Automated Materials Handler

Staff trained on AMH

The service desk project is almost complete! The AMH is in, and we are waiting for a few last pieces to be installed. In the interim, staff have been trained and have even practiced fixing it after a trial malfunction. 

A major thanks to Danielle Reynolds for her many hours of work as project manager on this, as well Christopher Knipes and John Goaring in support roles. 

Summer Reading Program

First-Ever Virtual SRP Brings Real Smiles

The Siddarth family wrote, "Thank you very much for the summer reading program prizes, my kids were so excited and happy receiving those lovely books , Dragon stuffie and the pencil bookmarks. The book my son received was very timely, as it’s the same book that his ELA teacher is reading in class too. Thanks again to Camas library & staff for their wonderful encouragement to the kids even during this difficult times!"

We will discuss the Summer Reading Program at the Board of Trustees meeting. 

2020 SRP Committee was Ellen Miles, Vanessa Perger, and Elliot Stapleton. Thanks for rolling with the punches during this extremely unusual year!

Cooking Together

Cookbook Debuts

The Camas Community Cookbook is here! All were recipes submitted by patrons. There may be another call to add to it in the future. If so, we will let you know. Check it out!

http://bit.ly/CamasCookbook

Thanks to Leah Burch for her work on this!

Diverse Book Finder

Software Helps Us Define Picture Book Collection

We recently utilized Diverse Book Finder software, which analyzes a picture book collection to reveal strengths and weaknesses from a representation standpoint. We received the following results.

Collection Strength: Your picture books do the important work of addressing the reality of anti-Black oppression, as well as Black resistance to that oppression.

Collection Gaps: When viewed in the aggregate, the books on your shelves may be teaching children that Asian people don’t experience oppression, or that Black people only experience pain & suffering.

We will be working to recalibrate according to this model. We also received statistics that show we could use more picture books with Latinx characters, so we'll be working on that as well. 

Diverse Book Finder is available to us from Bates College, made possible by IMLS funding. 

Thanks to Danielle Reynolds for her thoughtful, deliberate work in crafting our collection. 

August 20 Post Record

Camas library kicks off 12-week ‘Read for Change’ initiative

Read article here

August 20 Post Record

Public art in Camas becomes ‘chalk war’

Read article here

July 29 Columbian

Camas chalk murals defaced, repeatedly removed

Read article here

May 03 Post Record

Volunteers celebrate Camas boy’s eighth birthday with drive-by parade

Read article here