March Calendar - Click for Full Size

Click here for the library's online calendar.

‘Girl Who Wrote in Silk’ Selected as 2018 North Idaho Reads Title

Kelli Estes will be in North Idaho April 18-22 and

discussing her book, “The Girl Who Wrote in Silk,”

at area libraries.

“The Girl Who Wrote in Silk” has been selected as the North Idaho Reads (NIR) book for 2018 and author Kelli Estes will read from and discuss her book at area libraries during programs in April.
NIR is organized each year by area libraries and volunteers and encourages readers in the region to share a book and participate in related programs and discussions.
Participating libraries and organizations include Northern Pacific Railroad Depot Museum, Wallace Public Library, Coeur d’Alene Public Library, Lake City Public Library, and the Community Library Network: Athol, Bookmobile, Harrison, Hayden, Pinehurst, Post Falls, Rathdrum, and Spirit Lake.
“The Girl Who Wrote in Silk” is Estes’ debut novel and is inspired by true events. In the book Inara Erickson is exploring her deceased aunt's island estate when she finds an intricately embroidered piece of fabric hidden in the house. As she peels back layer upon layer of the secrets it holds, Inara's life becomes interwoven with that of Mei Lien, a young Chinese girl mysteriously driven from her home a century before.
Through the stories Mei Lien tells in silk, Inara uncovers a tragic truth that will shake her family to its core — and force her to make an impossible choice.
Estes will be in North Idaho April 18-22 and will do library programs that will include a presentation at the Hayden Library, Wednesday, April 18, 6-8 p.m.; the Post Falls Library, Thursday, April 19, 2:30-4:30 p.m.; and the Coeur d’Alene Public Library on Friday, April 20, at 7 p.m. (The Pageturners Library Book Club has selected “The Girl Who Wrote in Silk as its title for April and Estes’ April 20 presentation will serve as the club’s discussion for the month.) Her visit to North Idaho is made possible through a grant from the Idaho Humanities Council, the state-based affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
A native of eastern Washington, Estes earned her bachelor’s degree in Business Management at Arizona State University and before her life took a literary turn she went to work for an airplane manufacturer in the Seattle area as a buyer and contract administrator.
“I’d always had a love of travel, having grown up in a travel-loving family, but this job took me to places such as New Zealand, Belgium, Switzerland and Scotland,” she said. “I should have realized I was a writer when, while visiting these countries and touring fabric and carpet mills, which I found fascinating, my imagination was on fire with story ideas. Still, I didn’t think I could write.”
And then one day, while visiting with her now-husband’s brother and his girlfriend, the girlfriend mentioned she was writing a book.
“She was the first person I’d ever met who professed to be a writer and she appeared normal, not like the fabled creatures of my imagination,” Estes said. “It was then that I realized that anyone can write. I could try to write a book! That girl, Carolynn, is now my sister-in-law and I will forever be grateful to her for opening my world to the possibility that I could be a writer.”
Not long after, Estes quit her buying job to pursue writing full-time as well as to become a wife and mother. She lives near Seattle with her husband and two sons.

Pay Your Overdue Fines With Food During March

Area libraries want you to have the opportunity to clear your overdue fines and start using the library again.
March 1-30 these libraries will accept donations of nonperishable and non-expired food for people and pets as payment for late fees: Coeur d’Alene Public Library, Kellogg Public Library, Lake City Public Library, Osburn Public Library, St. Maries Public Libraries, West Bonner County Library District, and all the libraries in the Community Library Network.
Food donations cannot be applied to charges for lost and damaged items. Donations will be given to food banks and animal shelters serving the communities where the libraries operate.

Lake City Public Library Adds Chess Club Activity

Interested in learning to play chess or just looking for someone with whom to play a game?
A Chess Club has been added to the activities offered at Lake City Public Library (LCPL), in the school library at Lake City High School, 6101 N. Ramsey Road. The club is open to all ages and is offered Wednesdays at 2:45 p.m. Snacks will be provided.
LCPL operates in partnership with the Coeur d’Alene School District and is run by Branch Manager JD Smithson, a public library employee. The branch is open throughout the school year 3-6:30 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, with extended hours during school holidays and during the summer.
The branch offers its own collection of books, public computers, and Wi-Fi. LCPL can be selected as a pick-up site for holds from any library in the Cooperative Information Network.
LCPL also offers a LEGO Club for ages 5-11 on Tuesdays at 4 p.m.

Writers Competition Deadline is March 31

The previously required entry fee for the writers competition has been eliminated this year. For 2018 the competition age groups have been changed to reflect grade levels for school-aged participants. The age groups are now Grades K-2, Grades 3-5, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, and Adult – ages 19 and older. Homeschooling families can determine the age group that best suits their children.

The deadline to submit entries to the 29th annual Writers Competition at the Coeur d’Alene Public Library is Saturday, March 31.
The library is also partnering with Idaho Public Television to encourage young writers to participate in the PBS Kids Writers Contest.
Copies of the rules and entry forms are available at the library and are also available online at the Writers Competition link at www.cdalibrary.org/events. An updated guide to creating an entry can also be found at this site. Forms can also be requested by email to dtownsend@cdalibrary.org and can be requested by mail.
According to David Townsend, communication coordinator and organizer for the writing competition, the Coeur d’Alene competition is also accepting entries that are submitted to the PBS Kids Writers Contest.
Townsend recommended that families who are interested in participating in both contests first create an entry complying to the IPTV rules by going to www.idahoptv.org/writerscontest, where they can register online. To submit the entry in the library competition they will then need to fill out a registration form and create a title page for the Coeur d’Alene library competition.
Also beginning this year only one entry per participant will be accepted for the competition. Entries can be fiction or nonfiction up to 2,000 words and participants need only submit one clean copy along with their registration form.
There have also been changes made in how entries are formatted – how they appear on the pages. Townsend recommended participants read the rules accompanying the entry forms to be aware of the changes before they begin writing.
Prizes for each age group and category—donated by the Coeur d’Alene Kiwanis Club and the Friends of the Coeur d’Alene Public Library—are $100 for first, $50 for second, and $25 for third.

Next Saturday With the Symphony is March 10

Representatives from the Coeur d’Alene Symphony will share their talents in a family program at the library Saturday, Feb. 10, at noon.
Members of the symphony orchestra play classical music just right for children. After the short program, children can get up close and personal with musicians to find out what it is like to play an instrument.
Winter reading programs continue through March 23 in the Seagraves Children’s Library with these free programs:
► Spanish Bilingual Storytime: Mondays, 11 a.m. Learn some Spanish through stories, activities, and crafts for ages 3-6.
► Book Babies Lapsit:  Tuesdays, 10:15 a.m., and Fridays, 10:30 a.m., for children ages newborn to 2 accompanied by a parent or adult caregiver.
► Toddler Time Music & Motion: Tuesdays, 11 a.m., fun, songs, movement, and a story for 2-3 year olds.
► Lake City LEGO Club: Tuesdays, 4 p.m., at the Lake City Public Library in the high school on
Ramsey Road.
► Preschool Storytime: Wednesdays, 10:30 a.m., stories and a craft geared to ages 3-5.
► Code Club: Wednesday, 4 p.m., learn coding basics with robots and video games. For ages 7-12.
► LEGO Club: Thursdays, 4 p.m., free play with the library’s huge collection of LEGOs.  Generally for ages 5 -11.
► Stay & Play: Fridays, 11 a.m., after Book Babies, families can stay for fun and socializing.
Children under 6 visiting the libraries need to be supervised by an adult or a person who is at least 14 even during programs. Children ages 6-9 should be accompanied by someone who is at least 14 who will remain in the building.
For more information call 208-769-2315 Ext. 438 or e-mail Susan Thorpe, Youth Services Supervisor, at sthorpe@cdalibrary.org.

Teen Tech Week Offers Daily Teen Central Projects

Teen Tech Week, March 4-10, will dominate C.R.A.S.H. (Cool Random After-School Hours) Monday through Thursday, 4-6 p.m. Materials and instructions for tech-related projects will be available in Teen Central.
The project for Monday will be “Creating Touch-Screen Gloves and Morse Code Jewelry. Tuesday will feature “Makey-Makey Games and Edisonbots.” Come in Wednesday for “3D Printing and Virtual Reality.” And Thursday will provide a “Green Screen Photo Booth.”
Library League of Legends is offered throughout the month Fridays at 4 p.m. in the Shirley Parker Storyroom
On Saturday, March 10, at 4:30 p.m., can enjoy a free movie.
Free popcorn will be provided with the screening of “Wonder.”
Based on the New York Times bestseller by R.J. Palacio, the film tells the inspiring and heartwarming story of August Pullman, a boy with facial differences who enters fifth grade, attending a mainstream elementary school for the first time..
For more information contact Gaskins attgaskins@cdalibrary.org or call 208-769-2315, Ext. 469.

Camino de Santiago Offered As Novel Destination April 27

A guide post on the Camino displays the shell

symbol worn by pilgrims.

Please note: This program has been rescheduled from April 6 to April 27.
The Camino de Santiago will be the Novel Destinations program at the library Friday, April 27, at 7 p.m.
Tina Johnson will share stories and photos from the historic route in France and Spain also known as “The Way of Saint James,” the traditional paths followed by pilgrims to the shrines in the region.
“I have been on the Camino two years in a row: 2016 and 2017,” she said. “In 2016, I went with Susan and Terri Jacobson and we walked 505 miles from St Jean Pied-de-Port, France to Santiago de Compostela. In 2017, my husband Gary, and two friends, Mary Newman and Dianna Decker and I walked 245 miles from Leon, Spain, to Finisterre ‘the end of the earth.’”
Novel Destinations sponsored by the Coeur d’Alene Public Library to provide area residents the opportunity to share their photos and stories from trips around the world.
Anyone with a program to share is encouraged to contact the Library Foundation at 208-769-2380 or by email at: cdalibraryfoundation@gmail.com.

Next STCU Workshop Offering Intro to Social Security

“Intro to Social Security” is the STCU workshop scheduled for Wednesday, March 14, at noon in the library Gozzer Room.
The free program will include a light meal for participants.
Gain a better understanding of a range of options and benefits offered by the Social Security program. You’ll learn what to expect when it comes to your benefits, talk about important factors to consider before deciding when to retire, and navigate some basic benefit types and filing strategies.
To participate register online at www.stcu.org/workshops or call 855-753-0317.
The next STCU workshop will be an evening event for the whole family on April 11, 6 -7 pm.

Adults Can Explore Crafts With Coloring, Knitting Activities

The Well-Knit Tale Knitting Club is offered the first and third Tuesday of the month, March 6 and 20, at 2:30 p.m. in the Jameson Room.
All skill levels of knitters and crocheters are welcome. Bring yarn, needles, and patterns. Refreshments provided.
Coffee and Coloring for adults meets the second and fourth Tuesday each month, March 13 and 27, at 10 a.m. Drawing materials and refreshments are provided, or bring your own.

Make It: Bullet Journaling May Help You Get Organized

Make It: Bullet Journaling will teach you how to use this technique for organizing your life.
The free activity will be offered March 24, at 11 a.m., in the Make-It Lab at the south end of the main library and the adjoining History Room if space is needed.

‘Women of Brewster Place’ March Title for Pageturners

The Pageturners Library Book Club is reading “Women of Brewster Place” by Gloria Naylor and will discuss the book on Wednesday, March 28, at 10;15 a.m. led by scholar Nancy Casey.
The book club is participating in new series as part of the Let’s Talk About It (LTAI) program with books provided by the Idaho Commission for Libraries.
All of the titles in this series are also being made available through the Talking Book Service.
The upcoming titles, their discussion dates:
► “The Girl Who Wrote in Silk” by Kellie Estes. This is not part of the Let’s Talk About It Series, but is the 2018 title for North Idaho Reads. The author will discuss her book at a specially scheduled program on April 20 at 7 p.m.
► “Empire Falls” by Richard Russo, May 23.
► “Crossing to Safety” by Wallace Stegner, June 27.
Discussion leaders for the series are provided by the Idaho Humanities Council, the state-based affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. The program is also sponsored by the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Local funding is provided by the Friends of the Library.
The print copies of the books will be available at the Research and Information Desk. Discussions are open to any adult reader. Talking Book Service users can reserve their books for the series by calling 800-458-3271. To see if you qualify for Talking Books, contact Barbara Brambila-Smith, outreach coordinator for the library, at 208-769-2316 or by email at bbrambila@cdalibrary.org.

Milestones Series to Examine Lewis & Clark Trek in Idaho

“Lewis & Clark in Idaho” will be will be presented as the next Inland Northwest Milestones program Thursday, March 22, at 7 p.m. at the library.
Hosted by in partnership with the Museum of North Idaho, the monthly series is presented by regional historian Robert Singletary, program and marketing director for the museum.
The next program in the series will be “Fort Sherman and the Beginning of Coeur d’Alene” April 26, at 7 p.m.

Food for Thought Book Club Reading ‘Growing a Revolution’

The Food for Thought Book Club is reading “Growing a Revolution: Bringing Our Soil Back to Life”
This book is a MacArthur Fellow’s impassioned call to make agriculture sustainable by ditching the plow, covering the soil, and diversifying crop rotations.
Held in partnership with the Inland Northwest Food Network, discussions are open to anyone interested in the science, cultivation, and preparation of food.
For more information visit www.inwfoodnetwork.org.
by David Montgomery and will discuss it Wednesday, April 10, at 6 p.m. in the Gozzer Room.

True to Seed Catalog Has a New Digital Check-Out System

The Seed Library at the Coeur d’Alene Public Library has been upgraded. With help from donors and volunteers, the Seed Library has a new iPad system that tracks membership and seed check-out and check-in information.  This system is available to use on a large iPad, located on the left side of the seed library catalog which is adjacent to the Research and Information Desk. 

User-friendly and simple to operate, this new way of using the Seed Library will save everyone time and energy.
Whether you are borrowing or donating seeds to the library, all information will be added to a seed library database. Knowing how many and which type of seeds are primarily checked out will give True to Seed valuable information for its Grow-Out Program and to use when applying for grants.
According to Reference Clerk Char Beach, since True to Seed was created two years ago, more 200 members have utilized the seed library to check out seeds for their personal gardens.  Out of these, about a third have returned seeds back to the library. Not only has this helped to create a sustainable system, but there are now more than 20 donated seed varieties that have been grown out locally and acclimated to our region. 
“What is more important than maintaining the legacy and promise for future seed varieties?” Beach asked.  “Individuals who have worked hard to ensure this preservation of our food and garden heritage, can continue to share seeds with generations to come.”
She said support of True to Seed has made and continues to make a difference — keeping cherished varieties of vegetables, fruits, flowers and herbs where they belong – in our gardens, on our tables, and in our lives.