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TAG: teens

Things to do during a sedentary summer

Posted in Explore and Discover on July 24, 2019 at 6:00 am

By Dana Mannino The way I see it, there are two phases of summer: active summer and sedentary summer. For me, active summer occurs when temperatures reach 70–85 degrees. At those temps, I try to spend most of my time outside, preferably in the mountains or at a lake, in the garden will do as […]

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Saving seeds from the garden: Lovage, snap peas, and coriander

Posted in Explore and Discover on July 3, 2019 at 6:00 am

By Abra Cole Ah, summer. Here you are again, bringing all that sunshine and heat and gardening goodness with you. For most of us gardeners, our seasonal plants have not only been selected by now, but they’re planted and fairly well established in our gardens. Many perennials are blooming, or nearly so. The time has […]

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Teens in-between: Finding your first summer job

Posted in Explore and Discover, Teens on June 18, 2019 at 6:00 am

By Stacey Goddard I got my first paying job—that wasn’t babysitting or doing chores—pretty much by accident. The summer before my sophomore year of high school, my younger and much more industrious brother found his own job: delivering the afternoon edition of the local newspaper. The route he was taking on was big enough that […]

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Day in the life of a librarian

Posted in Explore and Discover on May 16, 2019 at 6:00 am

By Dana Mannino When kids tour the library, I like to ask them what they think a librarian does. Usually I get answers like “You tell us not to run.” I think to myself, “If I wanted to do that, I would have become a life guard!” I don’t think kids are the only ones […]

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Microhistories: Extremely specific knowledge (aka fun facts!) you can share with others

Posted in Explore and Discover on May 7, 2019 at 6:00 am

By Rachel Underwood I have recently discovered an intense love for nonfiction titles and it all started with a compendium of terrible medical cures through history. Those 24-karat golden face masks that are in vogue right now? They’ve already been done long before the present day (and the masks still don’t have any proven benefits; […]

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From the Library of Things: Machine sewing at your fingertips

Posted in Explore and Discover on April 2, 2019 at 6:00 am

By Melissa Rhoades Did you know you can borrow a sewing machine from the Library District? Our Library of Things offers two Elna eXplore 320 sewing machines to check out for up to seven days at a time. One is available for pick up at the Spokane Valley Library and the other can be picked […]

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Project Memory: Your old photos and home movies transferred to digital

Posted in Explore and Discover, News on March 12, 2019 at 6:00 am

By Dana Mannino Is your family history collecting dust in a closet? Have a box of slides from Grandpa’s 1978 trip to Europe? How about those little 8mm film reels in their tiny cardboard boxes? If you have photos, film reels, or slides stashed away, now is the time to pull them out! Perhaps Mom’s […]

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Gifts of experience for less stress and more joy this holiday season

Posted in Explore and Discover on December 11, 2018 at 6:00 am

By Abra Cole The holiday season is here again! I love the smells of goodies baking in the oven, the peacefulness of the fluffy snow falling outside, and the excited sounds of kids clamoring to get the best spot by the Christmas tree and all the gifts. Usually at our house, that last one is […]

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Cozy up to slow reading this winter

Posted in Explore and Discover on November 27, 2018 at 6:00 am

By Melissa Rhoades One specific morning in fourth grade still stands out in my memory. I arrived early to class, sat at my desk, and opened a novel I was midway through. I don’t remember now what book it was, but I do remember becoming completely engrossed, sinking into the world on the page. Which […]

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Fanfiction primer: Reading and writing what you love

Posted in Explore and Discover on November 13, 2018 at 6:00 am

By Caitlin Wheeler THE DETECTIVE Tired of writing serial mysteries, Arthur Conan Doyle had just unceremoniously shoved Sherlock Holmes over a cliff mid-wrestling match with a never-before-mentioned arch nemesis. Fans were incensed, devastated, or both. Many of them turned to writing apocryphal works (writings of dubious authenticity), pastiches (im […]

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