Senior Programs at Whitman County Library

For more information contact our senior programs coordinator, Molly Overby at (509) 397-4366 or visit us online to see our upcoming events at www.whitco.lib.wa.us

September First Thursday: HARVEST PARTY!

September 7

Celebrate fall harvest and WIN great prizes from local businesses who'll stay open extra late! Enjoy live music and vendors and games! Sponsored by Colfax Chamber of Commerce.

Seed Library Open House

Join in the fall harvest fun and visit the Whitman County Library's OPEN HOUSE! Learn how a seed library works, how to plant and harvest your own seeds, and join in the gardening excitement! 10am to 6pm at the Colfax Library​

Wylie and the Wild West

The gifted singer, songwriter, rancher, horseman, and the world-famous Yahoo!®yodeler leads the musical outfit known as Wylie & the Wild West. 5pm to 7pm on Spring Street​

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Music and Beer Garden on Spring Street from 5pm to 7pm. Bring your lawn chairs and enjoy our free concerts in downtown Colfax. 

Call Colfax Chamber of Commerce at 553-9729 for details.

Mesmerized by how things work? Science, space, technology? Then these are the books for you!

Inspired by the solar eclipse? Interested in the history of magic? Want to learn why the wheel is round? Check out these scientific, magical, and mechanical books from the Whitman County Library!

The Total Skywatcher’s Manual by Linda Shore

If you loved the solar eclipse why not check out the amazing things you can see at night with this ultimate guide for stargazers, comet-spotters, and planet-seekers. 

Science of the Magical by Matt Kaplan

This book explores the surprising history of magical objects, places and rituals through the compelling scope of human history and cutting edge science. 

Why the Wheel is Round by Steven Vogel

This book provides a unique history of some of humanity’s most useful inventions like wheels, cranks, cranes, carts, and capstans and how they helped moved us through the physical world.

For more information or to learn about future events, stop by any of our fourteen Whitman County Library branches, visit our Events Calendar at www.whitco.lib.wa.us, call us at 509-397-4366, or like us on Facebook.

September 2017 Tech Tuesday Schedule

Technology Tuesdays are tech-driven events available EVERY TUESDAY at the Colfax Library's NEW TEK Center!!!

Sept. 5 @ 12 to 1 pm - Voices of Colfax Documentary  NOW SHOWING! "Voices of Colfax" explores the history of our town. It was created by the Jennings Elementary Community Outreach Committee, the 2016-2017 sixth grade students, and their teachers: Mr. Tim Young and Miss Mollie Kramer. Come enjoy some popcorn while visiting this great documentary!

Sept. 12 @ 3:30 to 4:30 pm - Ozobot Invasion! The Ozobots are coming to the TEK Center! What is an Ozobot? Ozobots are tiny, line-following robots programmed by color. Draw code on paper or command the robot digitally with Ozobot Apps. Kids in fourth and fifth grade are invited explore robotics at this fun STEM program!

Sept. 19 @ 7 to 8 pm - Keeping Kids Safe Online @ JES Kids today will never know a time without technology in their lives - so how do we, as parents, keep them safe online? Parents join Whitman County Teen Librarian, Nichole Kopp, for this informative presentation and discussion on how to protect children and teens online no matter how they access the internet. Topics will include: how to open a dialogue with kids regarding online safety, how to address inappropriate content, ensuring online privacy, dangers of sexting, cyberbullying and more. Please note this program will be held at Jennings Elementary School Library.

Sept. 26 @ 2 to 4 pm - Drop in Tech Help

 Need technology help? It's Drop-in Tech Tuesday! Stop by the TEK Center to get hands on help with basic computer skills, internet, email, Microsoft Imagine Academy, and more! Bring your device and questions to our tech librarian Tuesday, September 26 from 2 to 4 p.m.

Technology driven events to follow every Tuesday at the TEK Center. For more information about Technology Tuesdays, TEK Center, school technology classes or volunteer opportunities, contact Nichole Kopp, Whitman County Library Teen Services Director and TEK Center Coordinator at 509-397-4366.

TEK Center currently provides free WiFi, 8 laptops, projection capabilities, tables, chairs and access to a wide variety of library resources including experienced instructors, educational software, coding kits, Lego learning, online instructional programs and more.

Thank You to the Center for Civic Engagement!

More than 50 staffers from WSU’s Center for Civic Engagement volunteered in Colfax last week, working at Jennings Elementary, the Community Garden, Whitman Rehab, a Main Street Cleanup and at the Library. Sporting “Be the Change” t-shirts, the group gathered for an afternoon training session at Schmuck Park as they prepare to guide student volunteers through the 2017-2018 school year. If you have any questions, you can also contact Jessica Reed Perone (pictured) at (jessica.perone@wsu.edu).

Learn more about Washington State University's Center for Civic Engagement by visiting them online at https://cce.wsu.edu/ 

Learn more about historic downtown Colfax!!

Want to know a more about historic downtown Colfax? Ann Sharley, Senior Architectural Historian and Archaeologist for the company AHA!, will be doing a presentation on the recently completed downtown Colfax Historic Inventory at the Library Center in downtown Colfax on August 30th, 2017 at 6:00 PM. Ann will present her research and an overview of the historic inventory and will also answer questions from the general public.

Please join us at the Center in downtown Colfax to celebrate our fascinating local history and the wonderful collection of historic buildings that comprise our downtown core!

For further information contact Debbie Snell, Colfax Historic Preservation Commission at 509-879-7997 or to  learn more about the Colfax Historic Preservation Commission by clicking here!  

Doggy Dayz at the Colfax Library Tomorrow!!!

Librarian, Sarah, invites you to celebrate National Dog Day at the library. Bring the kids anytime from 1-3 p.m. to read and play with Sarah's favorite canine, Indiana! 

PAWS TO READ!

Saturday, Aug. 26, 1-3 p.m.

A child reading a book or sharing a story with a loveable pooch, what could be cuter? It’s more than just cuteness and dog kisses happening at the Colfax Library on Saturday, August 26. The excitement and anticipation in doing something different is sure to put a smile on any child’s face. Youngsters get a chance to practice their reading skills, build confidence and learn to love the joy of reading.

For details about this or additional programs scheduled throughout the Whitman County Library system, view the Events Calendar at www.whitco.lib.wa.us or call 509-397-4366.

 

Doggy Dayz at the Colfax Library on Saturday, August 26, 1 - 3 p.m. Happy National Dog Day!

Ice Age Floods Coming in September!

Yoga Girls Tomorrow!!!

"Yoga Girls" is coming to the Colfax Library 

Thursday, August 2, 1:30 - 3:30 p.m.!

Girls grade 3-8 are invited to the Colfax Library for Yoga with Suzy McNeilly. Yoga is a great way for girls to develop more mental focus, self esteem, body awareness, and lifelong healthy habits. In this class we will explore the mind-body connection through breath work, take the time to notice the effects of postures on our mood and how awareness can help connect us to who we truly are. We will work on reducing stress in the mind and building

balance, flexibility, and strength in the body.  

After Yoga enjoy a healthy snack and create a self-confidence collage and learn the benefits of journaling! 

Bring a friend, have fun, and go Om!  

Please wear comfortable clothing, shirts should not fall over face when bending over, and bring a water bottle. Class fee $5.00 will be collected at the start of class which includes use of supplies during yoga and creation of self-confidence collage. Register by calling 397-4366.

This Week the Library Recommends...Cookbooks, Cookbooks, & More Cookbooks!

Heirloom Beans by Steve Sando

This fabulous cookbook is filled with great recipes for dips and spread, soup and stews, salads, salsa and more!

The Mayo Clinic Diet by the weight loss experts at Mayo Clinic

Kick start your summer weight loss with this cookbook packed with meal planners, recipes, exercise plans and lots of encouragement. 

The Food Lab by J. Kenji Lopez-Alt

Not just for science geeks, this cookbook will show you how understanding heat, energy and molecules can help you turn your ordinary meals into culinary feasts. 

For more information or to learn about future events, stop by any of our fourteen Whitman County Library branches, visit our Events Calendar at www.whitco.lib.wa.us, like us on facebook, or call 509.397.4366

Photo from "The Food Lab" by J. Kenji Lopez-Alt 

Total Solar Eclipse TODAY!

On Monday, August 21, for the first time in 99 years, a total solar eclipse will march across the entire United States. The total solar eclipse will occur today, between 9 a.m. and 11:45 p.m. with the peak of totality at 10:27 a.m. 

Friends of Whitman County Library are celebrating by hosting a special eclipse book sale extravaganza all day! $3/ bag of books, DVDs, & more!

Besides the sale, Whitman County Library distributed 700 pairs of eclipse viewing glasses while LaCrosse Library, St. John Library, and Tekoa Library are holding Eclipse parties today! Check our Events Calendar at www.whitco.lib.wa.us or call 509-397-4366 for more information!

What Is an Eclipse?

facts courtesy of NASA. Learn more at https://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/k-4/stories/nasa-knows/what-is-an-eclipse-k4

An eclipse (ee-CLIPS) takes place when a planet or moon passes between another planet, moon or the sun. There are two kinds of eclipses. One is an eclipse of the moon, or a lunar eclipse. The other is an eclipse of the sun, or a solar eclipse.

What Is a Solar Eclipse?
Sometimes when the moon orbits Earth, it lines up directly between the sun and Earth. When this happens, the moon blocks the light of the sun. This causes an eclipse of the sun, or a solar eclipse. During a solar eclipse, the moon casts shadows onto Earth.

A solar eclipse happens during the daytime. The daylight grows dim. Sometimes the moon blocks almost all of the sunlight. Then the daytime can look as dark as night during a solar eclipse!

Solar eclipses happen once every 18 months. Solar eclipses only last for a few minutes.

Did You Know? You should NEVER look directly at the sun --not even during an eclipse when the moon blocks the sunlight! A solar eclipse is exciting. But looking at the sun is dangerous. It can damage your eyes.

Tiny Tot Tuesday Aug. 22 @ Schmuck Park!

Author Set to Visit Whitman County Library in November, 2017!

The Everybody Reads 2017 book is "Black River" by S.M. Hulse. The author visits Colfax, Tues. November 7 at noon at the Whitman County Library. Come to listen, ask questions, bring a lunch or reserve lunch for $13 by calling 509-397-4366. Hulse will also be visiting Dahmen Barn in Uniontown on Mon. November 6 at 1 p.m.

Black River by S.M. Hulse 

"A tense Western and an assured debut, Black River tells the story of a man marked by a prison riot as he returns to the town, and the convict, who shaped him." 

     When Wes Carver returns to Black River, he carries two things in the cab of his truck: his wife’s ashes and a letter from the prison parole board. The convict who held him hostage during a riot, twenty years ago, is being considered for release.

     Wes has been away from Black River ever since the riot. He grew up in this small Montana town, encircled by mountains, and, like his father before him and most of the men there, he made his living as a Corrections Officer. A talented, natural fiddler, he found solace and joy in his music. But during that riot Bobby Williams changed everything for Wes — undermining his faith and taking away his ability to play. 

     How can a man who once embodied evil ever come to good? How can he pay for such crimes with anything but his life? As Wes considers his own choices and grieves for all he’s lost, he must decide what he believes and whether he can let Williams walk away.

     With spare prose and stunning detail, S. M. Hulse drops us deep into the heart and darkness of an American town.

Reviews "Black River is such a vivid, compelling debut novel. S. M. Hulse is an astute guide to an implacable western landscape of grief, violence and redemption." —Jess Walter, NYT bestselling author of Beautiful Ruins, The Financial Lives of the Poets, and others
"This powerful, character-driven novel of family, suffering, mistakes, forgiveness, and atonement begs you to put on a classic bluegrass album and savor the very real world that Hulse has captured on the page. This is a new Montana story, a story of the West that eschews romantic imaginings and instead lives in the grit and complexity of the modern West." —Ariana Paliobagis, Country Bookshelf (Bozeman, MT)

"A lovely austerity infuses this story of damage and redemption, and makes it glow. Hulse is a wise and compassionate writer who understands the tricky and heartbreaking borders between principle and rigidity, justice and revenge. Her debut novel is provoking and memorable." —Deirdre McNamer, author of Red Rover and My Russian

Awards

Winner of the 2015 Reading the West Book Award

A 2016 PEN/Hemingway Finalist

An ABA 2015 Indies Introduce Title

An Amazon Best Book of the Month for January 2015

A February 2015 Indie Next List Pick

Long-listed for the 2015 Center for Fiction First Novel Prize

​A 2016 ALA Notable Book

A 2015 Montana Book Award Honor Book
Click here to learn more about the author!

Inspired Palouse Art Exhibit is Now on Display at the Colfax Library Center from Aug. 18 - 26!

Celebrate National Dog Day on Saturday, Aug. 26 at the Whitman County Library!

PAWS TO READ!

Saturday, Aug. 26, 1-3:00 pm

Librarian, Sarah, invites you to celebrate National Dog Day at the library. Bring the kids anytime from 1-3 pm to read and play with Sarah's favorite canine, Indy! 

A child reading a book or sharing a story with a loveable pooch, what could be cuter? It’s more than just cuteness and dog kisses happening at the Colfax Library on Saturday, August 26. The excitement and anticipation in doing something different is sure to put a smile on any child’s face. Youngsters get a chance to practice their reading skills, build confidence and learn to love the joy of reading.

For details about this or additional programs scheduled throughout the Whitman County Library system, view the Events Calendar at www.whitco.lib.wa.us or call 509-397-4366.

Doggy Dayz at the Colfax Library on Saturday, August 26.

Rachelle's Weekly Book Recommendations Are In...and they are AUDIOBOOKS!!!

The Alice Network by Kate Quinn

This audio book tells the fictional tale of a female spy recruited in France, an unconventional American socialite and how they are brought together in amid the chaos of WWI. 

The Pilot’s Wife by Anita Shreve

This fictional audio book, a #1 bestseller and an Oprah Book Club pick, is about a widower who finds out her pilot husband had a secret life all his own. 

Zoo 2 by James Patterson

Zoo was just the beginning!  In this fictional, audio book, sequel the planet is still under siege by ferocious animals but their favorite prey, humans, are evolving.  Who will be the hunter and who will be the hunted? 

Please visit our catalog or see our digital collection on Overdrive to reserve your copy today! You are always welcome to stop by any of our 14 library branches or call us at 509.397.4366

Want to learn Ukulele? Now you can at the Colfax Library!

Yoga Girls at the Colfax Library Aug. 24!

The library re-opens tomorrow, Monday, Aug. 14!!!

In the meantime, Whitman County Library recommends these downloadable audiobooks  from Overdrive! All you need is your library card!

Dead Wake by Erik Larsen

Learn about the sinking of the Lusitania! This EAUDIO can be checked out on any electronic device from Washington Anytime Library. All you need is a library card!

Ice Ghost by Paul Watson

This audiobook tells the true story of the epic hunt for the Franklin Expedition who went missing in the Artic in 1845.

The Lost City of Z by David Grann

This digital book tells the truth about legendary British explorer, Percy Fawcett, who went missing in the Amazon jungle in 1925.

Teen Coding Camp Monday, Aug. 14!

Coding Camp Part 3 @ Colfax Library

Monday, Aug. 14, 1-3PM

Kids age 12 and up join us for Coding Camp Part 3: More Arduino Projects!!  During this 2 hour camp learn to code an LED to send Morse Code messages, code and play a Randomly Influenced Finger Flute, and code to play a song! Space is limited must register to attend, call Colfax Library 397-4366 and leave a message to reserve your spot!

Sponsored by Washington State Library and Institute of Museum and Library Services.For questions or information on future events please visit our events calendar, follow us on facebook, call us at (509) 397-4366, email us at info@whitco.lib.wa.us, or stop by any of our 14 library branches.

We are closed, but our little free library is open!

Little Free Libraries are designed to inspire a love of reading, build community, and spark creativity by fostering neighborhood book exchanges. Residents are encouraged to "take a book and leave a book,"  but individuals may take as many books to read as they like or leave a few of their personal books for others to enjoy. To learn more about the Free Little Libraries nationwide visit littlefreelibrary.org

COLFAX Little Free Library

Location: North Cedar Street

(between highway 195 and the school)

Jan Hansen, called the Little Library builder in Spokane installed Colfax's Little Free Library in November of 2016. We have one door for adult books and one for children's. At times there are even audiobooks or DVDs available. Click here to learn more about Colfax's Little Free Library's design and construction.

All 14 branches of Whitman County Library remain closed until Monday, Aug. 14 but our Little Free Libraries are always open!

Other Little Free Library Locations:

ROSALIA Little Free Library

Location: Legacy Park

PALOUSE Little Free Library

Location: Heritage Park

TEKOA Little Free Library
Location: Ruhl Park

Whitman County Library

Call Us - 509-397-4366

Email Us - info@whitco.lib.wa.us

Visit us - 102 S. Main St. in Colfax

online - www.whitco.lib.wa.us

We have 14 library branch locations:

Albion, Colfax, Colton, Endicott, Farmington, Garfield,

LaCrosse, Malden, Oakesdale, Palouse, Rosalia St. John, Tekoa, & Uniontown