It's Food For Fines Time at the Library!

Get that library fine off your chest and do a good deed at the same time

The 20th annual Food for Fines drive begins Saturday, Feb.1 and continues through Saturday, Feb. 29, at all 14 library branches. This highly successful program allows library patrons to bring nonperishable food, paper goods, 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.

Those patrons whose accounts have been sent to collection do not qualify for this waiver. For further details, contact the Colfax Library at (509) 397-4366 or toll-free at (877) 733-3375.

Tax Information & Resources from Your Library

Looking for assistance with your taxes? Whitman County Library provides links to helpful resources, computers to access to the Internal Revenue Service website, printing capability, and a spattering of forms made available through the IRS.

For this filing season, the IRS will only provide the library with Forms 1040 and 1040-SR, along with related schedules and instructions. These should arrive to all libraries by the end of January. All other forms must be obtained through the IRS website.

Online filing is currently underway but the IRS will not process any returns before January 27. For a list of locations to receive tax assistance and other resources you can visit https://irs.treasury.gov/freetaxprep/ or call 800-829-1040.

The Pullman Senior Center is also providing assistance on Thursdays from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. from the AARP Foundation. For more information, call 208-882-5406. For a helpful list of tax resources, click here or contact the Colfax Library at 509-397-4366.

It's Almost Galentine's Day!

Looking for a fun ladies night out?  Join us during First Thursday, February 6 for Gal-entine’s Day at The Center in the Colfax Library. 

Ladies bring a friend or two at 6:30 p.m. to enjoy an evening of Valentine’s Day crafting, food, beverages and fun!  A $5 fee includes all supplies.

Tai Chi Health Classes in Colfax & St. John

Tai Chi for Health is being offered from January 28 - May 12 by the Therapy Services staff at Whitman Hospital and Medical Center. The class is provided on Tuesdays from 11 to 11:45 a.m. at the Colfax Library and from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at Moments Spa in St. John. Classes are being offered at no cost thanks to a generous grant from the Lewis-Clark Valley Healthcare Foundation.

Stay active this winter by working on balance, strength, and flexibility with Tai Chi!

What is Tai Chi? Tai Chi is one of the most effective exercises for health of mind and body. Although an art with great depth of knowledge and skill, it can be easy to learn and soon delivers its health benefits. For many, it continues as a lifetime journey.

Attendees need to wear comfortable shoes and clothing and no pre-registration is required.  For more information, contact Whitman Hospital and Medical Center Therapy Services at (509) 397-5733.

Library Closed January 19 & 20

All 14 branches of Whitman County Library will close Sunday, Jan. 19 and Monday, Jan. 20 in honor of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. Due dates for library materials have been extended in anticipation of the closure and no late fines will be charged for these days. Drop boxes will remain open at all locations for returned items. Access to the library’s catalog, downloadable audio and eBooks, database products and Events Calendar remains available by visiting the library’s website at www.whitco.lib.wa.us.

Libraries affected by the closure are: Albion, Colfax, Colton, Endicott, Farmington, Garfield, LaCrosse, Malden, Oakesdale, Palouse, Rosalia, St. John, Tekoa, and Uniontown. Residents may call the library toll-free at 1-877-733-3375 for information, details regarding the closure or renewal of materials.

Libey Gallery welcomes new exhibits and new artists for 2020

The Center at Colfax Library announces stunning new art and photography exhibits, while also featuring new resident artists for 2020.


One new artist is photographer Sharon Lindsay of Spokane. Lindsay’s first exhibit is called “What is it About the Palouse?” and features colorful images of farming, landscapes and people that help viewers to answer her question.

Sharon Lindsay photo fives a nod to our past, taken near Sunset, WA

Local artist Molly Rice steps into the role of resident artist after hosting independent shows in the gallery the past two years. Skilled in a variety of media, Rice’s exhibit highlights her skills in nature photography in a series called “Lone Chair.”

 

An artist brand new to the gallery is Russ Robbins who designs lamps, tables, and all sorts of art forms from found materials, most coming from his shop and farm. Russ’s wife Marla Robbins also continues her Western oil painting exhibit.

For 2020, photographer Tom Mohr introduces a new exhibit called "Here and There” which displays his photography from Whitman County alongside images he’s captured from adventures in the US and around the world.

The exhibit currently highlights colorful birds from Australia photographed by Mohr and his wife Jil, a bird enthusiast. Also included are images from last summer’s Slippery Gulch.

Tom Mohr photo, Spinifix Pigeon spotted in the Northern Territory of Australia near Timber Creek

Additional artists exhibiting throughout the year are Vicki Broeckel, Nancy Rothwell and Carrie Vielle while the Rural Alliance High School Art show continues through Jan 17.

Libey Gallery is open Mondays – Wednesdays 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Thursdays – Fridays 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays 1 to 5 p.m. For more information about The Libey Gallery, contact the Colfax Branch of Whitman County Library at 509-397-4366 or visit 102 S. Main Street, Colfax.  

Thank You Sharon Lindsay

January Library Supporter of the Month

Sharon Lindsay was honored during a recent Friends of the Library meeting for generously supporting the arts in the library and Center. Sharon gives of her time and talents to teach photography classes, shares her beautiful images through exhibits, photographs and books, supports equipment needs and helps wherever she is needed.

Whitman County Library friends, staff, and board present this award each month as a way of honoring those within our community who make a huge impact on the services we are able to provide. See all of our generous supporters!

Put Book Club on Your List of Resolutions for 2020

MOSCOW-PULLMAN DAILY NEWS: Sarah Phelan, Public Services Librarian at Whitman County Library Jan 11, 2020 

If your New Year’s resolution is to read more, learn something new or to meet new people, the Colfax Library Book Club can provide the perfect opportunity. You will find exciting reads, engage in stimulating conversations with interesting people and most importantly share your love of books with others.

This month’s meeting is set for 5:30 p.m. Jan. 27 at the Colfax Library. Participants will each be reading a different book based on their birth year. To join us, simply choose any title published during the decade you were born and get reading.

If you aren’t sure what to read, drop by or call us at the Colfax Library for a list of the top 15 books published during the decade you were born. If none of these strikes your fancy, we can suggest other titles you might like to read.

Most months, our club members read the same book, but a few times a year, like now, members are encouraged to read different titles. Everyone enjoys this break from routine where we get to explore a wider variety of titles, genres, authors, and interests.

Club members range from serious bookworms and recreational readers to social butterflies who enjoy the camaraderie and yummy snacks. Some people attend every month, while others can only participate a few times per year. Even if you don’t like or finish the book, we encourage you to attend and discuss the experience with our group.

I find the book club to be an excellent source for filling my “to read” list. Member reviews have inspired me to read outside of my favored genres and to try different authors that have become new favorites. I also like that our club is flexible enough to encourage watching film adaptations of books when schedules are busy and reading time is limited.

If you can’t make it in January, look ahead to next month when our selected title will be “The Tattooist of Auschwitz,” by Heather Morris. According to Amazon.com, this No. 1 New York Times bestseller is a “beautiful, illuminating tale of hope and courage is based on interviews that were conducted with Holocaust survivor and Auschwitz-Birkenau tattooist Lale Sokolov — an unforgettable love story in the midst of atrocity.”

The Colfax Library Book Club offers a fun, flexible format and is designed for everyone to enjoy. We meet the last Monday of every month at 5:30 p.m. in the Colfax Library’s TEK Center. For more information, I hope you’ll contact me at (509) 397-4366 or sarahp@whitco.lib.wa.us.

Owl Visits the Colfax Library January 16...It will be a HOOT!

Get FIT at the LIBRARY in 2020

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

Fitness Boot Camp

Move It or Lose It

65+ Fitness: Stay Independent & Active for Life

Intensati Fitness

Yoga starting in February

...and more, click here for a complete list of library events

All fitness levels are welcome to our exercise classes!

For information on classes and fees, call 397-4366 or 1-877-733-3375. Some fitness classes free, others require a fee, please contact the instructor for details

Looking for books to help you with your 2020 goals?

CHANGE YOUR LIFE

"Our greatest ability as humans is not to change the world, but to change ourselves." -- Mahatma Gandhi

LEARN SOMETHING NEW

"Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever" -- Mahatma Gandhi





THE ART OF HEALTHY LIVING

"It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver." -- Mahatma Gandhi

 

Student Artwork on Display at Colfax Library in January

Rural Alliance High School Art Show

Enjoy this display from January 7 through 17 at the Libey Gallery in The Center

This exhibit showcases the best paintings, drawings, pottery, collage, and sculpture created by talented local middle and high school students. Students participating in the show represent schools in Colfax, Garfield-Palouse, Oakesdale, Rosalia, Tekoa, St. John-Endicott.

The exhibit is free to the public and open during regular library hours: Monday - Wednesday

10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Thursday & Friday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday & Sunday 1 to 5 p.m. 

For more information about this event, contact Patty Mills at Oakesdale School, 509-285-5296 or Nichole Kopp at Whitman County Library, 509-397-4366

Community Assessments Underway in Partnership with Avista Utilities in 3 Local Communities

Paul Kimmell, Regional Business Manager at Avista Utilities recently donated copies of the

book “13 Ways to Kill Your Community"

If you call Endicott, LaCrosse, or Tekoa home you are encouraged to complete community assessment surveys that will inform and inspire decision-making in these towns. In partnership with Avista Utilities, residents can engage in this valuable process and help drive the future of their communities.

The assessment is built on a popular book titled “13 Ways to Kill Your Community” which refers to a list of ways that communities across the nation unintentionally limit growth and opportunity. The book was written by community development expert Doug Griffiths, who was hired by Avista to consult on assessments of 21 rural communities, including Endicott, LaCrosse, and Tekoa. Avista has also provided libraries in these communities with extra copies of this book for anyone to borrow.

Residents of all ages can find the survey here. For those without internet access, computers and wifi are available in your library. You can also pick up a copy of the survey at Endicott, LaCrosse, and Tekoa branch libraries.

For more information, contact Paul Kimmell, Avista Utilities at 509-336-6236 or Whitman Co. Library at 509-397-4366.