Media Contact: Leanne Ingle (360) 704-4508, or outside greater Olympia calling area: (877) 284-6237, ext 2508. Email: lingle@trlib.org; TRL Web site: www.trlib.org.

This winter 874 eager readers joined the TRL (Timberland Regional Library) Adult Winter Reading Club and polished off 11,575 volumes. Each January through March since 1998, when Timberland Regional libraries launched the program, readers have been ducking out of the weather and burrowing into easy chairs to read. Participants then turn in lists of the books they’ve read to their local Timberland libraries for chances to win prizes. This year participation was up from last year’s 748 readers and 9,615 books.

All 27 Timberland libraries in Grays Harbor, Lewis, Mason, Pacific and Thurston counties offered the program. Throughout the season most libraries drew winners of locally donated prizes such as gift certificates, books, and "literary lattes". TRL drew districtwide grand prizes at the library system’s administrative center in Tumwater on April 19 (in honor of National Library Week, April 18-24) and contacted winners by the following day. Local businesses and Friends of the Library groups donated all of the prizes.

Overnight stay and homemade breakfast for two at the Tokeland Hotel in Tokeland:

Bob Franzen, Lacey Timberland Library

Overnight stay for two at the Ocean Crest Resort in Moclips:

Diane Evans, North Mason Timberland Library, Belfair

Overnight stay for two at Lake Quinault Lodge on Lake Quinault in the Olympic Peninsula:

Lawrence J. Sullivan, Tenino Timberland Library

Ten Gift Bags. Each bag contains books, a book-on-tape, a travel mug, tea, coffee and hot chocolate. Two winners were drawn from each of Timberland’s five counties. (Audio books donated by Recorded Books, Inc., BBC Audiobooks America, and Books on Tape, Inc. Mugs donated by MIXX 96.1 FM. Beverages donated by Batdorf & Bronson.):

GRAYS HARBOR COUNTY
Kerri Neathery, Montesano Timberland Library (W. H. Abel Memorial Library)
Penny Lutz, Amanda Park Timberland Library

LEWIS COUNTY
Mary Jane Dieter, Salkum Timberland Library
Robert Paugh, Winlock Timberland Library

MASON COUNTY
Linda Zimbeck, North Mason Timberland Library
Charlene Miller, Shelton Timberland Library (William G. Reed Library)

PACIFIC COUNTY
Bonnie Bouck, Raymond Timberland Library
Judy Schultz, South Bend Timberland Library

THURSTON COUNTY
Olive Hull, Lacey Timberland Library
Brenda Hellmann, Tumwater Timberland Library

Timberland Regional Library serves the information, reading and lifelong learning needs of the Grays Harbor, Lewis, Mason, Pacific, and Thurston county public at 27 community libraries and 6 school-based cooperative library centers. For information on any subject, the public can telephone Timberland’s Central Reference Service librarians at 704-INFO (704-4636) from Thurston County, Shelton and Oakville or 1-800-562-6022, toll-free, from all other areas in the district. Or they can "Ask a Librarian" online at www.trlib.org. Anyone needing special accommodations to participate in a library’s program may contact the library 4 days in advance.