Author – Spokane County Library District

Library Giving Day: Inspiring the Joy & Skills of Reading

Posted in News on March 26, 2024 at 6:00 am

To boost the library’s Summer Reading Program, the Library Foundation of Spokane County is fundraising to give books to kids and teens in Spokane County to kick off summer reading. You can give the gift of reading. The goal is to raise enough funds during Library Giving Day so that each youth who registers for summer reading can choose one from a […]

2023 Library Recap: A Year of Milestones, Progress & Innovation

Posted in Explore and Discover, News on December 28, 2023 at 4:00 am

By Jane Baker A library is defined as a building or room containing collections of books, magazines, and other materials for people to read, borrow, or reference. Those who visit our libraries regularly often have warmer descriptions, such as “my happy place” or “heaven on earth.” The range of descriptions in between the dictionary definiti […]

Tags: community, events, milestones

Year in Review: Our Libraries in 2022

Posted in Explore and Discover, News on December 28, 2022 at 6:00 am

By Jane Baker It will come as no surprise that the library has books. Fiction and nonfiction, picture books and weighty tomes, fantasy adventures and practical how-to guides, our shelves are filled with so many reading options. What may be a surprise is all the ways in which our libraries are more than books. Here […]

Getting Active with the Library: Get More Energy & Reduce Stress

Posted in Explore and Discover on June 14, 2022 at 6:00 am

By Jane Baker The first time I heard the term forest bathing, my immediate thought was “I bet those pine needles hurt!” All kidding aside, forest bathing is a relatively recent term (with science behind it) that gives us a good reason to go take a walk. In 1982, the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, […]

3 Easy Gardening Projects to Tackle This Spring, Plus Helpful Programs for Gardeners

Posted in Explore and Discover on February 16, 2022 at 6:00 am

These three gardening projects for the 2022 season are a bit more urban in nature than for those with vegetable gardens: dividing perennials, adding a second rain barrel, and creating a container herb garden. Check out the library's gardening resources & upcoming programs to see your projects come to life. […]

Drought-tolerant yard project: Researching, planning, digging & planting

Posted in Explore and Discover on October 7, 2020 at 6:00 am

By Jane Baker I didn’t mow the front yard all summer. This is just one of the benefits of installing a drought-tolerant landscape, a project I started researching in 2018 and took on in 2019. In creating a new landscape, especially one without grass, I learned a lot about plants, climate, and drainage, but the […]

Destination Nashville: Unexpected discoveries and musical adventures

Posted in Explore and Discover on January 23, 2018 at 6:00 am

by Jane Baker The vibrant hues of fall were just beginning to fade when I experienced Nashville for the first time this past November. The sky was a cloudless sapphire blue—a perfect time to visit before the starkness of winter. It was cold by Tennessee standards the week I was there, though thirty degrees warmer […]

My journey in downsizing & killing the clutter

Posted in Explore and Discover on July 25, 2017 at 6:00 am

by Jane Baker Call it what you want—downsizing, minimalism, a trending fad, or decluttering—it is a state of mind that seems to be crossing the generations. Lifestyle websites catering to Millennials promote experience over things. Baby boomers and Gen X are inheriting housefuls of lifetime collections into their already full houses. TV shows l […]

Email scam posing as library on west side of state

Posted in Explore and Discover, News on April 4, 2017 at 6:00 am

By Jane Baker To be clear up front, we have not heard of any scams regarding the Spokane County Library District, or any of our libraries. Also, scammers will use anything they can to get your money. So when we heard of an email scam involving the Seattle Public Library, we thought we’d take this […]

Twas the night before… at the library

Posted in Explore and Discover on December 20, 2016 at 6:00 am

By Jane Baker ‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the library The patrons had left with all the books they could carry; Computer screens were blank and turned off for the night, The book drops emptied, ready for first light; The library was silent, but if you were really still Echos of storytime […]

Author: Jane Baker