February 2019 Calendar - Click for full size.

Click here for the library's online calendar.

Library to Host Chinese Culture Classes

Writing couplets is among the  activities to be included in the new
Chinese Culture  Experience Classes coming to the library beginning Feb. 14.

Three monthly classes sharing Chinese culture will be taught by an University of Idaho instructor beginning Thursday, Feb. 14, at the Coeur d’Alene Public Library.
The Chinese Culture Experience Class will be offered on the second Thursday of each month through April 11, 7-8 p.m. in the Community Room. Eazel Cai (蔡志杰), U of I Chinese Language and Culture Instructor, will teach the class.
The course will based on the culture and story of Chinese festivals, relate some traditional history, and how the festivals are celebrated now. The students will also do some Chinese style practice in class including Chinese Calligraphy, Chinese paper cutting and Chinese painting.
The February class will focus on Chinese New Year and look at some Chinese food like Jiaozi and Tangyuan, learning Chinese Calligraphy, writing Fu and Couplets, and making Chinese-style decorations.
The Lantern Festival will be the subject of the March class and include foods like Yuanxiao and Tangyuan. Activities will include learning and practicing Chinese Paper Cutting and making Chinese-style lanterns
The series will wrap up in April with the Qingming Festival, with Chinese poetry and painting.
All materials will be provided for this free series. Those planning to participate are asked to contact David Townsend at 208-769-2315 Ext. 426 or by email at:
dtownsend@cdalibrary.org.

Mandi Harris Named New Youth Services Librarian

Mandi Harris also studied briefly at Hogwarts.

Mandi Harris started as the new Youth Services Librarian at the library on Jan.  23.
She fills the position previously held by Susan Thorpe, who recently retired after 17 years of service.
Mandi holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Oregon and will receive her Masters of Library and Information Science from the University of Washington in March.
For the last six years, Mandi worked as a Youth Services Specialist for the Community Library Network, where she developed and implemented various story time programs for children to enhance their love for reading.

Julie Meier Writers Competition Begins

The Julie Meier Writers Competition is under way for its 30th year.
Copies of the rules and entry forms will be available at the library beginning Jan. 31 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.
Entries need to be mailed or delivered to the library no later than Sunday, March 31.
There is no longer an entry fee for the competition, but unlike previous years participants may only submit a single entry – either in the fiction or nonfiction categories – of up to 2,000 words. No entry is too short. Only one clean copy of an entry needs to be submitted.
The age groups for the competition are 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 library is again partnering with Idaho Public Television to encourage young writers to participate in the PBS Kids Writers Contest. The PBS contest is for children in kindergarten through third grade.
It’s recommended that families who are interested in participating in both contests first create an entry complying with the IPTV rules by going to www.idahoptv.org/writerscontest, where they can register online. To submit the entry in the library contest they will then need to fill out the local registration form and create a title page for the Coeur d’Alene library competition.
Participants are encouraged to read through the rules and make sure they are understood before they begin writing. It’s especially important that adults who are organizing classes or other groups to submit entries make sure they read and understand the entry requirements.

Pageturners Set Title Schedule

The schedule of books for the Pageturners Library Book Club is set through June and includes the selection for the annual North Idaho Reads shared book program.
The Pageturners is a volunteer-organized program sponsored by the library that meets the fourth Wednesday of each month - excluding December - at 10:15 a.m. in the Community Room for scholar- or book club member-led discussions.
 Discussions are open to any adult reader at no charge. No registration is required. Check out the books by visiting the library’s Research and Information Desk.
The first book in the current series was “Sometimes a Great Notion” by Ken Kesey and was discussed in January. Upcoming titles and their discussion dates are:
► Feb. 27: “Fools Crow” by James Welch.
► March 27: “Billy the Kid” by Robert Utley.
► April 24: “The Deep Dark” by Gregg Olsen. This is the 2019 North Idaho Reads selection. The author will discuss the book at a library program on May 1 at 6 p.m. as well as at other libraries and venues in North Idaho.
► May 22: “Ceremony” by Leslie Silko.
► June 26: “Honey in the Horn” by H.L. Davis.
Except for “The Deep Dark,” books are being provided for this series by the Idaho Commission for Libraries through its collection of Let’s Talk About It Books.
Pageturners is funded through a grant from the Friends of the Coeur d’Alene Public Library.

New Author BINGO Continues to End of Month

New Author BINGO continues in the children’s library. Participants ages 8-12 can pick up a card at the checkout desk in the Seagraves Children’s Library. For each book they read by an author they have not read before, they can get their card stamped and collect a small gift bag or a ticket for the grand prize drawing.
Participants age 7 and under can also play, but don’t necessarily have to read a new author for each stamp.
The activity will continue through Feb. 28 and the grand prize winners will be selected March 4.
Families are invited to join the 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten program at the Coeur d’Alene Public Library.
The free program is a nationwide challenge that encourages parents and caregivers to regularly read aloud to their children. By reading just one book a night, families can reach the 1,000-book goal in three years and provide their children essential early literacy skills.
Saturday with the Symphony, a family concert with musicians from the Coeur d’Alene Symphony will be present Saturday, Feb. 9, at noon.
Weekly children’s programs at the library continue through March 1 and include:
► Bilingual Preschool Storytime: Mondays, 11 a.m. Stories and other activities in Spanish and English for ages 3-5.
► Family Storytime: Mondays, 4 p.m. Stories and a craft for the whole family.
► Book Babies Lapsit:  Tuesdays, 10:15 a.m. and Fridays, 10:30-11 a.m., for children ages newborn to 2 accompanied by a parent or adult caregiver.
► Toddler Time Music & Motion: Tuesdays, 11-11:30 a.m., fun, songs, movement, and a story for 2-3 year olds.
► Stay & Play: Tuesdays, 11:30 a.m., after Toddler Time and Fridays, 11-11:30 a.m. after Book Babies, families can stay for fun and socializing.
► 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/Minecraft 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.
Children and teens younger than 18 are no longer charged late fees. Patrons of all ages are still responsible for lost items.
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 Mandi Harris, Youth Services Librarian, at mharris@cdalibrary.org. The Branch Manager for Lake City is JD Smithson, and she can be reached at 208-763- 0814 or jsmithson@cdalibrary.org.

Teen Smash Event Set for Feb. 9

Saturday, Feb. 9, the library will host a Teen Smash Event. Make buttons and mash buttons in this program with the ultimate combo of gift-making and gaming. Then duke it out in our Super Smash Bros Ultimate tourney. Bring your own device or use the library's Nintendo Switch. Gamers who are waiting for their turn can also play League of Legends on the library's laptops. Prizes and snacks will be provided.
Winter Reading BINGO for Teens continues at the library through Feb. 28.
Participants read and do library-related activities to fill out a BINGO card that gives them free books for a BINGO line and an entry into a grand-prize drawing for a Kindle Fire for a blackout. BINGO cards with more information are available at the Adult Checkout Desk.
The Teen Movie will be “The Hate U Give,” Friday, Feb. 22 at 6 p.m. This gripping drama centers on issues of racial prejudice, gun violence, and teen activism. It's based on the highly acclaimed YA novel of the same title by Angie Thomas. Pizza will be provided.
Other January teen programs include:
► Scribbler Society Writing Club: Mondays, Feb. 11 and 25, 3-4 p.m., in the Jameson Room. This is an all-ages activity for patrons who want to improve and share their writing skills.
► Anime Club: Tuesdays, 4-5:30 p.m. Watch anime shows, like "My Hero Academia,” while you interact with other teens who love anime as much as you do. For ages 13-18.
► Teen D&D: Thursdays, 4-6 p.m., in the Gozzer and Jameson rooms. Be part of an epic campaign. Have grand fantasy adventures, using your imagination, strategic skills, and the power of teamwork. Beginners welcome.
► Library League of Legends:  Fridays 4-5:30 p.m., resuming Jan. 18, in the Shirley Parker Story Room. Play the MOBA “League of Legends” with other teens. Use our laptops, or bring your own. Snacks provided.
For more information contact Angela Flock at 208-769-2315 Ext. 463 or by e-mail at aflock@cdalibrary.org.

Mother-Daughter Adventure in Central America is March 1 Novel Destination

Central America is the landing spot for a Novel Destination by a mother-daughter pair from Coeur d’Alene. 
Susan and Anna Coby will share stories and photos from their adventures in Guatemala and Belize, Friday, March 1, at 7 p.m. at the library.
Susan describes the decision to travel there like this:
“Mom,” Anna says, “we have lots of time and little money so we are going to Central America!”
“So last May, after Anna graduated with a Masters in Latin American Studies from Georgetown University and I had closed Soul Café, we stuffed two backpacks and flew to Guatemala,” Susan said.
For two weeks they slowly inched along on bone-jarring, bumpy roads from Colonial Antigua to jaw-dropping Tikal.  Along the way they kayaked on volcano-surrounded Lake Atitlan, crawled into a pitch dark Mayan sauna and got hopelessly lost in Central America’s largest indigenous market.
The pair then crossed the Guatemala-Belize border on foot and found they were in an entirely different world. 
“Anna and I had a week in the heart of southern Belize’s Garfuna culture — drumming, dreadlocks, fantastic food and warm laid back attitude,” Susan said.  “Not to mention the best hot sauce in the world.  We  yoga’d with the ex-pats, tooled around on crazy rusted bikes, had the most amazing snorkeling ever and cooled our heels at local joints drinking Belize beer.”
The program, sponsored by the Coeur d’Alene Public Library Foundation, is free, but donations are welcome.
Anyone with a travelogue to share at the library is asked to contact the Library Foundation at 208-769-2380 or by e-mail at:
cdalibraryfoundation@gmail.com.

Share Your Writing, Tips With Like-Minded People

A group for people who want to improve and share their writing continues at the library.
The Scribbler’s Society Writing Club meets the second and fourth Monday of the month – Feb. 11 and 25 – 3-4 p.m., in the Jameson Room.
The club welcomes writers of all ages to come together to crank out some words, edit drafts, and take part in critique sessions. It will offer the chance to set some post-NaNoWriMo writing goals and brainstorm with fellow writers.
Participants are asked to bring their notebooks and/or laptops. Snacks, tea, and coffee will be provided.
For more information contact Lindsay Moore, 208-769-2315 Ext. 469 or by email at lmoore@cdalibrary.org.

Knitting, Coloring Groups Provide Creative Outlets

The Well-Knit Tale Knitting Club meets the First and Third Tuesday of the month – Feb. 5 and 19 – at 2:30 p.m. in the Jameson Room.
All skill levels of knitters and crocheters are welcome. Materials and refreshments are provided.
Coffee and Coloring for adults meets the second and fourth Tuesday each month – Feb. 12 and 26 -- at 10 a.m. in the Community Room.
Drawing materials and refreshments are provided, or bring your own.

STCU Workshop Advices How to Protect Your Credit Score

“Protect Your Credit Score” will be the next free workshop offered by STCU at the library on Wednesday, Feb. 20, at noon in the Gozzer Room.
Learn why a good credit score is more important than ever. The workshop will share how a credit score is determined, how to maintain/earn a healthy credit score, and where to go for help.
The workshop includes a light meal.
Participants are asked to register by going to www.stcu.org/workshops or by calling 855-753-0317.
The next STCU workshop will be “Organize Your Finances” and will be offered March 20.

Milestones Will Look at Training Center’s Impact on Lake City

The Inland Northwest Milestones lecture series with Robert Singletary continues Thursday, Feb. 28, at 7 p.m. in the Community Room
A regional historian and the Program and Marketing Director for the Museum of North Idaho, Singletary will discuss, “Farragut’s influence on Coeur d’Alene” with information compiled by the speaker for his upcoming book, “Coeur d’Alene: Beautiful and Progressive, 1878-1990.”
The subsequent lectures in the series will be:
► March 28: Coeur d’Alene After WWII and into the ’50s.
► April 25: Coeur d’Alene in the ’60s and ’70s.
► May 23: The Turbulent, but Progressive ’80s.

Food For Thought Book Club’s March Selection About Salmon

The Food For Thought Book Club is reading “Being Salmon, Being Human” by Martin Lee Mueler. It will be discussed Wednesday, March 6, at 6 p.m., in the Gozzer Room.
The book examines Western culture’s tragic alienation from nature by focusing on the relationship between people and salmon — weaving together key narratives about the Norwegian salmon industry as well as wild salmon in indigenous cultures of the Pacific Northwest.
This book club is offered in partnership with the Inland Northwest Food Network. For more information visit www.inwfoodnetwork.org.