Explore and Discover

Learn a new language from home with our digital resources

Posted on April 29, 2020 at 6:00 am

By Dana Mannino Use of language learning apps is on the rise! Who would have guessed that being stuck at home would make so many people want to learn a new language? As a bilingual librarian, I am delighted. This means that many more people will be interested in celebrating this week’s library holiday, Día […]

Feel good videos that bring smiles and laughter

Posted on April 22, 2020 at 6:00 am

By Rachel Edmondson Sometimes my family needs something to brighten our day. Every once in a while the news channels sprinkle in a human interest story or a funny video into the more stark news that makes me feel better about the world. Social media is more of the same, with every other post about […]

DIY Earth Day outdoor and indoor celebrations

Posted on April 15, 2020 at 6:00 am

By Abra Cole Earth Day is next week. Our celebrations of planet Earth might be a little more DIY this year, instead of joining with others. You might get out in your yard and enjoy some dirt or take a walk around the neighborhood on a bear hunt, while social distancing, or enjoy a virtual […]

Digging for accuracy: How information literacy helps you uncover the facts

Posted on April 14, 2020 at 6:00 am

BY CRYSTAL MILLER In the digital age, we are bombarded with news articles, ads, and memes—all trying to convey some kind of information. Deciphering which pieces of news are legitimate and unbiased takes some skills that we can all learn. These skills are especially important right now, as we are being inundated with news, possible […]

Ask for a story: An idea for staying connected over the distance

Posted on April 8, 2020 at 6:00 am

By Dana Mannino During this time of social distancing, we’ve all been urged to check in with people—especially people from an older generation who have to shelter in place much more drastically. I hope that all of you have taken this to heart and called your loved ones. I’m a list maker as well as […]

Become a fiction frequent flyer with short stories

Posted on March 25, 2020 at 6:00 am

By Melissa Rhoades As a novel enthusiast, I love returning to the same characters, settings, and writing styles for days or weeks at a time. It feels like taking an extended vacation. Short stories, in comparison, can feel like weekend getaways that end too soon. But Neil Gaiman has pointed out the positive side of […]

A post-Valentine’s Day booklist

Posted on February 26, 2020 at 6:00 am

By Rachel Underwood Another Valentine’s Day has come and gone. Like me, you’ve probably been inundated with images of fresh, happy, young couples and the candy they gleefully devour together. Maybe you were single this Valentine’s Day and had a fun night with friends; maybe your cat decided that a mid-dinner-date hairball expulsion was a […]

Tags: adults, booklist, books, love, nature, owl, reading, vampires

Bright shining sounds (Part 1): A social justice playlist

Posted on February 19, 2020 at 6:00 am

By Susan Goertz I don’t remember when I first fell in love with music. Maybe while being soothed by my mother’s susurrations as she gently rocked me into the world. Or maybe it was the chickadees and blackbirds trilling from the meadow adjacent to our back yard. It could have been the first time the […]

Glowforge 3D laser printer offers a different way to create

Posted on February 5, 2020 at 6:00 am

By Abra Cole If you’ve visited the North Spokane Library in 2019, you may have noticed the scent of burning wood. Or, maybe you noticed machine that is over 3 feet wide and 1 1/2 feet deep back in The Lab doing… something. That’s the District’s Glowforge 3D laser printer. And it is one of […]

Answering the question: “What does it take to be a librarian?”

Posted on January 29, 2020 at 6:00 am

By Dana Mannino As I have shared before, being a librarian is pretty awesome. So it’s no wonder that I am often asked, “What does it take to be a librarian?” Of course, I treat this as a serious reference question and immediately launch into a technical description of the degrees and experience that we […]