Posted in Explore and Discover on April 5, 2023 at 6:00 am
By Melissa Rhoades Since 1996, April has been designated as National Poetry Month to recognize and honor this long-lived and varied artform. Poems can be emotional expressions, political statements, a spiritual practice, a way to convey narrative, a whimsical play with language, and many other things. Likewise, poems can fulfill specific rhythms, s […]
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Tags: National Poetry Month, poetry, publishing, reading, writing
Posted in Parents and Teachers on January 24, 2023 at 6:00 am
By Melissa Rhoades Historic atrocities can feel like they’re not related to our lives today. But historic events were shaped and experienced by regular people like you and me. And regular people like you and me are shaping the future right now. As author Deborah Hopkinson writes in We Must Not Forget, “… it’s up […]
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Tags: books, difficult topics, holocaust, International Holocaust Remembrance Day, kids, parents, racism, reading, talking
Posted in Explore and Discover on November 9, 2022 at 6:00 am
By Melissa Rhoades & Dana Mannino Would you like this year’s Thanksgiving celebration to make your guests feel uplifted, connected, and hopeful? If so, you can participate in The Great Thanksgiving Listen, created by StoryCorps. Each Thanksgiving, StoryCorps encourages us to sit down with an elder, mentor, family member, friend, or someone we […]
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Tags: adults, community, family, food, friends, HeritageQuest, kids, oral history, Project Memory, resources, storycorps, teens, tips, tweens
Posted in Explore and Discover on September 30, 2022 at 6:00 am
October’s cooling weather and crisping leaves offer the perfect excuse to transition to indoor activities—like curling up with a steaming beverage and a substantial book. Perhaps that’s why reading Victorian literature in October has become a recent tradition for some and with its own hashtag: #Victober. […]
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Tags: #Victober, adults, booklists, books, nonfiction, reading, teens, Victorian, Victorian literature
Posted in Explore and Discover on August 2, 2022 at 6:00 am
By Melissa Rhoades This summer’s reading challenge dares us to “Read Beyond the Beaten Path.” Reading stories by international authors is a wonderful way to do that. International fiction—also called foreign fiction—allows us to not only imagine the sights, smells, and sounds of other landscapes but also gain exposure to diverse customs, […]
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Tags: adults, booklists, books, fiction, foreign, international, international literature, reading, Summer reading, world literature
Posted in Parents and Teachers on May 4, 2022 at 6:00 am
Presenting storytimes again also gives me the perfect excuse to explore the new picture books added to our collection. Believe it or not, we’ve purchased over 650 picture books between January 2021 and April 2022. That’s a pretty hefty amount for one person to peruse! Here are eight new picture books that provide a great introduction to stories […]
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Tags: adults, booklists, books, caregivers, family, kids, parents, picture books, reading, rhymes, rhyming, stories, story time, teachers
Posted in Explore and Discover on March 8, 2022 at 6:00 am
International Women’s Day takes place each year on March 8 to acknowledge women’s social, economic, cultural, and political achievements in the face of historical disadvantages. It’s also a day to advocate for women’s rights worldwide. I’m normally a fiction reader, so I’ve decided to celebrate International Women’s Day this year by e […]
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Tags: adults, books, current affairs, history, international women's day, kids, reading, teens, tweens, women's history month
Posted in Explore and Discover on December 29, 2021 at 6:00 am
“You can't use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have,” Maya Angelou said in an interview. From my experience, this is absolutely true. This means that including creative goals in your New Year’s resolutions could lead to a more productive and inspirational 2022. Our libraries offer plenty of ways to help with creative goals, incl […]
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Tags: adults, art, art show, books, crafts, creative, creativebug, creativity, creators, digital library, hobbies and crafts reference center, kids, Library of Things, LinkedIn Learning, local, resources, Spokane Creators
Posted in Explore and Discover on November 23, 2021 at 6:00 am
Leisure readers, students, and people engaged in professional literature research will find quick searches to quality information (without advertisements getting in the way) when using Gale Literature: Litfinder. Litfinder is found in our Digital Library and is a fantastic tool for lovers of contemporary and classic literature from around the world […]
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Tags: adults, digital library, digital resource, full text, Gale, literature, Litfinder, plays, poetry, reading, research, stories, teens
Posted in Explore and Discover on September 10, 2021 at 6:00 am
Whether you’re planning an actual trip or simply want to travel in your imagination, you’ll find exciting places to add to your literary travel itinerary in this post! Discover some of the oldest, most beautiful, and most unusual libraries and literary landmarks in Asia, Africa, Continental Europe, and Latin America. […]
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Tags: abroad, books, destinations, guides, international, libraries, literary destinations, literature, planning, travel
