Our turn to give thanks

Letter from the Director

With the holidays upon us, I want to take a moment to thank all of you, our customers, for your continued dedication and use of library services during the epic windstorm.

We have received many, many positive comments from the community about our response, and really that’s because each of you continued to find ways to gather and convene in our libraries.

Libraries matter more than ever, and we are grateful that we can be such a vital resource for the community. As we expand our services and offer more community support, in addition to this newsletter as a source of information, I hope you will follow us on Facebook and Twitter as well. We continue to look toward new technologies and how we provide each of you with the tools you need for all of us to remain vital to the community. We are partners in this together. You can always reach out to tell us your stories of how you use your library.

—Andrew Chanse, Library Director

The Library brings 10,000 gifts to the Christmas Bureau

We are excited to be at the Christmas Bureau this to year to give the gift of libraries, plus a little something extra.

This amazing program provides toys, books, and grocery store vouchers for thousands of low income individuals and families.

We’ll be giving away flying discs to the first 10,000 families to visit our table this year.

We’ll also be glad to waive up to $74.99 in late fines for any recipient. We cannot waive fees for lost materials or collection fees.

Library cards make great stocking stuffers. We can make them right on site at our table.

The Christmas Bureau is held at the Spokane County Fair & Expo Center on December 10-19 (excluding Sunday) from 10am – 2:30pm. There is no need to sign up in advance. Recipients do need to provide proof of address. Learn how to become a recipient at the 2015 Christmas Bureau.

Holiday activities for all ages

We have some great activities planned for December!

Join us at your local branch

December Arts Downtown

This year is the 15th anniversary of First Night, Spokane’s big New Year’s Eve event, and we are excited to once again host events on December 31 at the Downtown Library.

Magician Matt Van Zee will perform at 7 pm and 8 pm. As we near midnight you can enjoy the music and dance with the Northwest Belly Dance Company at 9, 10 and 11 pm.

You do need to have a First Night admission button to attend but it is well worth the admission price!

Adjacent to the performances, the gallery will host an exhibit of artwork by by Mary Ahmad. These beautiful works reflect Mary’s love of color, light and a sense of tranquility. Her goal, in painting, is to create something visually unique while generating an appreciation of the beauty and rich complexity of the natural world.

Mary Ahmad’s artwork will hang in the first floor gallery at the Downtown Library during the month of December. Please stop by.

Hear the bells on Christmas day

Remember that all library locations will be closed December 24 and 25

Looking for some new songs to spread the cheer? Download 5 free MP3s every week from this list of Christmas recordings on Freegal. You’ll find holiday renditions in bluegrass, gospel, ukulele, and more.

Or come in to the library and find a Christmas CD to borrow for the season.

We also have 150 Christmas movies available for streaming!

A gift to the Library Foundation, a gift to your community

Libraries matter. More than ever.

We invite you to help us transform our libraries together this holiday season.

Learn More →

Thanks again!

We want to thank our partners this past year for making the library a better community resource:

Library News December 2015