A Universe of Stories...Summer Reading is almost here!

All 14 branches of Whitman County Library are getting geared up for SUMMER READING, which starts June 1! Our theme this year is, "A Universe of Stories"...it's going to be out of this world! We have lots of fun activities and prizes for kids, teens, and adults. 

At our meeting this year, we worked on our cart racing skills, space handwriting, galaxy trivia, and learned about new library resources like Lynda, Mango Languages, and more so we have lots to share with you guys, come see us!

First Thursday - June 6

BE SURE TO SIGN UP FOR SUMMER READING IN FRONT OF THE LIBRARY! ALL AGES

Thank you Athenaeum!

Since 1963, The Athenaeum Club of Colfax has donated books to Whitman County Library as a way of giving back to the community and also, remembering their beloved members who’ve passed. This year the group donated two National Geographic titles, "100 Parks, 5000 Ideas" and "The Complete National Parks of the United States."

For a look at the group’s history as one of the oldest women’s clubs in the state, visit the Whitman County Heritage site at www.whitco.lib.wa.us and enter “Athenaeum.” If you’d like to request the donated books from the library, visit our online catalog or call us toll-free 877-733-3375.

These donations are such a wonderful tradition that has been a huge benefit to our community while honoring so many special women over the years. Thank you!

A presentation of the books at the library. Left to right are Athenaeum member Lynn Bruya,
library staffer Catalina Flores, and members Marilyn Harder & Mae Schultz

All branches of Whitman County Library are closed May 25 - 27 for Memorial Day, but with Libby our downloadable audio & ebooks are available 24/7

HAVE YOU MET LIBBY?

Downloading books from the library has never been easier! 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! 
 

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!

Recommended Reads

LOOKING FOR A GOOD READ?  HERE IS WHAT YOUR LOCAL LIBRARY STAFF IS READING:

Nichole & Rachelle (Colfax) - The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

Another favorite pick for Rachelle

Tia (Endicott) - Home Front by Kristin Hannah

Gina (Colfax) - The Valedictorian of Being Dead by Heather Armstrong

Holly (Colton & Uniontown) - The Dream Daughter by Diane Chamberlain

Sam (Albion) - Harley Merlin Series by Bella Forrest

Hannah (Colfax) - Matchmaking for Beginners by Maddie Dawson

Another favorite pick for Hannah

Marcy (Rosalia) - Distortion by Terry Blackstock

James (Colfax) - The Fast Times of Albert Champion by Peter Joffre Nye

Rita (Farmington) - I’ll Be Your Blue Sky by Marisa De Los Santos

Sarah (Colfax) - Circe by Madeline Miller

Another favorite pick for Sarah

Shirley (Colfax) - All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot 

Tami (LaCrosse) - Educated by Tara Westover

Bev (Palouse) - Where Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

Patti (Colfax) - The Lost Queen by Signe Pike

Elana (Oakesdale) - Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J. Maas

Hillary (Colfax) - The Help by Kathryn Stockett

Kathy B. (Colfax) - The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware

Another favorite pick for Kathy B.

Shelly (Tekoa) - The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown

Kathy C. (Colfax) - Lincoln by David Herbert Donald

Clancy (St. John) - Redemption by David Baldacci

Sarah (Garfield) - Be Fearless by Jean Case

Request a book from our online catalog today!

You are invited to Paint-A-Pot

You are invited to drop in and Paint-A-Pot on Wednesday, May 22 between 12:30 and 6:30 p.m. in the Center at Colfax Library. All ages are welcome for a fun, free spring craft that combines gardening and art.

All paint, designs, stamps, weatherproof glaze, and stencils (for those who aren’t artistically inclined) will be provided courtesy of Friends of the Library, while seeds to plant from our seed library are available too! One pot will be provided, but you are welcome to bring some of your own pots as well.

As an added bonus, Colfax’s new business, A Modern Plantsman, will be open special hours on May 22, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. offering 15% off any plant and free re-potting into your new decorated pot. Located at 105 1/2 E Canyon St., just a short walk from the library.

The Colfax Library is located at 102 S. Main St. Children must be accompanied by an adult. For more information, contact Sarah or Gina at 509-397-4366.

Trivia Night May 30!

The library is hosting Trivia Night at the Colfax Hyde Out on Thursday, May 30 at 6:30 p.m.

Special Category: TV Theme Songs

Having FUN isn't hard when you have a LIBRARY card! 

Answer questions, identify music clips, compete with friends, and see what you know! WIN FREE STUFF! Bring your team of up to 8 people or join one on arrival. Extra points are awarded to team members who present their library card. For more information, contact Sarah Phelan at 397-4366 or sarahp@whitco.lib.wa.us!

Sci-borgs are invading Colfax Library

Sciborgs visit the library on Thursday, May 16 from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.

Grades 1 & up are invited for STEM FUN! Jennings Elementary School kids take bus 8 to the Colfax Library. Whitman County's high school robotics team is here to teach the kids all about robotics. You won't want to miss this event!

Tai Chi starts tomorrow!

Virtual Reality, available at Colfax, LaCrosse & Garfield Libraries!

Virtual Reality available every Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Colfax Library! Adults and teens 13+

Plus Virtual Reality comes to Lacrosse and Garfield Libraries this month too!

Travel to national parks, take a tour through the bloodstream, visit Mars, or see a T-Rex up close all without leaving the library! Oculus Rift Virtual Reality (VR) headset with 14 different 3D experiences makes its way to the Lacrosse and Garfield branches of Whitman County Library this month and is always available on Wednesdays in Colfax.

VR sessions at the Lacrosse Library Monday May 13 11:00 a.m. – 4 p.m. or Thursday May 16 8:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. at the Lacrosse school.  Call 509-549-3770 to make a library appointment or 509-549-3591 to make a school appointment.

VR sessions at Garfield Library Wednesday May 29 10:00 a.m.-2:30 p.m., Thursday May 30 4:00-5:30 p.m., and Friday May 31 3:30-6:00 p.m.  Call the Garfield Library at 509-635-1490 to schedule an appointment.

All participants must be age 13 and up with a signed waiver to experience a 3D adventure.  For additional information visit www.whitco.lib.wa.us.  Virtual Reality programming made possible through Washington State Library “VR in Libraries” project.

Questions? Please contact Nichole Kopp or James Morasch at the Whitman County Library, 509-397-4366 or drop in, 102 S. Main St. in Colfax

Gray Wolves in the Pacific Northwest

Learn about gray wolves in the Pacific Northwest on Monday, May 13 at 6 p.m. at the Colfax Library Center. Presenter Kile Westerman, Wildlife Conflict Specialist from the Department of Fish & Wildlife, will address a variety of topics including wolf identification, management, and wolf/livestock interactions.

The grey wolf is a native to Washington, however it was nearly eradicated in the early 1900s. As of January 2019, the Wildlife Department reported 126 wolves in 27 wolf packs are now inhabiting Washington State.

“Science on the Palouse” series continues on the 2nd Monday of each month with regional experts exploring new topics and issues each month. Sponsored by Whitman Conservation District, these presentations are geared toward adults but youth 10+ are welcome to attend. For more information, contact the Colfax Library at 509-397-4366, Brian Bell at Whitman Conservation District at 509-288-4644, or Kile Westerman at 509-892+1001, ext. 329.

Congratulations to our Spring 2019 Supporters!

March Supporter of the Month: Crossett's

Crossett's Food Store and owner Mike Crossett are an amazing asset to the Oakesdale library and the community. Mike is always willing to help out, and always with a big smile on his face! Andrea Harp of Malden has long supported the library. Andrea was integral in bringing library services to town and continues to help out by donating craft items, assisting with programs and spreading the word about all that is available at the Malden Library.

April Supporter of the Month: Palouse STEAM Coalition

Members of the Palouse STEAM Coalition are dedicated to supporting youth education in Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math, including the coordination of the STEAM supply drive. This drive greatly expanded access to technology equipment, programs & supplies for youth within the Whitman County Library district.

Whitman County Library trustees, Friends, and administrators sponsor the library supporter award to recognize individuals and groups who play a key role in forwarding the library’s activities, improving cultural offerings within our communities, and supplementing a limited budget

Click here for a full list of Whitman County Library supporters

TAKE A HIKE...or go fishing, birding, and more at the library!

Outdoor Activity Backpacks are NOW Available for Checkout! ALL AGES!

Hiking, Birding, & Fishing Backpacks are now available for checkout from Whitman County Library as part of the Bonnie Bell collection. The three outdoor themed backpacks were developed as a way of encouraging participation in outdoor activities and were made possible by donations from Maribeth Kjack, the Whitman County Parks Department and the Tom Bihn Company.

The bird watching backpack contains binoculars and birding books for adults and children.

The fishing backpack includes a fishing pole, tackle box with fishing gear, bait, extra line, first aid kit, and fishing related kid’s books.

The hiking backpack is filled with maps and trail guides of our area, plant and bird watching manuals, children’s books on hiking, a compass, binoculars, and a first aid kit.

Click here to request a backpack today!

For more information on these backpacks, please contact Shirley Cornelius at Whitman County Library (509) 397-4366.

Seed Library Open House in May

Spring is here, which means it’s time to plant your garden (or add to it, if you’ve planted already). The Colfax Library invites you to visit our Seed Library Open House any time during the month of May! We are open 7 days a week, so stop by the library to take a look, pick up seeds, or get your questions answered.

SEED LIBRARY OPEN HOUSE

The seed library is an important community resource, available for free at Colfax Library. We offer vegetable, legume, and fruit seeds. How does it work? Just remember to “borrow, harvest, share!” Residents borrow seeds from the library, plant their garden, and once the crops are harvested they can bring back saved seed to replenish the collection.  

At the open house instructions, staff, and resource binders are available in addition to the seeds. The goal of the Seed Library is to offer healthful produce and plants for pollination to everyone in our community. We hope to see you at our Seed Library Open House this May, happy gardening!

Whitman County Library is open Monday – Wednesday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Thursday & Friday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday & Sunday 1 to 5 p.m. For more information about Whitman County Library’s Seed Library or the Open House, please contact Shirley Cornelius at 509-397-4366.