Blog @ Spokane Public Library

The Inland Northwest is home to a rich Native American heritage. Join us across the month of November as we host more than thirty different programs to learn more about the region’s native tribes, past and present.

We will be hosting film screenings, crafts, artist receptions for Native American artists featured at each branch, music performances, lectures and poetry readings. There is something for everyone and we hope you will join us!

See the Full Calendar of Events here.

If you’ve been at the Downtown Library recently, you’ll see we’ve had some exciting changes in progress. The new Community Lens Stage on the third floor is now complete and will host a variety of new events, starting with the Individual World Poetry Slam on October 12 and 13. Wiley Cash, our Spokane Is Reading author will present here on November 9th. We will host movie nights on this stage every Wednesday. And have many more exciting events planned for the space. This beautiful new event space takes advantage or one of the Downtown buildings’ best assets, the sweeping view of the river. We hope you’ll join us for an event soon.

This week we launched an exciting new program. Starting in mid-August, all newborns born at area hospitals (Deaconess, Sacred Heart, Holy Family and the Spokane Midwives Birthing Center) will go home with their very own Spokane Public Library card and a free book if they live in Spokane city limits.

The Books for Babies gift bags, provided by Spokane Public Library through generous support of the Friends of Spokane Public Library, include a free board book, book marks, a custom kids’ library card and early literacy tips. The Books for Babies kit also information about how to access digital resources from home – like something to read, watch or listen to during late nights caring for a new baby.

“Many parents don’t realize that early literacy can and should start at day one,” says Spokane Public Library Learning & Literacy Coordinator, Sally Chilson. “Babies need to hear words everyday,” she says, citing American Library Association research “We like to say everyday you should read to your baby, sing to your baby, and play with your baby. Talk to them every chance you get, even though they can’t yet answer back.”

The kit includes instructions for the new parents to come into the library when they are feeling up for any outing to activate their library card.

Newborns will receive kits while supplies last.

 

If people with disabilities voted at the same rate as people without disabilities, there would have been 3 million additional votes cast in 2012. And as Justin Dart, father of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), said “Vote as if your life depended on it, because it does.”

To help make the disability vote more influential, Spokane Public Library in partnership with several local organizations* are hosting voter registration events around Spokane during National Disability Voter Registration Week July 17-21. 

VOTER REGISTRATION EVENT SCHEDULE

Monday, July 17th
Community Court, Downtown Library, 10-Noon
Southside Senior & Community Center, 10:30am – 1:30pm
Sinto Senior Center, 11am – 1pm
Shadle Branch, 11am – 2pm
Skills Kin, 1pm – 4pm

Tuesday, July 18th
Northeast Community Center, 10am – Noon
Sinto Senior Center, 10am – Noon
Hillyard Library, Noon – 2pm
Indian Trail Library, 2pm – 4pm

Wednesday, July 19th
Downtown Library, 10am – 1pm
Skills Kin, 1pm – 4pm
Arc of Spokane, 4pm–6pm

Thursday, July 20th
East Central Community Center, 9am – Noon
Lighthouse for the Blind, 11am – 1pm
West Central Community Center, 3pm – 6pm
South Hill Library, 3pm – 5pm

Friday, July 21st
STA Plaza, 8am – 10am
Eastside Library, 10am – Noon

* Brought to you by Spokane Public Library in partnership with the League of Women Voters, Greater Spokane Progress, Center for Justice, Arc of Spokane, Center for Independent Living, DSHS, Spokane County Parent Coalition, Disability Rights Washington, Access for All, Human Rights Commission and Spokane NAACP.

On June 27, the Zinio and OneClick Digital apps are merging into one easy-to-use app called RBDigital. This is an exciting improvement that will allow you to get your audiobooks and magazines in one easy-to-use place with an improved user interface!

On the new app you’ll be able to access free magazines and audiobooks from one login and password. If you are a current user you will be notified to update your app. If you haven’t tried reading free magazines from the library or downloading audiobooks, we encourage you to try it out!

Get the app for iOS here or for Android here.