According to the Library Rules of Conduct...

Eating pizza in the library - not allowed. Drinking beer and wine in the library - definitely not allowed! Blasting loud music and dancing in the library - certainly not allowed. Nope, no way, negative, not happening.

Well, maybe just this one night. According to our records you're due at the library! Due to eat and drink and dance (or at least tap your foot to the music if you're not the dancing sort). It's the fifth annual You Can't Do That in the Library fundraiser for the Library Foundation and it's a not-to-be-missed chance to break library rules and have a great time supporting the library.

On Saturday, April 16, starting at 7pm, Six Foot Swing is going to get you dancing, David's Pizza is cooking up some pies and the Steam Plant Grill is providing libations. There will also be a silent auction of special and rare books from the Friends of the Library. If you've been to this event before then you know how much fun it is. If you haven't been before then this is the year to come. There's just something really cool about being in the library after hours and the fact that it supports the Library Foundation doubles the fun.

The Spokane Public Library Foundation is very grateful to event sponsors: Witherspoon Kelley Attorneys and Counselors, David's Pizza, Steam Plant Grill, River Park Square and Hollister-Stier.

Tickets are available by credit card through the Library Foundation's website and by cash or check at the Downtown Library's administrative offices or contact Foundation Development Director, Sandra Kernerman at 444-5318. Tickets are $55 per person.

Be there and break some rules!

800 Boxes of Books by the Wall, 800 Boxes of Books...

The volunteers for the Friends of the Library's big winter book sale got rather nervous before the doors opened—when they did a final box count, they found they had 800 boxes of books! That's 200 more than the largest sale they've ever had. They had their work cut out for them – arranging, opening and unpacking boxes in prep for the sale.

Why were there so many books this time? A couple of reasons. First, donations to the library have been very healthy lately, and many donated items go straight to the Friends for their book sales and book store. Since they're an all-volunteer organization, the Friends have almost no overhead, and all the money their sales raise goes back to the library. Second, the Friends did not have a sale this past fall, so more books accumulated between this sale and the last one.

While the volunteers found the volume of books daunting, the customers were thrilled! Customers flooded the library, arms overflowing with big piles of books. On Saturday the Friends featured their $3 bag of books special to help clear out the stock and the response was amazing. At the end of the sale over 500 boxes had sold. The hard work of the Friends volunteers definitely paid off. The sale earned $6595 in sales and $3537 in memberships.

The Friends' sales help the library in two important ways: They help process discarded items and raise money at the same time. The constant addition of new materials to the library's collection demands that we remove older, less popular titles to make room. In 2009, for instance, the library added 52,399 items to the collection (a year when, according to Bowker Industry Report, New Book Titles & Editions, 2002-2009, 561,580 new titles were published)! We don't discard items lightly; we carefully review a book's condition and its check-out history, then give it to the Friends for their book sales and store. The Friends donate approximately $30,000 - $40,000 from their sales back to the library every year. That money supports programs like Summer Reading for kids and teens, Spokane is Reading, and special equipment purchases like new microfilm reader scanner machines.

The Friends' sales are a big hit with customers, too. One customer commented about the sale on the library's Facebook page, "Parking 75 cents, Giant bag-o-books $3., Watching my 10 year old fall in LOVE with books PRICELESS. Thank you Spokane Public Library for a great afternoon!" That says it all. If you happen to be by the bookstore in the lobby of the Downtown Library please let the volunteers there know how much you appreciate the work the Friends do.

Lots to See in the Libraries

The Downtown Library is brimming with exhibits this Spring. Please stop by to check them out. Spokane – Nishinomiya: Fifty Years of Friendship is a beautiful exhibit commemorating Spokane's relationship with its sister city, Nishinomiya, Japan. The exhibit is in the Downtown Library's Northwest Room and features items that have been given to the city of Spokane as tokens of friendship and appreciation from visitors from Nishinomiya throughout the last fifty years.

Staff Quilt and Needlework Show – The Downtown Library’s 3rd floor is the current home to a display of quilts and needlework all produced by the talented staff of Spokane's libraries. When they're not at work, many of the library's staff are stitching up some gorgeous wall-hangings and quilts. On display through March.

Bloomsday Posters. The Downtown Library will once again showcase its full collection of all Bloomsday posters, featuring every official poster from 1977 through 2011. Stop by the third floor of the Downtown library to see them anytime during April or May.

ESD 101 Art Show - Once again the Downtown Library first floor gallery will be featuring artwork from students in Educational School District 101. This exhibit showcases the best work from schools and is always very impressive. March 7 - April 2.

Our Telephone Robot

444-5443. That's the number for the library's Automated Telephone Library Account System. Last month we reported that this number was not working (we used to call it Telecirc - but what does Telecirc really mean? - we don't know). So anyway, we have contracted with a new company and the system is up and running (with a few quirks that we are ironing out). It's available 24/7 and you can hear information about your checked out items, overdues and fines, plus you can even renew items that are eligible. Give it a try - 444-5443.

Help for Job Seekers is Back

Thanks to a grant from the Inland Northwest Community Foundation  the library has reopened the WorkSource Site in the Downtown Library's computer lab. The WorkSource site had previously been open from December 2009 through August 2010 with funding from a Renew Washington grant. When the funding ran out the site was discontinued. This was a big disappointment for many since it had been heavily used during the nine months it was open.

The purpose of the WorkSource Site is to provide computer access and assistance for individuals who need to work on job search related materials and look for employment using the internet. This service is especially valuable since the lab is staffed with a trained employment specialist from Goodwill Industries. The specialist will help customers through the process and they will walk away with professional-looking résumés. See the box for the hours that the lab is currently open.

WorkSource is an equal-opportunity partnership of organizations that provide employment and training services. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to people with disabilities. TDD/TTY (509) 532-3084

Trailblazing Photojournalist: Margaret Bourke-White

The pre-eminent photographer for LIFE Magazine and one of the most famous women of the 20th century, Margaret Bourke-White pioneered new techniques in photojournalism and opened doors for women in photography. Now, drawing on her autobiography, letters, and biographical information, author and longtime University of Washington professor Lynne Iglitzin brings Bourke-White's remarkable career to life. From her striking images of the factories and steel mills of Cleveland, where no woman had gone before, to her vivid shots of the Great Depression and haunting war photography, Bourke-White's images tell powerful stories while showcasing her considerable abilities. This presentation encompasses a compelling history of women in photojournalism and explores Bourke-White's personal determination to realize her dreams. The Shadle Library will host the program at 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 16. Join us for a revealing look at a fascinating historical figure.

Movies!

 
Join us for American Graffiti on March 9 at 5:30 at the Downtown Library. Free, of course! 

Inkheart is the family movie at South Hill this month. Catch it on Saturday, March 19 at 2 pm.

Genealogy!

The library's EWGS volunteers will be lending their knowledge and expertise to a free event on March 5 at Gonzaga, Road to Spokane: Bing Crosby's Family History . You can catch the volunteers at the downtown library any Tuesday from 10 am - 4 pm. 

The EWGS Spring Seminar features Daniel Lynch, author of Google Your Family Tree. For more info and to register visit the EWGS website .

Discussion

March's Heart of Spirituality book discussion will be about William Saroyan'sThe Human Comedy  - March 15, 6:30. 

Green

Be green and tote your books home in a navy blue, reusable canvas bag that supports the Friends of the Library. A bargain ($5), available at all library locations.

Updates