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Exploring the lives of imaginary friends: 5 books for kids & grown-ups

Posted in Explore and Discover, For You, kids, Parents and Teachers on August 5, 2015 at 6:00 am

By Clarissa Fidler Bing Bong, Jacques Papier, Beekle, and Sean Murphy—what could those names possibly have in common? Are they even real? Well, believe it or not, the aforementioned names all belong to imaginary friends you’ll find in current books, TV shows, and movies. Studies report that over a third (37%) of children create an […]

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Easy small-batch homebrewing, part 1: Basic equipment

Posted in Explore and Discover, For You on August 4, 2015 at 6:00 am

By Brian Vander Veen I studied just enough chemistry as an undergraduate to earn a minor in the subject, at least before I made the eleventh-hour change to major in English and thus embarked on the long, circuitous route toward librarianship. But I’ve always loved chemistry—still do. And I certainly appreciate a well-crafted beer. So […]

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Talking to myself: an alternative writing method

Posted in Explore and Discover, For You on July 30, 2015 at 6:00 am

By Kevin J. Anderson Guest Writer If you see a person walking along engaged in a vigorous conversation with no one else around them, it doesn’t necessarily mean he’s escaped from the nearest asylum. It could be me talking to myself. But don’t be concerned, don’t interrupt me, don’t bother me at all—I’m writing. It’s been […]

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Insider tips for writing the perfect cover letter

Posted in Business and Careers, For You on July 29, 2015 at 6:00 am

By Aileen Luppert I have never applied for a job without the help of one of my favorite people—Aunty Eve. I trust her, not only because she is my brilliant aunt, but also because she happens to have one heck of a professional human resources background. Eve has been an HR maven for a slew of […]

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How to plan a last-minute staycation

Posted in Explore and Discover, For You, kids on July 28, 2015 at 6:00 am

By Rachel Edmondson With August only a few days away, the end of summer is coming way too fast. Or, if your kids are driving you crazy with their refrain of “I’m bored,” maybe it’s not coming fast enough! Either way, this is the time of year when I start to feel like summer is […]

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Why my children study a foreign language

Posted in For You, kids, Parents and Teachers on July 23, 2015 at 6:00 am

By Gwendolyn Haley They don’t believe us when we tell them, but our children will thank us for this one day. You see, for the last few years, my husband and I have required our three daughters to study a foreign language; specifically, Mandarin Chinese. Why Chinese? We taught English for 18 months at a university in the People’s […]

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Essential items for cosplayers and costuming enthusiasts

Posted in Explore and Discover, For You, Teens on July 22, 2015 at 6:00 am

By Kelsey Hudson With annual comicons like SpoCon, Lilac City Comicon, Kuronekocon, and Worldcon 2015 all being held in Spokane this summer, there are plenty of opportunities for cosplayers and costuming enthusiasts to share their interests and talent with others. Now I’m kind of a cosplay newbie, but I do enjoy creating costumes and exploring […]

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5 eBooks for comic and cosplay fans

Posted in Explore and Discover, For You, Teens on July 21, 2015 at 6:00 am

By Clarissa Fidler Summer is the season for superheroes. Between the numerous comicons and superhero blockbuster movies, characters like Black Widow, Mad Max, and Ant-Man are front and center. While I thoroughly enjoy Marvel action movies like The Avengers and Iron Man, I admit that I’m a novice when it comes to true superhero knowledge. […]

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Beyond books: discover valuable library resources

Posted in Business and Careers, Explore and Discover, For You on July 16, 2015 at 6:00 am

Libraries offer so much more than books. Our blog team is here to help you discover the many resources available to library members. We recently asked them the following question: What library resource do you wish more members knew about or took advantage of?  Here’s what each of our bloggers had to say: Digital Resources & Apps The di […]

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Written in the stars

Posted in Explore and Discover, For You on July 15, 2015 at 6:00 am

By Jane Baker The old lawn chair isn’t comfortable. My legs always stick to it when I wear shorts and it tilts to the left. But on this unusually warm Fourth of July evening, just minutes before the grand fireworks were about to begin, I was able to lean back and gaze up to a sky full of […]

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