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Back-to-School Digital Resources to Help Student Learning Soar

Posted in News, Parents and Teachers on September 30, 2020 at 6:00 am

By Gwendolyn Haley Whether students are going to school in person, online, or a combination of the two, Spokane County Library District is here to support their learning with tools and resources. Students can access a wealth of free resources online within our Digital Library by using their library card. Getting a library card is […]

1000 Books Before Kindergarten Program Fosters Early Literacy Skills

Posted in News, Parents and Teachers on September 24, 2020 at 6:00 am

By Mary Ellen Braks We have an online reading challenge for parents and caregivers of young children. You can track the books you’re reading as your child grows! The 1000 Books Before Kindergarten program is designed to foster early literacy skills during the time period in a child’s development where the brain develops most rapidly. […]

Tags: books, reading

15 trivia questions for Banned Books Week

Posted in Explore and Discover on September 23, 2020 at 6:00 am

BY ABRA COLE Banned Books Week is next week, September 27–October 3. So, usually at this time of year, I would be working on a banned books display for the Teens section at the Spokane Valley Library. It is one of my most favorite displays to put together, not just because it is such an […]

Tags: adults, ALA, banned books, books, reading, teens, trivia

Not too young to talk about race and social justice: Library programs and other resources for starting the discussion

Posted in News, Parents and Teachers, Teens on September 10, 2020 at 6:00 am

BY MOLLY MOORE In the video and slide presentation How Kids Learn About Race put together by EmbraceRace, they show that children learn about race from a variety of sources. This means that, whether we are prepared to discuss race or not, children of all ages are receiving messages from everywhere around them. Children, even […]

The importance of diaries, memoirs, and autobiographies for our empathy and history

Posted in Explore and Discover, Uncategorized on August 26, 2020 at 6:00 am

BY CAITLIN WHEELER I had wanted to be a diarist as a child, but having grown up on Dear America and Royal Diaries, I felt like my 90s school bus experiences weren’t interesting enough. I have since realized that my attitude about my journal writing continued into adulthood, and yet I’ve also considered sharing with […]

OverDrive features to enhance your digital reading experience

Posted in Explore and Discover, News on August 24, 2020 at 6:00 am

By Cheryl Zobel, Diane Brown & Erin Dodge If you enjoy reading eBooks or listening to audiobooks, then you are probably already a big fan of OverDrive. There are many titles available—over 90,000! So if you are looking for your next great read, it is highly likely you’ll find something in our digital collection at […]

A peek into EnviroKids’ Club: Q&A with two partner agencies

Posted in Explore and Discover on August 19, 2020 at 6:00 am

By Erin Dodge Next week, we’re hosting three EnviroKids’ Club programs (sign up before they fill up!), each showing kids and their families different ways that they can champion the environment and take action to make changes at home and in their neighborhoods. In case you missed the announcement, here are those three programs: EnviroKids’ […]

Books & cocktail mixes: Find your perfect pairing

Posted in Explore and Discover on August 14, 2020 at 6:00 am

By Melissa Rhoades Recently, The New York Times published an article declaring the return of cocktail hour. I, for one, am celebrating. Mixed drinks can be enjoyed with or without a buzz. Those who choose to not imbibe alcohol can still find plenty to get shaken and stirred about. I’ve noted books that include non-alcoholic […]

Job seekers find help with new enhancements from Testing & Education Reference Center

Posted in Business and Careers, Explore and Discover, News on August 5, 2020 at 6:00 am

By Crystal Miller If you are on the hunt for a new job, sprucing up your resume, or looking for tools to help you explore a career change, the resources in our Digital Library can help you find the success you’re looking for. You probably already know about the digital resource JobNow and its features […]