Technology is all around us and has taken on a huge role in how we live our everyday lives. Some people find all the new innovations a bit daunting to say the least. We want you to think of technology as helpful, useful, even fun. But most of all, we want you to understand what technology has to offer and how you can master it. Does the idea of computer courses seem intimidating, tedious or maybe even boring? If you feel this way, chances are you have not met our Digital Services Manager Tara Neumann who has set out to educate people about all the positive ways technology can impact their lives. Connected Learning is more than just classes. CL focuses on engagement and is centered on producing something – so a participant walks away with both knowledge and something more tangible. This month, Tara’s workshops will help you with your gift giving. Yes, computers and gift giving and we don’t mean buying a new gadget or equipment for your kids or spouse.

Buying and Selling: Tara will meet with people who want to utilize online programs such as Ebay or Craigslist. How do you know which program to use? How can you set up payment options for people who may want to buy your stuff? These are all questions on which Tara can help.  You could buy something online as a gift or sell something online as a way to make money to purchase holiday gifts.

3D Printing is a workshop with a multitude of possibilities. You will be amazed at what can be printed, and Tara will walk you through designing and printing some really cool gifts (we say gifts, but really if you want to keep it for yourself no one will judge).

Create a Digital Holiday Card: This workshop will go way beyond clip art. You can create amazing cards online that are one of a kind and unique to you and your family. Digital holiday cards are free and you don’t have to worry about waiting in long lines at the post office.

Create a Video Holiday Card: Remember when stores first started producing cards that play songs when you open them? This is that concept taken to an amazing level and then personalized for your friends and family. Tara will go through the steps of shooting, editing and uploading videos that will bring cheer to friends and family.

As with all programs at the library, these workshops are limited only by your imagination – and of course they are free! We hope you will take advantage of these amazing opportunities to make technology work for you and make your holidays a lot easier and more fun.

Have you ever considered writing a novel but the drive to write got lost in the shuffle of work, grocery shopping, walking the dog, taking the blue bins out to the curb, playing Candy Crush, and posting a picture of turkeys crossing Bernard Street to Instagram? November may be your lucky month! November is Nanowrimo which is “short” for National Novel Writing Month. NaNoWriMo challenges would-be writers to dedicate themselves to writing 50,000 words in one month. Don’t let the numbers scare you, we are here to help! This month, we delved into Dewey 808.02: Authorship techniques, plagiarism, editorial techniques.

This section is full of books about writing, including the technical aspects (think Chicago Manual of Style or MLA Style Manual) as well as guidance from published authors. A classic look at writing is Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life. As one might guess, many authors had fun with their titles. They’re paid to be creative and witty so while the technical book titles are a bit predictable and maybe even dull (Writer’s Market), most books in this section are colorful and enticing. Secret Windows by Steven King is intriguing (by the way, King’s book On Writing is spectacular but is considered a memoir so is housed in B for biography). The Woman Who Spilled Words All Over Herself appealed to this writer (probably because I am particularly bumbling and spilled coffee on my shirt this morning so I felt a camaraderie with the author). This book is a guide to using writing as a method to work through issues and promote healing. That might be a fun side effect and underutilized marketing piece of NaNoWriMo – write a novel and resolve your emotional hang ups. Vex, Hex, Smash and Smooch is a book about verbs. I saw this title and visions of brainstorming alternatives to passive verbs in my fifth grade class swam through my head. Because time is of the essence in NaNoWriMo, skip the butcher paper brainstorming session and get the book. As you head further into 808, the subjects get more specific. 808.3872 How to Write Killer Fiction is a source for mystery writing. The First Time I got Paid for It (808.23) deals with writing screenplays. Use the books in 808 as inspiration rather than procrastination and get writing!

What do you listen to when you write? It varies for every writer but many will say that lyrics are distracting. They don’t want the music’s words floating into their brains while they knit together the words of the story they’re crafting. So what works? White noise? The hum of the people around you? The drone of your refrigerator? Electronica? Classical? Music with lyrics in another language or a made-up language? I’m curious, let me know.

When working on this newsletter I used to pull up a website called the Buddha Machine Wall where you could play various electronic tones simultaneously. It successfully filled up space and allowed me to zero in on writing. The link is now defunct but I discovered the wall was created by a Chinese electronic music duo called FM3 and they have tracks on Freegal. Check out Buddha Machine 4. (pictured at right)

Then there’s Icebreaker – this falls in the electronic category. I first learned of this group through their 2nd album, Trein Maersk. Another electronic music duo, they spent two months on a container ship (named Trein Maersk) sailing from Japan to Canada and recording on the ship as part of a project about international trade. The album is quite beautiful. Their first album, Distant Early Warning, is available on Freegal. Distant Early Warning gets its name from the radar stations that were located at the barren edges of Canada and Alaska that warned of possible Soviet nuclear strikes during the Cold War.

For music in another language or a made-up language you can’t beat Sigur Rós who sings in both Icelandic and made-up language. The music is energetic and inspiring without supplanting words into my writing. You can find a few Sigur Rós tracks on Freegal mostly on soundtrack albums. This album is a gem because it features a bunch of Icelandic musicians from a documentary movie about the music scene there.

Whatever you listen to when you’re writing and whether you’re taking part in NANOWRIMO or not – enjoy. And don’t forget that you can download 5 free songs a week from the library with your library card.

When you look at these three big events that occurred in October the results are really impressive. Over $17,000 was raised and over 500 people attended the events. Take a look at these quick wrap-up reports cause we’re proud of these events that help foster community in Spokane!

Spokane Trivia Championship

More than 300 people turned out for the inaugural Spokane Trivia Championship in support of the Spokane Public Library Foundation. Competition was fierce between the 21 teams that competed and a three-way tie forced us to go into a final round tiebreaker between Itron’s “Smart Grid Smarty Pants,” the Spokesman Review’s “The Press Club” and Individual Team Lakeside Trivia Trio. Obscure knowledge of South American camelids pushed “Smart Grid Smarty Pants” to the top as they were able to name four species: Llamas, alpacas, guanacos and vicunas!

Itron’s team weren’t the only winners. The Library Foundation definitely won big by raising about $12,000 to fund STEM education and technology advances in the libraries!

Save the date for year two – Thursday, September 24, 2015

Spokane is Reading

Over 200 people turned to out to hear Swamplandia! author Karen Russell when she traveled to Spokane to talk about her book and writing. Swamplandia! checked out from the libraries over 500 times at the city libraries alone. Countless other people checked the book out from the county libraries or purchased the book. All totaled up that’s a lot of people reading and discussing a common title and that’s what Spokane is Reading is all about. The planning committee is already talking about what the community should read next year so, if you have suggestions please send them in!

Friends of the Library Book Sale

Over $5000 raised and over 8000 books sold! This amazing book sale is completely put on by the incredible Friends of the Library volunteers who work like crazy moving boxes, arranging books and helping customers. Many thanks to everyone who helped and everyone who shopped. The money raised from this sale helps pay for Summer Reading programs for kids and teens as well as the Spokane is Reading program. We love our Friends!