POULSBO — Using old newspapers, oral interviews, files, records and creamy, colored antique photographs the Friends of Poulsbo History is piecing together a tome on the city’s past.

But they’re looking to the present for a little help as well.

The committee is tapping into the artistic skills Poulsbo has to offer in hopes of finding just the right cover for the book. The publication is planned for a summer 2009 release; it’s been named but that name is still under wraps, said project volunteer Soon Hood.

“We’re not sure what kind of a response we’re going to get. We just thought we could be pleasantly surprised by something. There’s so much talent out there,” she said.

Area artists are invited to submit scans or photographs of their artwork, including original graphic design, painting, drawing, photography or collage. Emphasis should be placed on the colorful history, culture and community of Poulsbo, though the design can be historical or contemporary in nature, or a combination of both.

“We just wanted to see how this inspired people,” Hood said.

Plenty have already been inspired to dig through the annals of Poulsbo’s past and find stories not yet discovered. Compiler Judy Driscoll said 10 committee members have been conducting various forms of research, sometimes putting in eight-hour days to have the project completed by next year.

“You just kind of live and breathe it for a while,” she said.

She was knee-deep in the project Wednesday afternoon, as she gathered a few photos and some journal entries from family members of Jan Ness Erickson, who’s contributed 300 photo scans to the effort from her mother’s collection. Tales of Poulsbo’s fire department and the Rindal and Ness Feedstore were found.

Driscoll said the first quarter of the book is nearly complete, and research should be finished by the end of October. She said the book will be a tangible link to untold stories in Poulsbo’s past. One such story, that of the Shintani family, is an account she’s trying to vet out. The family lived on a house boat in Liberty Bay, and so far she’s found Japanese internment camp records and an obituary. She’d like to know more.

“It’s a story that really hasn’t been told in Poulsbo,” she said.

The book is currently being pre-sold for $65; after publication it will cost $75. A leather-bound, limited edition will be available for $150.

To learn more about the book, including ordering information, call The Book Stop at (360) 779-9773 or visit www.poulsbobookstop.com. To submit art work, mail hard copies to The Book Stop, Cover Design Contest, P.O. Box 1823, Poulsbo, WA 98370. Submit electronic files to info@poulsbobookstop.com.