Summertime Adventures

A few books that might help with planning some adventures:

101 Accessible Vacations: Vacation Ideas for Wheelers and Slow Walkers

by: Candy Harrington

Oregon Favorites: Trails and Tales

by:  William L. Sullivan

75 Classic Rides Oregon

by: Jim Moore

Getting Money

PLANNING THE "BIG ASK"
Check out books ... at the library on writing a grant proposal
-or on writing a business plan for a new business
TYPES OF ASSISTANCE

Brush up on your Oregon Trivia

The Oregon Encyclopedia

The Oregon encyclopedia is an authoritative and FREE resource on all things Oregon, from the expected to the unexpected. All entries are reviewed by experts and checked for accuracy. ~Portland State University

New Business Prospecting

New Businesses are a lucrative list. Salespeople, job hunters, and investors like to follow trends in employment numbers, market size, and other factors related to new businesses coming out. To get information on new businesses in the whole of the USA, the Washington County Library provides you with Reference USA. There is a feature in Reference USA that allows you to isolate new businesses.


To get information on new businesses in Oregon, you can find that in www.qualityinfo.org/olmisj/ats and dropdown and select one of these actions: Expanding firm, Reduction in Employment, New Firm, Closure, Rehire, Hiring Freeze, Labor dispute, Sale/Merger/Acquisition, Relocation, Future Impact, Education/Training, Stimulus, Other,



 

Get to know your State

Oregon Transparency is a state government website all about helping you to understand and know your state government.

Information includes:

Money coming in

Money going out

State Workforce

Get acquainted today!


(ss)

So you want to be a gardener?

But do you want to become a Master Gardener?

About this time of year, your efforts to begin a garden are paying off. Greens and sprouts are taking off. Beneficial insects and worms are crittering about, and you are learning from our great collection of books on gardening here at the library.

But have you ever wanted to take it further and learn so that you can use those skills or teach others? Exploring a Master Gardener certificate, taught by the Oregon State University Extension service, is a popular endeavor for many people who fall in love with gardening here. That means that the winter classes fill quickly. If you want to lean more, be prepared to sign up for this in September.

That is just around the corner!

Oregon Career Information System

For students or anyone who is interested in exploring careers, the Oregon Career Information System is one of the most helpful resources I have ever used. Although the database focuses on Oregon schools and programs of study, the user can expand their search to includes schools throughout the United States. It's a highly interactive site and what I have found is that the more you use it, the more you find with each new search. One of the most valuable aspects of the database is that it covers not only the two and four year schools, but also those institutions that offer short-term study programs or certificates for various occupations. Included in the detailed information:

• Overviews of individual occupations with details on specific work activities, common work activities, working conditions, physical demands, skills and abilities, knowledge, interests, preparation, helpful high school courses, hiring practices, wages, employment and outlook, advancement, and further resources. It then allows you to search schools that offer programs of study in that occupation.



• The program section addresses program admission, graduate admissions, typical course work, things to know, and other resources. The schools offering those programs are listed by geographical region in Oregon (or you can choose an out-of-state location) and then give detailed information about the school, student body, costs, financial aid, admissions, academics, student life, housing, student services, and career services. Website links are also given.



• If you aren't sure about a particular job title but are interested in a specific field of work like health care or business, the clusters index lists appropriate occupations within a variety of fields.



• The financial aid section is extremely useful in that it allows you to narrow your search to certain types of financial help like scholarships, grants and loans. The scholarship list is very detailed and there is a section specifically for Oregon residents.


• The exploration tools section is helpful in that it lets the user sort through various areas such as occupation, undergraduate or graduate schools, financial aid and one of the most interesting tools, the Reality Check which gives a very realistic picture of how much money you will need to live and which occupation will may for those needs.

Check it out!

Oregon Book Award Finalists Announced

Oregon has so many great writers and the Oregon Book Awards are a great way to discover new writers and new works. The Oregon Book Awards are presented annually for the finest accomplishments by Oregon writers who work in genres of poetry, fiction, literary nonfiction, drama and young readers literature. The 2011 list of finalists has been announced and you can click http://www.literary-arts.org/index.php?article=963 to see the full list for each genre. The library owns most of these titles and you can click http://wccls.org to search the catalog.

A Treasure Trove of Oregon and Pacific Northwest history-The Oregon Historical Quarterly

Where can I find the answers to the following questions?

• information about the Oregon Steam Navigation Company.


• a book review about the title Oregon's Architectural Heritage.


• information about a film called The Outlaw of the Wilderness.


• information about Nels Peterson who was a Portland attorney.


• who was peu-peu-mox-mox.


• what was The Shattuck School.

Answers to all of the above queries can be researched in The Oregon Historical Quarterly,(OHQ), a peer-reviewed, public history journal that has been published continuously since 1900 by The Oregon Historical Society. This quarterly carries well-researched and well-written history about Oregon and the Pacific Northwest for both scholars and the general public. The OHQ is one of the largest state historical society journals in the United States.
The Beaverton City Library owns the OHQ back to 1900 when it was first published. Bound Reference volumes of the quarterly can be found adjacent to the periodical area on the 2nd floor of the library. The library also provides access to indexes that can be used to find information in the quarterly. Some of these indexes along with full text content of the OHQ can also be found at the Oregon Historical Society's webpage, www.ohs.org/research/quarterly/index.cfm.
Enjoy your research.

Legal Links

Oregon Bar Association has a TV show that airs on local cable channels called, Legallinks. The program is designed to educate individuals on legal issues.

Some examples of topics are: Child Custody, Landlord/Tenant Q&A, Neighbor Law and Traffic law.

If you missed an episode the OBA archives their episodes on their website. To view the listing of topics click here.

Oregon Book Awards

The Oregon Book Award is presented annually to highlight the achievement of one Oregon writer. To date, almost 500 Oregon writers have been recognized. You can find a list of all the books on their website, Literary Arts - Oregon Book Awards.

The Beaverton Library has many of the titles available. Click here to check our catalog for a partial list of award winning titles from 2000-2009. The 2010 winner will be announced in January 2011.

Happy Reading!

Historic Oregon Voters' Pamphlets now available online

Now you can browse individual issues, or search across decades of Oregon's colorful elections history at:  http://library.state.or.us/databases/subjects/Voters_Pamphlet.php

The Government Research Services division of the Oregon State Library has digitized a historic run of Oregon Voters' Pamphlets as part of its mission to make government information available to the citizens of Oregon. Digital and paper copies of the Voters' Pamphlets are also a permanent part of the Oregon State Library's Oregon Documents Collection.
In 1904, Oregon became one of the first states to print and distribute a voters’ pamphlet. Voters' Pamphlets are a rich source of historic information including the full text of all measures voted on by the people; statements, biographical information and portraits of candidates running for state office; and statements for and against candidates and measures.

Bicycle Maps

Our map collection includes a number of maps on cycling in the Portland metropolitan area. Country Cycling explores Washington County by bicycle and there are cycling/walking maps that cover the various areas of Portland. Divided by area, there are maps covering Northeast, North, Northwest, Southeast, and Southwest. The downtown area is also covered in the Portland by Bicycle map. Enjoy!

Free Money -- how to get Help version 2010

PLANNING THE "BIG ASK"
Free books ... at the library on writing a grant proposal
-or on writing a business plan for a new business
TYPES OF ASSISTANCE

All grants megasite from SBA

Oregon Microenterprise Network lots of different local and state organizations (depending on your type of business) who have various programs.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance or come in to the library to flip through the catalog itself in bound form.

View Foundation Grants to Individuals in the library for free or use Foundation Grants to Individuals online at home, fee based.

Microenterprise Development for Small Businesses Individual development accounts.

SBA Loans -- See about Microloans, up to $25,000, if you are a small business. The average loan size is $10,000.

BECOMING NONPROFIT

Books becoming a nonprofit such as the Oregon Nonprofit Corporation Handbook
Books on funding your nonprofitSort results by date for newest items
Filing a 501c3 Application a dowloadable book on the IRS application to become tax deductible.
Help for your local nonprofit: Technical assistance http://tacs.org/
VENTURE CAPITAL
http://activecapital.org/
Venture Capital is NOT available for:
sole proprietorships, partnerships, limited liability partnerships, "blank check" companies, (companies that raise money to invest in future ventures not yet identified), development stage companies that have no specific business plan or purpose, development stage companies whose business plan is to merge or be acquired by an unidentified company, investment companies, registered or required to register under the Investment Company Act of 1940, companies involved in oil, gas, or other mineral or extractive interests.
GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS
CCR-Central Contractor Registration-http://www.ccr.gov/ Central Contractor Registration (CCR) is the primary registrant database for the U.S. Federal Government. CCR collects, validates, stores and disseminates data in support of agency acquisition missions. Click here to learn more about CCR Policy and Background.
Browse Current Available Bids--use FedBizOpps which is on Stat-USA, available at the library. Ask at the Reference Desk, they have to log you on with their password in their rolodex.
http://www.stat-usa.gov/

• click on GLOBUS NTDB
• click on FED BIZ OPPS, type a search keyword. Suggestions of keywords might be "Portland" or "Oregon," or some keyword from his or her line of business such as "transformer" or "janitorial"

Government Contract Assistance Program, or GCAP. Oregon's Procurement Technical Assistance Program (PTAP) is sponsored and brought to you by the Organization for Economic Initiatives (OEI), the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA). the Oregon Economic and Community Development Department (OECDD) and the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT).http://www.gcap.org/
HELP WITH LIVING EXPENSES
Find assistance for Food, Housing, Child Care, Healthcare, Adult Education, and More.

Community Action in Washington County http://www.caowash.org/

Oregon Child Care Subsidy Program http://www.oregon.gov/DHS/children/childcare/main.shtml

Oregon Helps - gives you an idea of what to ask for ahead of time
http://www.oregonhelps.org/

Free legal help for living expenses

Legal Aid Services of Oregon
For legal advice about unpaid bills, click on Consumer, Debt Collection, Garnishment.
http://www.oregonlawhelp.com/OR/

Oregon state bar.
Check legallinks for answers to your Oregon Law questions. With the help of legallinks you can find a lawyer with the Lawyer Referral Service, get information on hundreds of common legal topics and learn the basics of Oregon Law.
http://www.osbar.org/public/legallinks.html


INVENTORS, ARTISTS
Grants for People

Foundation Grants to Individuals REF 001.44 FOU
in reference, but you can reserve a copy of last edition

National Directory of Corporate Giving REF 361.7632 NAT
in reference stacks only

Oregon Innovation Center http://www.oregoninnovation.org/ or

Oregon Entrepreneurs Networkd
http://www.oen.org/

HOUSING AND REAL ESTATE

Housing and Urban Development (HUD) http://www.hud.gov/ click on select a state


Grants for communities, business districts
Office of Community Planning and Development - HUD
http://www.hud.gov/offices/cpd/

Block Grants, Redevelopment, Enterprise Zones, direct loans to help newer businesses get started in Oregon, etc http://www.oregon.gov/ECDD/finance.shtml

Federal empowerment zones offer jobs, job training and small business development
Oregon Empowerment Zones http://www.econ.state.or.us/enterthezones/

STATE AND LOCAL JOBS ASSISTANCE, EDUCATION & VOCATIONAL PROGRAMS

State of Oregon's jobs page http://www.workinginoregon.com/

Oregon Student Assistance Commission http://www.osac.state.or.us/index.html

Capital career center and Worksource Oregon team up to provide career guidance assistance
http://www.workforceallianceonline.org/

Worksource Oregon
http://www.worksourceoregon.org/

College education
Library books on student aid

Career preparation databases via Washington County Library Cooperative
* Oregon Career Information Service-Start with the desired occupation, discover the outlook for that career, then link to schools, then to scholarships. Free at the library and free in many of the public schools.

* Learning Express Library - Prepare for GED, US Citizenship, ASVAB or SAT and many civil service tests online. Take courses on writing resumes and preparing for interviews.

Send your child to private kindergarten through high school
Oregon voters rejected a voucher program. But the subject continues to come up from time to time in news editorials.

Oregon Association of Nurseries

The Oregon Association of Nurseries publishes an annual Directory and Buyers Guide. For anyone looking for that special plant or needing nursery-related services and supplies, this directory is your key. With over 34,000 separate listings of plants, products and services, this book indicates whether the company deals as a wholesaler and/or retailer. The plant offerings are grouped into categories with alphabetical listings by botanical name. Codes are then given as to the form that you need such as liner, bare root, seedling, B&B, container or cutting. The growers are listed under the specific plant and detailed contact information can be found in the Membership listings in the front of the directory. The services and supplies section lists consulting, erosion control, landscape services, containers, fertilizer and any other item that would be of interest in the nursery trade. A copy of this directory is located in our Reference Collection under the call number 631.52 ORE. It is also available on the OAN website.

Tax Forms

It's hard to believe that tax season is just around the corner. One big change that you will notice this year is the fact that Beaverton City Library will no longer be distributing Oregon tax forms. This is not a decision that we made, but rather a decision made by the Oregon Department of Revenue. In a letter sent to Oregon public libraries, the Director of the Oregon Department of Revenue cited the need to reduce their printing budget and the fact that taxpayers are relying more on online filing. Therefore, they will no longer be distributing tax forms to public libraries for distribution. The forms can be accessed online through the DOR website at http://www.oregon.gov/DOR/forms.shtml. We will continue to distribute Federal forms as long as they make them available to us.

Oregon Geology

For all who love Oregon and Geology, this map tool link is worthy of checking out.

The purpose of the Oregon Geologic Data Compilation <--click here to go to the site (OGDC) project is to assemble the best available geologic map information for the entire state by integrating the work of many individual geologic mappers into a vector digital dataset. The data are stored in a geographic information system (GIS) format with links to a relational database. The compilation is thus a "living map" that can change as new geologic information and mapping becomes available.

What is it?

The Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries (DOGAMI) has completed (May 2009) a six-year project to digitally compile geologic data for the entire state. This effort brings together the best available geologic mapping from state and federal agency sources, student thesis work, and consultants.

To view the map, your browser must must be JavaScript enabled, and, if you are using Internet Explorer, allow ActiveX controls. The map itself is image intensive. Users with slower internet connections may find that resizing the browser window to a smaller size will help the map image load faster.

You can view Oregon stratigraphy, rock type, and rock property theme maps on topographic and shaded relief backdrops along with faults, formation boundaries, and USGS 7.5' topographic quadrangle outlines and names. You can drag a portion of the map, and it recreates the map in a closer view. You can see fault lines, and there are pop up keys to determine geologic information.

211 info. Get Connected. Get Answers.

Are you in need of a referral for food, shelter, housing, foreclosure or maybe health care? Or maybe you know someone who needs a little help.

211info is Oregon and Southwest Washington's support directory. 211info is a nonprofit that provides people with "free and easy access to answers they need most".

Tracking the Recovery Act

The link below will display a map that shows the detailed information about Recovery Act spending in Oregon.
MAP

All things Oregon

The Oregon Encyclopedia

The Oregon encyclopedia is an authoritative and FREE resource on all things Oregon, from the expected to the unexpected. All entries are reviewed by experts and checked for accuracy. ~Portland State University