The year’s first Museum after Hours event moves to a different site Thursday: the Vancouver Community Library, 901 C St.
The free First Thursday program, “Labor: The History of Work and Workers in the Pacific Northwest,” runs from 7 to 9 p.m. in the library’s Columbia Room.
Three scholar-authors will participate: Laurie Mercier of Washington State University Vancouver; Erasmo Gamboa of University of Washington; and Sandy Polishuk of Portland.
All other 2014 First Thursday events will be at the Clark County Historical Museum, 1511 Main St. Members can take part for free. The nonmember fee is $4, $3 for seniors and students with ID, $2 for ages 6-18, $10 for families and free for all others.
In conjunction with its “Labor: A Working History” exhibit, the museum will feature Mercier, Gamboa and Polishuk in a book discussion series this spring. Twenty readers in each of three groups will explore regional labor history. An author will be at each panel discussion to provide insights and expertise.
On May 3, the authors will be at a public discussion of the groups’ findings.
Books provided by the Friends of the Vancouver Community Library will be distributed free to discussion group participants at the First Thursday library event. The books are “Mexican Labor and World War II: Braceros in the Pacific Northwest” by Gamboa; “Sticking to the Union: An Oral History of the Life and Times of Julia Ruuttila” by Polishuk; and “Anaconda: Labor, Community and Culture in Montana’s Smelter City” by Mercier.
