NEW Lineup of Yoga Classes for March PLUS Happy Hour Yoga

Improve flexibility, focus, and fitness with instructors, Suzy McNeilly & Aubrey Aguilar! 

Happy Hour Yoga - Thursday, March 8, 6 to 7 pm 
"Release tight fascia, hamstrings, hips, and backs while enjoying a much needed tonic of refreshments and chocolates to further relax and soothe your soul." Sign up today! 

YinVasa Yoga with Suzy McNeilly - Tuesdays, 6 to 7 pm 
End your day feeling calm and grounded. This class is designed to open connective tissue surrounding muscles and joints to increase circulation and help you become more present. Cost is $10 per class. Punch cards available for purchase



*FREE* Kundalini Yoga with Aubrey Aguilar - Wednesdays, 6 to 7:30 pm
Join Aubrey for an uplifting evening of spiritual and physical awareness. The goal of this class is to build physical vitality and increase consciousness. Suitable for all fitness levels. Classes will remain free only for the month of March.


Flex & Flow Yoga with Suzy McNeilly - Thursdays, 12:05 to 12:55 pm 
Poses focus on foundation, alignment, and breath; while building strength and flexibility. This class introduces Sun Salutations, joint opening, meditation, and relaxation. Suitable for all levels with modifications offered. Cost is $10 per class. Punch cards available for purchase

For more information, contact Suzy McNeilly at 397-4709. Aubrey Aguilar at 553-3752, or the Colfax Library at 397-4366.

Picnic in Style - Get your tickets today!

Celebrate Black History Month

February is Black History Month! Check out the library's extensive collection of novels, short stories, poetry, large print, children's books, audio & eBooks written by Black authors or focused on African American History with titles such as... 

Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northrup  This is the true story of a black man born free in the North who was tricked, kidnapped, and sold into slavery in the South. Northrup, a skilled violinist living in Saratoga, New York, accepted a temporary job as a musician. While traveling, he awoke one morning drugged and bound in a cell. What followed was twelve years of bondage during which Northup experienced the gamut of both kindness and cruelty afforded to slaves in the Southern United States just prior to the Civil War. 


Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward  Jojo is thirteen-years-old and trying to understand what it means to be a man. His mother is in constant conflict with herself and those around her - she wants to be a better mother, but cannot overcome her drug use. When the children’s father is released from prison, she packs her kids and drives north to the heart of Mississippi and Parchman Farm, the State Penitentiary. At Parchman, there is another boy, the ghost of a dead inmate who carries all of the ugly history of the South with him in his wandering.

Precious: Based on the Novel PUSH by Sapphire  Relentless, remorseless, and inspirational, this "horrific, hope-filled story" is certain to haunt a generation of readers. Precious Jones, sixteen-years-old and pregnant by her father with her second child, meets a determined and radical teacher who takes her on a journey of transformation and redemption.




Born a Crime by Trevor Noah  Trevor Noah’s unlikely path from apartheid South Africa to the desk of The Daily Show began with a criminal act: his birth. Trevor was born to a white Swiss father and a black Xhosa mother at a time when such a union was punishable by five years in prison. Living proof of his parents’ indiscretion, Trevor was kept mostly indoors for the earliest years of his life, bound by the extreme measures his mother took to hide him from a government that could, at any moment, steal him away. Finally liberated by the end of South Africa’s tyrannical white rule, Trevor and his mother set forth on a grand adventure, living openly and embracing the opportunities won by a centuries-long struggle.

Click here to request a book today! 

THANK YOU for supporting the library!

On behalf of all of us at Whitman County Library, I want to express our sincere appreciation to local voters for restoring the library’s tax levy rate. I also want to thank the many businesses and individuals who’ve donated and volunteered over the years. We are honored to serve you from 14 countywide locations, online and through outreach programming but it definitely wouldn’t be possible without generous supporters like you.

Thank you for helping WCL make a positive difference in our communities and in the lives of the people we serve.

Sincerely,

Kristie Kirkpatrick, Whitman County Library Director, and Staff

Making Technology Work for Your Business! Colfax Center Tuesday, Feb. 27, 6-7 PM

Making Technology Work for Your Business, two interactive sessions with Jim Kusznir added to Whitman County Library’s Tech Tuesday programming.  Jim Kusnir, owner of Colfax Computer and Colfax Phone, will discuss a variety of issues and questions business owners are facing when trying to match technology and services to their business needs.

Jim has worked in the Internet and networking field since 1994 and in 2014 founded Palouse technology Services in Pullman where he brought his high tech expertise to small businesses.  As a business consultant Jim often finds that the technology and services in use by a business do not closely match their operations. 

Plan to attend the following free sessions to understand available technology and get your questions answered (content will be tailored to the interests of the attendees). Both sessions take place at the Colfax Library in The TEK Center from 6-7pm.


Tuesday, February 27th Session 1 will cover:

• Internet (Wi-Fi and networking), phones (VoIP, phone systems, call centers, and converged telecommunications), disaster planning and recovery

March 6th Session 2 will cover:

• Cloud services, merchant accounts (PoS systems and more), multi-site and remote worker configurations

For additional information on this Tech Tuesday program and a complete schedule of technology classes at the Colfax library visit Whitman County Library’s Events Calendar or call 397-4366.

NEW audio & ebooks available on Libby and OverDrive!

As Bright as Heaven by Susan Meissner From the acclaimed author of Secrets of a Charmed Life and A Bridge Across the Ocean comes a new novel set in Philadelphia during the Spanish flu epidemic of 1918, which tells the story of a family reborn through loss and love.





Force of Nature by Jane Harper (#2 of Aaron Falk) Five women go on a hike. Only four return. How well do you really know the people you work with? When five colleagues are forced to go on a corporate retreat in the wilderness, they reluctantly pick up their backpacks and start down the muddy path. But one of the women doesn’t come out of the woods. And each of her companions tells a slightly different story.


The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah Alaska, 1974. Unpredictable. Unforgiving. Untamed. For a family in crisis, the ultimate test of survival. Ernt Allbright, a former POW, comes home from the Vietnam war a changed and volatile man. When he loses yet another job, he makes an impulsive decision: he will move his family north, to Alaska, where they will live off the grid in America’s last true frontier.


The Line Becomes a River: Dispatches from the Border  by Francis Cantú "A beautiful, fiercely honest, and deeply empathetic look at those who police the border and the migrants who cross it." For Francisco, the border is in the blood: his mother, a park ranger and daughter of a Mexican immigrant, raised him in the scrublands of the Southwest. Haunted by the landscape of his youth, Cantú joins the Border Patrol. He is posted to remote regions crisscrossed by drug routes and smuggling corridors, where they learn to track other humans under blistering sun and through frigid nights. They haul in the dead and deliver to detention those they find alive. Cantú tries not to think where the stories go from there.

Click here to visit Libby, Overdrive, or our online catalog

FOOD FOR FINES DRIVE!

Get that library fine off your chest and do a good deed at the same time. It’s Food for Fines time at Whitman County Library. The eighteenth annual Food for Fines drive begins Thursday, Feb.1, and continues through Wednesday, Feb. 28, at all 14 library branches. This highly successful program allows library patrons to bring nonperishable food and toiletry items into any branch of Whitman County Library during regular open hours, and waive up to $10 in outstanding library fines. Those who visit the library and do not have fines are also encouraged to make a contribution. All items will be given to the food bank used in the community where they were collected.

Last year, Whitman County Library collected nearly $800 worth of nonperishable food and toiletry items.

Many of the food bank clients receive large heating bills in February and it is wonderful that the library’s food drive allows local agencies to put something extra in their grocery box. Nonperishable food and toiletry items may be donated at library branches in Albion, Colfax, Colton, Endicott, Farmington, Garfield, LaCrosse, Malden, Oakesdale, Palouse, Rosalia, St. John, Tekoa and Uniontown.

Those patrons whose accounts have been sent to collection do not qualify for this waiver.  For further details, contact the Colfax library branch, 397-4366 or toll-free at 1-877-733-3375.

Happy President's Day!

All 14 branches of Whitman County Library are closed February 19 in for President's Day.

Access to the library’s catalog, downloadable audio and eBooks, and other online resources including Rural Heritage are available by visiting our website at www.whitco.lib.wa.us

Wintertime Wonderful Scrapbook Retreat

Scrapbooking enthusiasts are encouraged to register for the Wintertime Wonder Scrapbook Retreat hosted by Tricia Harwood on Friday, Feb. 23 & Saturday, Feb. 24 at the Library. Cost is just $10 for one or both days. Please register by Feb. 20.

Scrapbooking Retreat February 23 & 24

Friday’s retreat runs from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. with dinner included. Saturday runs from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. with participants encouraged to bring a brown bag lunch and beverages. For both days, participants should bring snacks, beverages and their personal projects, including personal photos, tools, paper, supplies, and a laptop if desired. Topics will include photo-organization, album planning and design, journaling, card making, and more.

For additional information or to register, please contact Tricia Harwood at (509) 592-0927 or via email at harwoodbetty@gmail.com

Go on a "Blind Date with a Book" and be entered to WIN a free meal for two at Top Notch Cafe!

How to go on blind date with a book:

1. Read the hints on each book tag
2. Choose your favorite
3. Check out, unwrap, and ENJOY!

For the month of February, Whitman County Library invites you to take a Blind Date with a Book and possibly win a free meal for two from the Top Notch Café. Simply stop in the Colfax library, read the descriptive tags, select the book of your dreams and take it home to enjoy. Your chance at the fabulous dinner comes by filling out the “Rate your Date” card and returning it to the library by March 1, when a winner will be drawn.

Please contact Sarah Phelan at (509) 397-4366 for details or questions on Colfax Library's Blind Date with a Book Contest.

Trivia Night in Colfax TONIGHT!

Whitman County Trivia Night
Come down to the Hyde Out Thursday, Feb. 15, 6:30 p.m.

*Special Valentine's Day Category*

Bring your team, compete with friends, test your knowledge, & WIN!!! Remember your library card for a bonus point!!!

Congratulations to our February Champions!

St. John Winners: 1st Place - Drunken Methodists, 2nd Place - Cupid's Arrows

Rosalia Winners: 1st Place - The Old Shirts, 2nd Place - MMFF Crew

Have your Own Trivia night! Click here to learn more.

For more information, contact: Sarah Phelan at 509-397-4366 or sarahp@whitco.lib.wa.us

For a complete list of events and programs happening in all fourteen Whitman County Library branches, visit the Whitman County Library website or our events calendar, Blog, Facebook, Twitter,  or call the library at 397-4366 or 877-733-3375 toll-free.  

Looking for a love story?

Nights in Rodanthe by Nicholas Sparks From the #1 New York Times bestselling author, comes a tender story of hope and joy; of sacrifice and forgiveness -- a moving reminder that love is possible at any age, at any time, and often comes when we least expect it.

Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari combines humor and cutting-edge social science. A hilarious, thoughtful, and in-depth exploration of the pleasures and perils of modern romance from one of this generation’s sharpest comedic voices

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes is a love story for this generation. The story brings to life two people who couldn’t have less in common—a heartbreakingly romantic novel that asks, What do you do when making the person you love happy also means breaking your own heart?

Slumdog Millionaire by Vikas Swarup is a beguiling tale of perseverance and love. We begin in Mumbai -- where poor, uneducated, and orphaned Ram Muhammad Thomas is being held in a cell and tortured after answering every question correctly on India's "Who Will Win a Billion?" The story unfolds, question by question, with glimpses into the squalor and glory of life in the slums.
Click here to request a book today!

Happy Hour Yoga TONIGHT!

Happy Hour Yoga Tuesday, Feb. 13, 6-7 pm

Instuctor, Suzy McNeilly invites you to celebrate Fat Tuesday with  "Happy Hour Yoga" Tuesday, February 13 at 6 - 7 p.m. in the Colfax Library's Meeting Room. "Release tight fascia, hamstrings, hips, and backs while enjoying a much needed tonic of refreshments and chocolates to further relax and soothe your soul." Class is $15. Sign up today! 

Contact instructor, Suzy McNeilly at (509) 397-4709 or WCL at (509) 397-4366. 

February 2018 Tech Tuesday Schedule

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.

International Day of Women & Girls in Science

Recommended reads guaranteed to spark curiosity and inspire! Click here to read about this worldwide celebration.

"Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly - The untold story of the Black women mathematicians who helped win the space race.

"Florence Nightingale" by Catherine Reel - The courageous life of the legendary nurse.

"I am Malala" by Malala Yousafzai - The girl who stood up for education and was shot by the Taliban.

"Women in Science" by Rachel Ignotofsky - Beautifully illustrated, 50 fearless female pioneers who changed the world.

"Alone in Antarctica" by Felicity Aston - The true story of a physicist and meteorologist, who took two months off from all human contact and became the 1st woman and 3rd person in history to solo ski across the entire continent of Antarctica.

"The other Einstein" by Marie Benedict - This is the story of Mileva Maric, the brilliant physicist and Albert Einstein's fascinating first wife. 

Request a title from the library today!

Cat Science with Anya & Boomer, the African Serval on February 15!

Contact Sheri Miller at (509) 397-4366 with questions about this or any children's program.

WCL Trivia Nights in February

Bring your team, test your knowledge, and WIN fabulous prizes!

WCL Trivia Nights are the most fun you can have while learning! 

Bring your team of up to 8 individuals or join one upon arrival. Extra points will be awarded for teams that bring their library cards! Answer questions, enjoy friendly competition, and see what you know! All donations go to  local library programs. For more information, contact our Trivia Coordinator, Sarah Phelan, at 397-4366 or sarahp@whitco.lib.wa.us

Upcoming WCL Trivia Nights:

*Special Valentine's Category* 

Thursday, Feb. 8, 6:30 p.m.
@ St. John Rialto 

Thursday, Feb. 10, 7 p.m.

@ Rosalia Brass Rail 

Thursday, Feb. 15, 6:30 p.m.

@ Colfax Hyde Out 

FREE ZUMBA!

Whitman County Library Fitness Classes

Whether your goals are to get in better shape, improve flexibility, balance, and coordination, or you simply want to improve your overall health & happiness...just head down to Whitman County Library!

FREE Zumba - Thursday Feb. 8, 6-7 PM

Join certified Zumba instructor, Jenna Miller for a cardio workout similar to dance aerobics but without the complicated step routines.  Zumba, a Latin-inspired workout, combines simple to follow step movements with Latin rhythms and offers an exciting hour of calorie-burning, body energizing fun. This FREE class will be held in The Center.

Boot Camp - Mondays & Wednesdays, 6-7 PM

Fitness instructor, Carissa Little, will whip you back into shape with fast results! High intensity workouts focused on cardio, muscle building, and coordination. Please bring hand weights, a yoga mat and water!  For more information or to register, please contact Carissa Little at purefitpersonaltraining@gmail.com

***Ask about Wednesdays FREE sessions***

Fit & Fun - Mondays & Wednesdays, 10-11 AM Low impact, gentle aerobic exercise with old time dance moves that improve mobility and balance. Instructor, Nancy Stanard invites you to try your first class free!

YinVasa Yoga - Tuesdays, 6-7 PM End your day feeling calm and grounded designed to open the connective tissue that surround the muscles and joints, to increase circulation, and to help you become more present.

Flex & Flow - Thursdays, 12:05 - 12:55 PM Flex & Flow is suitable for all levels. Poses focus on foundation, alignment, and breath; while building strength, flexibility, and focus. Modifications are offered to personalize your practice.

WCL Fitness classes vary in price from ~$5 to $10 per class, with punch cards and other incentives available. Exercise classes at the library are currently free to Whitman County seniors 65+ thanks to a local donor. For more information about Yoga contact Suzy McNeilly (509) 397-4709, email Carissa Little at purefitpersonaltraining@gmail.com about Boot Camp, or call Nancy Stanard at (509) 288 -1117 if you are interested in Fit & Fun. View our complete list of events or call (509) 397-4366.

Intro to Self Publishing in the Center at Colfax Library
Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2-4 p.m.
Have you written a book, or are you thinking of writing one but don't know the next step? Learn how to self-publish from Kat Brooks, one of the industry's top authorities, on Wednesday, February 7 from 2-4 p.m. in the Center (adjacent to the Colfax Library). This 2-hour class will cover everything from producing a quality book to becoming a published author. Also, learn how to avoid getting scammed by predatory publishers and maintain control over your finished product.


Cost is only $9 for a one day workshop. To register, please call Spokane Community College at (509) 279-6030 or online at https://sccel.spokane.edu/ACT-2.aspx, or visit any of the 14 branches of Whitman County Library to register.

Meet the Book of your Dreams!

How to go on blind date with a book:

1. Read the hints on each book tag
2. Choose your favorite
3. Check out, unwrap, and ENJOY!

 Ruth Enos, local fiction lover, chooses her blind date at the Colfax Library

For the month of February, Whitman County Library invites you to take a Blind Date with a Book and possibly win a free meal for two from the Top Notch Café. Simply stop in the Colfax library, read the descriptive tags, select the book of your dreams and take it home to enjoy. Your chance at the fabulous dinner comes by filling out the “Rate your Date” card and returning it to the library by March 1, when a winner will be drawn.

Any guesses on what this book title may be?

Please contact Sarah Phelan at (509) 397-4366 for details or questions on Colfax Library's Blind Date with a Book Contest.

   Pete Koerner, owner and head chef at the Top Notch sponsors
Blind Date with a Book Grand Prize

TECH CARNIVAL + PG MOVIE AT THE COLFAX LIBRARY!

Have You Met Libby?

Downloading books from the library has never been easier thanks to Libby! Whitman County Library cardholders can borrow bestselling titles and classic novels free of charge on their smartphone or tablet! Simply download the Libby or Overdrive App from your app store, find your library, enter your card number, and then start browsing your favorite titles and authors! Libby offers thousands of audio & ebooks at your fingertips! 

What are you e-reading?

Start reading (or listening) with Libby today!

• No late fees! eBooks return themselves
• Bestsellers delivered right to your hands
• Read anytime, anywhere
• Improve your daily commute

Want to try eBooks? No device? No problem!

Did you know you can checkout an eReader from the Library? All you need is your library card number to access thousands of audio and eBooks! WCL now offers our community 4 Dragon Touch tablets for three week checkouts! Request an eReader today!

It's Food for Fines Time!

Get that library fine off your chest and do a good deed at the same time! This year marks the 18th annual Food for Fines Drive at all 14 library branches during February! 

This highly successful program allows patrons to bring nonperishable food and toiletry items to any library branch and waive up to $10 in outstanding library fines. Everyone is encouraged to make a contribution, fines or not! All items will be given to the food bank used in the community where they were donated.