The phrase ‘Summer Reading’ brings two particular books and summers to my mind. When I read War and Peace by Tolstoy I was in a new apartment (new for me but in an old building) in Salt Lake City. I was working as a waitress after having graduated from Library School in a year when there weren’t many jobs for newly…

Your Story Starts Here – Celebrating 80 Years of Genealogy – Saturday, June 6, 10 – 4 pm at Downtown
Spokane Public Library has a great partnership with the Eastern WA Genealogy Society (EWGS). The EWGS volunteers do an amazing job of maintaining and staffing the genealogy collection which is housed at the Downtown Library. This collection is so robust that people travel great distances to do research here at Spokane Public Library! We are so grateful for our partnership with EWGS. They’re celebrating their 80th anniversary with a big event with tours, photo scanning, and genealogy assistance. Plus there will be two educational and entertaining presentations. Here’s the schedule:

• Stations & Tours & Scanning – 10 am, 12:45 and 2 pm
• Presentation: Paul Turner’s (Spokesman columnist) story – 11 am
• Cake & refreshments – noon
• Presentation: Garrin Hertel from Nostalgia magazine shows us Spokane in the 1930’s – 3 pm
• Passport prize drawings…..Must be present to win! – 4 pm

Superhero America: The Comic-Book Character as Historical Lens – Tuesday, June 23, 3 pm at South Hill, repeated at 6 pm at Shadle
With which superhero do you identify? What’s your superpower? It’s natural that humans are drawn to the heroic, the superhuman. Since the revolutionary debut of Superman in 1938, the American superhero has been a regular part of our pop culture landscape and their ideals influence daily life. In this interactive, multimedia presentation, journalist and comic book historian, T. Andrew Wahl, explores how historical events and shifting social mores can be seen in the evolution of characters from Wonder Woman to Spider-Man. This program is part of the Humanities WA Inquiring Minds series and is appropriate for tweens, teens and adults who are interested in the subject.

Scenic Family Hikes in the Spokane Area – Monday, June 22, 2015, 6:30 at South Hill
Our region is chock full of amazing opportunities to get out into nature. During this program you’ll learn about the best family hikes in Spokane. You’ll be enticed to hit the trails with details and photos of the many beautiful trails around Spokane. Seasoned hiker Kathy Kalich will share tips on hiking with children and appropriate gear so your next family hike is bound to be a success. If you’re not inclined to lace up your boots you can still attend the program and armchair travel to Spokane’s hiking destinations (you just won’t burn as many calories!). This program is geared toward teens and adults.

Curtis Prints Private Showing – Saturday, June 6, 10:30 at Downtown
Spokane Public Library is proud to own a complete set of Edward S. Curtis’ The North American Indian. This rare set is held in the Northwest Room’s vault. The Northwest Room Librarian, Riva Dean, will host a special viewing of two of the portfolios. Bill and Kathy Kostelec, Spokane photographers, will be here and can talk about the printing process.  Space is limited and registration is required. If this session becomes full we will add a second viewing.

In June we’ll be presenting artwork by Penny Cannon in the Downtown Library’s Art Gallery. Her vibrant and enthusiastic spirit is reflected through her multi-media work. Penny has been expressing her creativity with color for over 20 years, and is delighted to share her passion for art with library visitors. Additionally, Penny will hold an artist’s reception on Tuesday, June 23 from 3 to 7 pm. Come by and meet the artist and see her beautiful work!