Congratulations to Our STEM Kit Winners

Abbygail Thaut of Colfax, our May STEM winner,
is showing off her prize

   Bria Schultheis of Colton's Guardian Angel St.   
Bonafice School was our June winner

Congratulations to Abbygail & Bria, our brown bag stem kit drawing winners!

Abbygail is pictured first with her prize from Schweitzer Engineering Labs & Bria second, showing the marble run she designed from the Marble STEM kit. Whitman County Library put together over 2000 STEM bags for local students and homeschoolers. 

Curbside Pickup Available this Week!

While Whitman County has moved to Phase 3 of Governor Inslee’s plan for reopening, The Washington Department of Health has instructed libraries to wait for additional Safe Start guidelines specific to library operations before opening buildings to the public.

Curbside pickup of books, movies, and other materials will begin on Friday, June 12 at Whitman County branches. Items can also be mailed directly to patrons' homes and all book drops are now open.

Thank you to the McGregor Co. for providing WCL staff with face shields

Local library officials are following state and CDC guidelines to ensure the safety of all staff and customers including the quarantining of library materials for 72 hours before re-circulating.

Summer Reading programs are also under way for all ages. Reading logs, activities-to-go, and online programs vary by location so contact your branch by phone during their regularly scheduled hours.

For more information on requesting materials to be picked up curbside, Summer Reading programs, or branch hours and contact information, visit www.whitco.lib.wa.us, call 509-397-4366 or email info@whitco.lib.wa.us.

Discover the Great Outdoors with Whitman County Library

What will you discover?

Looking for an outdoor adventure in this time of social distancing? Whitman County Library is now providing eight Discover Passes available for one to two weeks checkout!

Thanks to a program called "Check Out Washington," limited-edition Discover Passes allow borrowers access to millions of acres of state parks and other state public lands. These passes are included in an activities backpack that contains binoculars, field guides, various interpretive materials, and local county trails and roads.

Patrons have a new option when they check out books and DVDs they also can check out Washington's great outdoors!

The passes are provided in partnership with Washington State Parks, Washington State Library, Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife, and Department of Natural Resources.

While the library is still closed, contact us 509-397-4366 or visit our catalog to request a Discover Pass today!

Libby in New Languages and Help for Those with Learning Disorders

We’re delighted to announce that Libby is now available in the following languages:

• Spanish
• Simplified & Traditional Chinese
• French
• German
• Russian
• Italian
• Japanese
• Swedish

Libby also offers a dyslexic friendly font, learn how!

If a user’s device is set to one of the languages above, Libby will automatically display in that language. Users can toggle Libby’s display by updating the language setting on their device.

Need help when the tech librarian isn't available? Visit help.libbyapp.com to answer all your ebook questions!

With this release, Libby also made improvements to Libby's reader and audio player in all languages, including more intuitive controls for playback speed and the sleep timer. Watch a brief tutorial here.

Happy reading,

Whitman County Library

Summer Reading 2020: Imagine Your Story!

We have been busy planning and getting creative to provide YOU with fun reading challenges, online programs, and grab-and-go activities in this time

You can print your Summer Reading forms at home or access them online. If you finish before we are open, you can mail in your finished form to the Colfax Library at 102 S. Main St., drop it in the book drop, or email a digital copy to info@whitco.lib.wa.us

Gloria Lauhoff Honored as Supporter of the Month for May 2020

Whitman County Library Staff with Friend of the Library & Supporter of the Month, Gloria Lauhoff.

Gloria Lauhoff was honored as Library Supporter of the Month for May. Gloria has been a dedicated and active member of the Friends of the Library and recently donated 50 masks to protect library staff and patrons during the Coronavirus crisis.

The Staff, Friends and Board of Whitman County Library present this monthly award as a way of recognizing the generous donors and volunteers who make an important impact in their libraries and communities. To see the complete list of those recognized to date, click here or contact Kristie Kirkpatrick at 509-397-4366.

Come on down to the Colfax Library's Reading Obstacle Course!

Spin, jump, skip, and more! If you happen to stop by after it rains, be sure to try again as we will keep our reading obstacle course going for the community!

Feel free to post photos or videos on our Facebook page of you completing the course. Be sure to social distance and be safe.