eral previous attempts didn’t
withstand court challenges.
The agency received more
than 300,000 comments on this
forest planning rule, which
goes into effect in March.
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