Friends of the Moscow Public Library Newsletters – Latah County Library District

Friends of the Moscow Public Library Spring 2023

How to Stand Up for Your Library

by Chris Sokol, Director Latah County Library District

Public libraries are a symbol of the individual freedoms held dear by Americans and affirmed by the Constitution and the courts. Libraries represent the freedom afforded to everyone to read, view and associate with others. Yet public libraries are under assault like never before.

According to Unite Against Book Bans, an advocacy campaign organized by the American Library Association, the first ten months of 2022 saw almost 800 attempts to ban or restrict library resources. This figure tops the 2021 record. The Latah County Library District was not immune to such attempts last year. However, none of the requests to remove materials reached the formal challenge stage. Encouragingly, the unsolicited expressions of support we received in favor of not banning any materials outnumbered these requests. We even received monetary donations to buy “banned” books for our collection!

A survey conducted in March 2022 by Hart Research Associates and North Star Opinion Research indicated that 71% of voters oppose efforts to have books removed from their local public library. This included 75% of Democrats, 70% of Republicans and 58% of independents. In the same month, House Bill 666, which passed the Idaho House of Representatives but never reached the Senate, would have opened the door to library and school employees spending a year in jail and paying a $1,000 fine for the vague offense of “disseminating material harmful to minors.” There is speculation that similar legislation may be introduced again in the near future.

People who support the mission of public libraries to provide citizens with a diverse array of viewpoints and materials often ask what they can do to safeguard intellectual freedom, as well as the rights of parents to guide their children’s use of the library. As a public library employee I cannot lead such an effort but I can suggest a few options: Express your views to the library director and board of trustees, attend a board meeting, write letters to the editor, share opinions and facts on social media, organize a get-together of like-minded people, contact legislators at https://tinyurl.com/43v9p86n , and become informed and active through an organization such as Unite Against Book Bans.

If you missed the October 2022 Daily News article featuring this topic and the Moscow Library, you should be able to read it here: https://tinyurl.com/bdet2rcp

More info here: https://tinyurl.com/ys8ja5rn

You can reach me at chriss@sys_admin

New Homebound Library Service

Beginning the first week of February, the Latah County Library District will begin offering a monthly Homebound Library Service to Moscow residents who are unable to come to the library due to physical or mental disabilities, but would still like to borrow library materials. Library staff will select materials based upon individual borrowers’ interests and requests and items will be delivered to patrons’ homes. Please contact the Moscow Public Library at 208-882-3925 for more information.

Adult Programming

By Adult Services Manager, Rebecca Rivapalacio

After the busy months of last year’s Summer Reading, the fall and winter seasons that followed had some fun adult programs and events that were made possible with support from our Friends!

Beginning in September, the Moscow Public Library began hosting a monthly book club on the second Tuesday of every month called the Tuesday Teabirds Book Club. As you can tell by the name, our book club loves delicious tea! Because of our generous Friends funds, every book discussion is complemented by a hot cup of tea and a sweet treat.

In November, the Friends of the Moscow Library played a huge part in hosting author Beth Piatote as of our yearly Everybody Reads event. This year, Beth presented in the auditorium of the 1912 Center to talk about her collection of short stories, The Beadworkers. The Friends helped at every step of the way to ensure that Beth had a great time here in Moscow, even baking homemade cookies for everyone to enjoy at the event! Everybody Reads was a great success, and we couldn’t have pulled it off without help from our Friend, Terry. Thanks, Terry!

The Friends also supported many of our passive programs this year! Once the weather started getting colder and more people were spending time inside, we created a few rounds of some movie night bundles. After all, one of the best ways to spend the cold winter months is wrapped up with a blanket and a great movie! Each bundle had a movie to check out from the library, a bag of microwavable popcorn, and a box of candy. Some bundles even included a family-friendly board game and some extra popcorn and candy! We were able to create 26 of these bundles of at-home fun with the generous financial support of our Friends!

Finally, the Friends also funded the supplies and incentives for our outreach efforts. Thanks to help from our Friends, we were able to go to the University of Idaho and the Latah County Fair to sign community members up for library cards! It’s so important to get into the community and share what the public library has to offer, and we couldn’t do it without our Friends!

Youth Services – I get by with a little help from my FRIENDS

by Stacie Echanove – Youth Services Manager

The Youth Services Department at the Moscow Public Library loves the Friends of the Moscow Library! We are so fortunate to have such a supportive and vibrant Friends group that consistently funds programs and services for local youth. From weekly BabyTime and Storytime Programs to to-go Teen Programs, the dedication of our fiends makes all our events possible. For a complete list of every program sponsored by the Friends, please visit our library events calendar (available on the library website).

Halloween Storytime

We celebrated Halloween in style with spooky & silly Halloween Storytime! The Library hosted over 150 children for a morning of stories, songs, crafts, snacks and library wide trick-or-treating. This program is by far our most popular program and really encapsulates the joy and love that the youth department has for the children of Moscow. Thanks to the financial support of the Friends we were able to run this program with ease.

Winter Play Date at the Library

During the month of December we reinvented our traditional BabyTime and Storytime sessions and turned them into Winter Play Dates! Babies-Preschoolers and their grownups were invited to join us for two play and learn sessions each week. Themed Play Dates consisted of Color Corner, Snowy Play, Market Math & Science and more. Friends funds were used to purchase educational activities that accompanied each Play Date.

Pooh Party

This year’s annual Pooh Party was a huge success – thanks to the support of the Friends! We welcomed City Council Member Maureen Lauflin for a sweet storytime and birthday party fun. With over 60 kiddos in attendance, the children’s area was overflowing with activity – crafts, games, snacks and songs! We are excited to be able to once again offer large scale programming to the community.

Make Art

The Youth Department also began offering a once a month after school program for elementary age youth called Make Art. Each month children are guided through a different art medium and /or introduced to different artists. With the help of Friends funding, we launched this well received program and look forward to continuing to develop more after school programming.

As we wind down our winter programming, we are looking ahead to summer. We hope that you are as excited as we are to see what we have in store for this year’s summer reading. Thankfully, with the help from our Friends, summer is already looking bright.

All Ages Programming

by Stacie Echanove & Rebecca Rivapalacio

Here at the Moscow Library we take pride in serving all members of the public! Thanks to the Friends, the Adult Services Department and the Youth Services Department have teamed up to offer several all ages programming this fall and winter. Here is a snapshot of the all ages programs we are most proud of!

Halloween Haunting

We celebrated the spooky season in style with several BOO-tiful Halloween themed programs. For the second year in a row we offered Teensy Terrors: A Spooky Short Story Competition. Patrons were invited to submit scary short stories and then vote on their favorites – both in the library and online. There were winners from three different age groupings: Little Kiddos, School Age Kiddos, Teens & Adults. The winning stories were read aloud during our Witchy Watch Party. Thanks to the Friends, the Witchy Watch Party was a howling success. Patrons of all ages were invited to join us for a fun Halloween movie (Hocus Pocus) along with crafts & a light dinner.

Period Products

Thanks to generous funding from the Friends, we were able to provide period products to all Moscow Library patrons! In all four restrooms (two in the adult area & two in the youth area) period products are made freely available to all in need. In addition, Friends funds were used to support our Period Pick-Me-Up Packs. These contained a variety of period products, period positivity buttons & a sweet treat. We are so honored to fill this need in our community.

Winter Programming

The months of December thru February have had us dreamin’ of Winter – Winter Reading that is! We began our Winter Programming with a good old fashioned Book Gift event – Jolabokaflod. Gifts books (paired with a craft) were made available for free to all ages. In January we kicked off the New Year with our annual All Ages Winter Reading Challenge. This program was made possible thanks to our Friends.

Book-A-Date

Our most recent program encourages readers to take a chance on a new love! Readers are invited to book-a-date from our library book display and take a new read for a spin. Each date (book) is lovingly wrapped in themed tissue paper complete with a unique dating profile. Patrons are encouraged to select a date that speaks to their heart. We do caution, that while not every suitor is a perfect match – we hope you enjoy this new experience.

Spring Book Sale

The Friends of the Moscow Library have been busy for months collecting and sorting donations in preparation for our upcoming Spring Book Sale on Saturday March 4 from 9am to 1:30pm at the Latah County Fairgrounds located at 1021 Harold St. in Moscow.

We’ll have our traditional “Friends Only” pre-sale at the same location on the evening of Friday, March 3rd from 6:00 to 8:00 pm. If your membership has lapsed or you’d like to become a member, you may sign up at the door. Dues start at $15 for an individual membership, $25 for family membership and on up for patrons, angels etc.

We will open our doors to the general public at 9:00 am on Saturday March 4th. The book sale will close at noon and reopen at 12:15 pm for our big “Buck a Bag” sale. The book sale will then close for good at 1:30pm. Please feel free to bring your reusable bags to use at the sale or the Buck a Bag event. We don’t mind if they’re a bit bigger than regular grocery bags.

Everyone is invited to this community event to search for good books, movies, and music, all of which will be available at very reasonable prices! Proceeds go toward many Moscow Library children’s and adult programs and events, such as Summer Reading, Books for Babies, and Everybody Reads. At the sale, you will find lots and lots of books organized on tables by a wide range of categories: general fiction, science fiction, romance and western novels, home and garden, crafts, reference, history, biography, women’s studies, cook books, travel, health, hobbies, and more. Additional tables will be filled with children’s and young adult books. And still more tables will display the CDs and DVDs.

This is an event to enjoy – leisurely browsing along the aisles, exchanging pleasantries with fellow seekers, and, my favorite, watching children sort through book after book with such absolute excitement and delight. Luckily, we have a large selection of books for them to choose from.

As book lovers, we very much enjoy sharing everyone’s experiences at the book sale. As we tally books for check out, varying from one item to a basketful, we hear many comments about great finds. We also see the delight in finding just the right book, amazement at how many books could be found, and great anticipation of all the enjoyment ahead.

One comment we often hear is, “I already have too many books, but I just love books!” At this point we nod in total agreement and remind everyone that the items they are purchasing, and then enjoying, can always be given back for future sales! Books, CDs, or DVDs you’d like to donate to the next Book Sale can be dropped off at the side door of the library on 2 nd Street, Monday-Friday.

Looking forward to seeing you all soon, searching for those special items that you, or someone you know, will love to read, listen to, or watch!

See the “Help Wanted” article in this newsletter for info on how you can get involved and help out at this fun event.

If you have books to donate you may bring them directly to the Fairgrounds on Friday, no later than noon, the earlier the better. Or you may drop them off at the library anytime prior to the book sale during normal business hours. Our intrepid book sorters wish me to remind you that it’s not necessary (or even kind) to wait until the last minute to donate. Donations of clean, good condition grocery bags will also be gratefully accepted at the Fairgrounds both before and during the sale. Be sure to attend and join in the fun while supporting your library. See you there!

And just for fun, I’d like to share this lovely insight from author Ursula LeGuin:

“In reading a novel, any novel, we have to know perfectly well that the whole thing is nonsense, and then, while reading, believe every word of it. Finally, when we’re done with it, we may find-if it’s a good novel-that we’re a bit different from what we were before we read it, that we have been changed a little, as if by having met a new face, crossed a street we never crossed before. But, it’s very hard to say just what we learned, how we were changed.” – The Left Hand of Darkness, Author’s Note.

The Book Room at the 1912 Center

Have you visited the Book Room at the 1912 Center? Located in the northwest corner of the second floor, the book room has seating for children and adults for reading or browsing. Used books are available to adopt for a donation, with proceeds shared equally by Friends of the Moscow Library and Heart of the Arts (operator of the 1912 Center).

Both fiction and non-fiction books fill the wall of shelves, with additional adult fiction on a large table under the windows and small paperbacks stacked by genre on the chalk trays. Stop by and choose your next “read” any time the 1912 Center is open.

Treasurer’s Report

by Mary Hughes

I’m pleased to report that our fall sale was an unqualified success! We grossed just under $6,000 with expenses of only $587. We had fewer books than usual due to having held our spring sale later (May) than normal. Storage ($480) was, as always, the largest expense for this sale. As of this writing we have 135 member households. If your membership is due, please renew before our upcoming spring book sale. If you’re not sure when your membership is due just send a message to yousehughes@gmail.com.

So far this year we have paid the following expenses: $500 for Adult Programming, $500 for Books for Babies, $4000 for Summer Reading, $375 for youth programming other than Summer Reading, $750 for the Aunt Flow Program, and $212 for Repair Cafe Costs. The Repair Cafe cost was 100% rental of the Great Room at the 1912 Center. The program asks for donations from the folks who come to the cafe and has been able to cover most of their expenses for materials in that way.

Despite missing a couple of book sales due to Covid in the last couple of years our finances have made a nice recovery.

Our fall book sale will needs lots of people power to help it run smoothly. We’ll need help on

• Friday morning 3/3 from 9 am

display the books on the fixtures

prepare boxes to return to storage

• Friday evening 3/3 from 6 pm

prepare tally sheets

keep books neat

• Saturday 3/4 from 10 am

prepare tally sheets

keep books neat

• Saturday 3/4 from 1 pm

help put away tables & chairs

help take leftover books to recycling

take carts back to Safeway

general clean up of room

If you can lend your time and talent please contact Lynne at lmccreight@gmail.com

“I received the fundamentals of my education in school, but that was not enough. My real education, the superstructure, the details, the true architecture, I got out of the public library. For an impoverished child whose family could not afford to buy books, the library was the open door to wonder and achievement, and I can never be sufficiently grateful that I had the wit to charge through that door and make the most of it. Now, when I read constantly about the way in which library funds are being cut and cut, I can only think that the door is closing and that American society has found one more way to destroy itself.” Isaac Asimov

Friends of the Library Spring 2022 Newsletter

News From the Latah Country Library District Director
by Chris Sokol

Has a remodeling or construction project EVER been done by deadline? We’re looking forward to the anticipated completion of the Moscow Library main floor renovation by the end of February, if the wall and floor tiles for the Carnegie rest rooms come out of backorder status. I hope you haven’t developed an affinity for the temporary chipboard wall you see when you enter the library because we want that to go away asap. Master’s Touch is in the process of installing cabinetry in the workroom and office behind that oh-so-attractive wall, then the carpet can be installed. I’m happy to report the lighting in the two youth rooms is actually finished. The LED fixtures are providing a warm light and it is much brighter in that area. By the time you read this, the café-style “cyber counter” with device-charging outlets may be in place next to the windows where the newspapers are displayed. We’ve also replaced the annoying “push” style faucets in the north rest rooms with touchless sensor faucets. In December we took advantage of Avista’s LED retrofit rebate program by replacing lights in all seven of our libraries. Goodbye bulb replacement and higher energy costs.

In September the Valnet library consortium, of which we are a member, joined the Idaho Digital Ebook Alliance, known as IDEA. IDEA allows libraries to share their OverDrive/Libby eBook and eAudiobook collections, thus providing more selection and stretching budgets. Partner library systems include Blackfoot Public Library, Cooperative Information Network, East Bonner County Library District, the Idaho Commission for Libraries, Idaho Digital Consortium, Kuna District Library, LIBRI System, LYNX Library Consortium and Meridian Library District. If you’re using the Libby app you can add any of these partner libraries when you click on the magnifying glass search icon. Call your library if you need help.

Another new digital resource is our subscription to Tech-Talk, described as a “learning resource for non-techies to build tech literacy, skills and confidence.” Tech-Talk provides videos, articles and interactive classes to help you hone your technology skills. Find it and a host of other useful digital resources at https://www.latahlibrary.org/digital-resources . And while you’re on that web page please take note of our newly-designed website that aims to be more appealing and informative.

Our Outreach Coordinator, Mason Neil, has been stocking the 1912 Center’s Welcome Room with free adult take-away crafts. The next Repair Café, a popular Friends-funded project, is planned for Sunday, April 10 at the 1912 Center, from 1:00 to 4:00. Bring your items in need of repair and volunteer experts will do their best to fix them and maybe impart some repair knowledge for your benefit.

A high-contrast large print keyboard is now available that can be easily plugged in for anyone who requests it when using a library computer.

We’re excited that the Friends of the Moscow Library now have their very own catchy logo, designed by the library’s marketing coordinator, Hannah Kroese. This logo will appear on library promotional materials whenever Friends’ support is acknowledged. The logo can be seen at the top of this newsletter.

Adult Programming
by Adult Services Manager, Bailey Gillreath-Brown

New Book Club

In the fall of 2021, I started a new, short series book club called the Lawn Chair Book Club! It met outside on the grounds of the library. Attendees received a free copy of the books we discussed courtesy of the Friends of the Moscow Library. I served treats, gave out door-prizes, and we played games as a fun way to discuss the book!

Spooky Season Programs

During the month of October, the Friends supported two spooky programs – a short scary story writing contest called Teensy Terrors and a virtual program Lizzie Borden… Took an Axe. Or Did She? A Living History Portrayal by Historian Leslie Goddard.

Speaker Programs

The Friends have funded room rentals at the 1912 Center to accommodate numerous programs with speakers from the community:

On the Trail of Dr. Robinson – An Author Talk with Brandon R. Schrand, author of Psychiana Man: A Mail-Order Prophet, His Followers, and the Power of Belief in Hard Times, a program offered in partnership with the Latah County Historical Society
What Really Happened (And Didn’t Happen) at Roswell with Dr. Richard Spence
Author Talk with Ryanne Pilgeram, Author of “Pushed Out: Contested Development and Rural Gentrification in the Us West”
Accessing Internet in Idaho with Dr. Katie Blevins

To-Go Programs

One of the most successful programming formats to come out of the pandemic has been to-go programs! Patrons enjoy taking home fun kits and crafts and being able to participate on their own time in their own space. I put together two to-go craft kits that tied into Winter Reading – Hygge This, a nordic-themed ornament-painting craft, and Cross Stitch Craft, a kit that came with everything needed to cross-stitch a snowflake ornament.

Everybody Reads

Every year the Friends of the Moscow Library play a big part in hosting the community reading program, Everybody Reads. This November, due to pandemic concerns, the program was hosted virtually through two live speaker programs and two Zoom workshops. The featured speaker was Mathew Sullivan and his book Midnight at the Bright Ideas Library.

Winter Reading

During December and January, we hosted an all-ages Winter Reading Program. Participants submitted book reviews as prize entries, and reviews were displayed in the library for all patrons to read and enjoy. In addition to our reading challenge, we also hosted Jolabokaflod where we gave away over 100 books to the community!

For the month of February, we partnered with Alternatives to Violence on the Palouse to host a virtual program, Is It Love, Actually? A Look at Relationship Representation in Media and Pop Culture. This was a visual presentation that discussed some tough topics in a fun and approachable way! If you missed it the program can be viewed here.

Upcoming

I have a to-go craft planned where we’ll distribute small journals with scrapbook stickers and a fancy pen to promote self-care. We have also already begun planning for the 2022 Summer Reading Program!

This past year has continued to be a very strange and exhausting time to work in a public library. I’m grateful to the Friends for their generous support that has allowed us to adapt our programs to meet the needs of the community during the pandemic.

Youth Services
by Stacie Echanove

Here we are wrapping another season of Pandemic Programming at the Latah County Library District! Heading into our third year of the global pandemic, we have learned a few tricks and techniques that have made library programming rewarding to both staff and patrons alike! And thanks to the support of Friends of the Moscow Library, we were able to make an impactful experience for the youth of our community.

Outdoor Storytimes
Weekly through the Summer and Fall, the Youth Department hosted outdoor Storytime. It was so meaningful to see our littlest patrons face-to-face. We were able to cement many of the relationships that we had made through online programming with our families. We are so happy that we were able to offer a safe and fun activity for children and their grownups. We held outdoor storytimes while the weather was beautiful, and then headed back online when the weather began to turn too cold. The transition back to online programming has been smooth and even though meeting online cannot take the place of meeting in-person, it is a fun and safe way for kiddos in the Latah County area to socialize and interact with their local library! We are excited to wrap-up our online programming and head back outside this spring.

Programming for school aged kiddos and teens
This fall we brought back programming for school aged youth with the After School Craft Club. This club met monthly outdoors during the fall and transitioned to a pickup program in the winter. Thanks to the support of the Friends, we were able to create a fun and innovative program that welcomed school aged kiddos back to the library!

We also began a to-go Teen program this Fall; Something for YA: A Teen Subscription Box program. Each month, library staff has created a special program for registered participants which includes a special book to checkout boxed with thematic treats. With support from the Friends and the Foundation, we have been able to open this program to both teens and adults!

Special Programming
While the Moscow Library has been navigating the ups and downs of Pandemic Programming during our regular programming cycle, we have also creatively added new and/or special programming! A few of the programs that we were able to offer thanks to the Friends were: Skull-K Around the Library – an outdoor Halloween celebration for little kiddos, Reindeer Games – a winter holiday program for children of all ages, Winter Reading – our annual all ages reading challenge program and Outreach to the Adventure Club – we are currently partnering with the Moscow School District to bring elements from our Afterschool Craft Club to Adventure Club.

What’s Around the Corner?
Here in the Youth Department at the Library we are excited to see what the next few months bring us! As we begin to wrap up winter programs and plan for Summer Reading, we are enthusiastically looking ahead to a brighter and more fun season. While the pandemic still has challenges in store for our community, we are confident that with the support of the Friends, we can still be a source of light for our patrons!

by Caroline Carley
Between the pandemic, and my status as being recently retired, I now have lots of time to read, and gosh, I am so enjoying myself. It reminds me of being a kid again, especially during those long summer months, when the library was a short bike ride away and we had days and days ahead of us to read the many books we pulled from the shelves. Decades later, I have traded the bike and leisure of sauntering through the library stacks, for my computer and the beauty of finding a book in our on-line catalog. Finding books on-line, placing them on hold, then walking into the library to pick them up, has become the best of all worlds for me and my love of the library.

The selection of books in our Valnet Libraries catalog is incredibly large and we have the wonderful feature of placing a hold on any book in the catalog, wherever it is physically located at the moment. Once the hold is placed, we can sit back and look forward to the book arriving, in a relatively short time, just for us, on the Moscow library’s Self-Service Holds bookshelf!

I love to search the library catalog for books recommended by friends and authors; listed on newspaper and magazine best books lists; or found as I browse through real and virtual bookstores. Always amazing to me, is the availability of the most recently published and highly popular books.

When I find a book (or books, most likely) I want, I place a hold. I enter my library card number and my last name, indicate that I will pick it up at the Moscow library, then sit back and wait. I can follow my hold status. I may be 1st, or 51st, in line for my turn to have a book and can expect to receive it within a few days or a few weeks. It may need to travel from another library in another county; be very new and very popular with numerous holds already placed on it; or currently checked out by someone savoring the many days they have to read it. Not to worry, it will eventually be my turn. Most often, sooner, rather than later.

When it is my turn for the book, I receive a notification letting me know it is ready for pick up. And that really feels like Christmas! “Hooray, my book is in” and I am off to the Moscow Library. I haven’t yet tired of the excitement of entering the building, heading to the Self-Service Holds shelves, and looking for my newly arrived book. I know that it has been expertly shelved and marked by a tag with the first two letters of my last name, first two letters of my first name, and last seven digits of my library card. Pulling it off the shelf with a “ta-da,” I happily check out at the Circulation Desk or Self-Checkout, and head home with my much anticipated read in hand, already looking forward to my next available hold!

Treasurer’s Report
by Mary Hughes
Our fall book sale was a great success with gross receipts of $5,347 in combined book and accessory sales and membership renewals. We had expenses of $1,018 with storage ($480), sales tax ($241), and advertising ($211) making up the lion’s share. For a net of $4,329. Recent outlays of friends funds include: $1,500 for Adult Programming, $5,041 for Children & Youth Programming including the last of last year’s Summer Reading Program and $159 for use of the 1912 Center for the Repair Cafe.

We had a rocky road last year due to the lack of a spring sale but we managed to muddle through with income from our book room at the 1912 Center which totaled just over $6,000 for the year. It really saved our bacon and we were happy to donate a portion of the proceeds to the 1912 Center to help fund further renovations. Look for the return of the book room later this year once work on the 2nd floor has been completed. In the meantime you can find us at the March 5th Winter Market and we will also have a table of gardening books at the U of I Arboretum plant sale on May 21st from 9 am to noon in the Rotary Ice Rink at the Latah County Fairgrounds.

Just a quick reminder that membership renewals are due in March. If you haven’t renewed your membership in the last 12 months, now is the time!
Membership renewals may be dropped off at the library or mailed to:
Friends of the Moscow Library
110 S. Jefferson St.
Moscow, ID 83843
Membership levels are:
$15.00 Single
$25.00 Family
$50.00 Patron
$100.00 Carol Ryrie Brink Club
$500.00 Carnegie Club

SPRING BOOK SALE POSTPONED DUE TO OMICRON

This spring’s book sale has been postponed due to the more infectious Omicron variant of the ongoing Covid pandemic. We hope to be able to reschedule it for later in the spring or early summer. Stay tuned for more info!

“Don’t join the book burners. Don’t think you are going to conceal faults by concealing evidence that they ever existed. Don’t be afraid to go in your library and read every book …”

– Dwight D. Eisenhower

Friends of the Moscow Library Fall Newsletter 2021

News From the Latah County Library District Director

by Chris Sokol

Renovation of the Moscow Library main floor is finally happening! The board of trustees of the Latah County Library District voted to accept a bid from K & G Construction and the project will begin right after Labor Day. We will try to keep the library open during the entire construction period so be prepared for occasional dust, din and discombobulation when you visit the library over the next few months.

Here’s what we’re planning:

Improve the two petite-sized restrooms in the Carnegie portion of the library by modernizing, insulating and making them as ADA-compliant as possible. Remove the false ceiling to expose the arched top of the windows.
Install a café-style counter at the south-facing windows in the New Book area to allow multiple readers and laptop users to enjoy a direct view to the outside.
Convert the two restrooms in the adult area to gender-neutral single-user access, with locking outer doors.
Improve the dim lighting in the youth rooms.
Create a circulation workroom where the current circulation desk and work area are now, to reduce clutter and allow staff to perform work with less distraction (and less room for error), while lessening workspace congestion in the lower level.
Replace the circulation desk with a mobile service desk that will be more accommodating to those in wheelchairs as well as children.
Create a small office between the existing women’s restroom and the new circulation workroom, to provide the circulation department manager with an office that has real walls and a door rather than a 5’x 6.5′ cubicle nestled among several other cubicles in the lower level

Here’s a snapshot of the Moscow Library building history: It was built in 1905-1906 with a grant from Andrew Carnegie. In 1931 an addition almost doubling the space was added on the east side. In 1982 a modest addition was added on the north side. No major renovation to the main floor has been done since 1982, except for new carpet, paint and realignment and addition of shelving in the early 2000s. Our space continues to be inadequate for a modern public library, but until we can expand, we opted for a facelift and some reconfiguration to make more efficient use of the space we have. This project is partially supported by a grant from the Laura Moore Cunningham Foundation.

In other Moscow Library news:
We’d like to thank Avista Utilities for enabling us to purchase an upgraded bicycle pump installed in front of the library. Don’t forget, well-filled bicycle tires make it easier to climb Moscow hills, so use our new orange pump’s gauge to check if your tire pressure needs a boost!

We received an American Rescue Plan Act grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, through the Idaho Commission for Libraries, for $34,900. This one-time funding was targeted towards pandemic recovery efforts and will be used to purchase these items:

Haley Technology Book Bike that we can take out into the community to such events as the Farmer’s Market, to display and check out library materials and register people for library cards using a mobile hotspot. Check it out: https://www.haleytricycles.com/book-bikes
20 patron computers, six monitors, and Microsoft licenses
Eight iPads to be loaded with fun educational software for youth, and used in-house at all LCLD libraries
Two colorful Sphere tablet stands to lock down two iPads at Moscow
Six iPad cases for our branch libraries
Two tablets + wall mounts or stands for patron catalog use at Moscow
Meeting room USB-speakerphone to make it easier to hold Zoom meetings
Large print, high-contrast color keyboard for those with low vision (this is now available)
Device chargers for patron use in-house

The Valnet catalog was enhanced in March with the addition of NoveList Select. This integrated feature provides reader’s advisory assistance such as “Read-alikes,” where you can find other authors similar to your favorites, and preferred story elements such as “Compelling appeal,” “Complex characters” or “Historical fiction.”

In July we had a surprise visit from three generations of descendants of Carol Ryrie Brink. The family traveled from California to view the portrait of Brink as a girl, painted by Audrey Barr. Brink grew up in Moscow and wrote several children’s and some adult books. She won the Newbery Medal in 1936 for her novel Caddie Woodlawn, based on the life of her eleven-year-old grandmother and her family of Wisconsin pioneers.

If you didn’t get a chance to take in this summer’s delightful Artwalk pieces on display at the Moscow Library, created by Julene Ewert, you can catch a glimpse of her work when we mount two of her colorful banners purchased for the children’s nonfiction room. The Moscow Library’s participation in Artwalk is funded every year by the Friends.

And speaking of colorful, you may have noticed the new Latah County Library District logo. It reflects the fanlight windows of the Carnegie building of the Moscow headquarters, while incorporating seven differently-colored elements representing the seven LCLD libraries (Bovill, Deary, Genesee, Juliaetta, Moscow, Potlatch, Troy). The logo was designed by our Marketing Specialist Hannah Kroese.

The Return of Repair Café!
by Jackie Carter

In June, we were able to reopen the Repair Café for the first time since before the Pandemic. The volunteers and myself were very excited to be back in business. The event wasn’t heavily attended, possibly due to 100+ degree temperatures during that time, but the visitors we did have were very enthusiastic and happy to see us returning. One visitor told me she had been saving up all her household items over the past year in anticipation of the next Repair Café, and she brought a pile of those items with her. She apparently wasn’t the only one, because, though our door count was 14, we repaired over 40 items that day!

One thing I would like to do in the future is have a scale and a “tote board” at the events so we can weigh and keep track of the cumulative weight of the items we are saving from the landfill. This display will provide an interesting visual for our visitors as well as graphic evidence of the impact we are having on our community.
Another thing that we will be doing is offering books on repair and mending for checkout at the Repair Café events. We have always had the books there at a reading table for people to browse, but we weren’t set up for checkout. We did this for the first time in June and we were prepared to set up library accounts for anyone who didn’t have one. There were no takers this time, but there were several people at the reading table.

Our next event is set for October 17, contingent upon Covid conditions of course. As always, many thanks to the Friends of the Moscow Library for their continued support of the program. At each event, I am told over and over again how much people appreciate the opportunity to get things repaired for free and it’s very gratifying to hear.

Adult Programming
by Adult Services Manager, Bailey Gillreath-Brown

In the spring, thanks to the support of the Friends of the Moscow Library, I hosted several programs that I’m proud of, including a Virtual Author Event with Annie Lampman, author of “Sins of the Bees” and two sessions of Evil Librarians, a fake true crime podcast with accompanying book scavenger hunts!

Summer Reading this year was open to all ages. We had an amazing 250 adults register for Moscow’s Summer Reading Program! I was excited to partner with the Youth Services Department to offer some all-ages programs throughout June and July, including Fairyopolis – a beloved annual fairy-house-building program, Make-A-Zine an interview with local author and illustrator Noah Kroese, and The Mystery of Nancy Drew, an exploration the history of the Nancy Drew books for the 90th anniversary of the series, all of which had a to-go activity for pick-up, thanks to the support of the Friends! The Friends also supported two adult FUNtivity pick-up programs that each featured a unique candy taste-test, one in June and one in July, as well as to-go tie-dye kits for all ages for our TIE DYE For All program. We closed out Summer Reading with an all-ages HULA-Baloo, an outdoor hula hoop party that featured music, bubbles, crafts, and snacks! Adults had a chance to win one of many exciting Grand Prizes that the Friends funded, including a dutch oven and camping cookbook, a punch needle and rug hooking book, two different charcuterie boards and accompanying cookbooks, a cake stand and Great British Bake-Off cookbook, two locally-sourced “Latah Love” prizes, and more!

This fall, I have an exciting line-up of adult programs, many of which will be hosted at the 1912 Center’s Lecompte Auditorium thanks to the support of the Friends! In August I hosted the first session of the new, limited series Lawn Chair Book Club, and On the Trail of Dr. Robinson An Author Talk with Brandon R. Schrand, author of “Psychiana Man: A Mail-Order Prophet, His Followers, and the Power of Belief in Hard Times”, hosted in partnership with the Latah County Historical Society. Brandon R. Schrand discussed his book, “Psychiana Man”, which traces the rise and fall of Frank B. Robinson, founder of Psychiana, a Moscow-based self-help religion that flourished throughout the Great Depression and WWII. The author signed copies of the book and attendees had a chance to win a free copy!

Coming in September the Friends will be supporting two exciting author talks: What Really Happened (And Didn’t Happen) at Roswell with Dr. Richard Spence and Author Talk with Dr. Ryanne Pilgeram, author of “Pushed Out: Contested Development and Rural Gentrification in the Us West”.

At the Roswell program, Dr. Richard Spence will offer an overview of the Roswell UFO case, looking at what was actually said and done at the time as opposed to all the stories and spin that have cropped up since. He will also touch on the recent Unidentified Aerial Phenomena report. This program is scheduled for Thursday, September 9th at 5:30 pm in the beautifully restored Lecompte Auditorium on the 2nd floor of the 1912 Center, 412 E 3rd St. in Moscow.

At the second September program, Dr. Ryanne Pilgeram will give an author talk about her new book, “Pushed Out”, which explores the structural forces driving rural gentrification and examines how social and environmental inequality are written onto these landscapes. Attendees will have a chance to win a free copy. This talk will take place on Friday, September 24th at noon in the Lecompte Auditorium at the 1912 Center.

On Friday, October 8th at noon the Friends will be helping to fund “Lizzie Borden… Took an Axe. Or Did She? A Living History Portrayal by Leslie Goddard”. Award-winning actress Leslie Goddard, Ph.D., will bring to life Lizzie Borden, accused of the brutal hatchet murder of her father and stepmother in 1892. “Lizzie” will talk about her life growing up in Fall River, Massachusetts, her estrangement from her stepmother, and her troubled relationship with her father. Was Lizzie a desperate and unsettled daughter who resorted to murder …. Or an innocent woman who could never escape the trauma that destroyed her life? This event is virtual on Facebook Live.

In November, the Friends are heavily involved in planning and supporting Everybody Reads! This year’s featured author is Matthew Sullivan and his book “Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore”. Sullivan’s debut novel is a fiendishly clever mystery that will keep you guessing until the very last page, where the truth, in the end, may be stranger than fiction. Everybody Reads takes place on Tuesday November 2nd at 7:00 pm in the Lecompte Auditorium at the 1912 Center.

Also in November, we will host “Accessing Internet in Idaho” with Dr. Katie Blevins. The pandemic has highlighted the reliance we have on the internet for daily tasks. Come learn, about and discuss, the issues surrounding access to the internet in the state of Idaho: geographical, federal and state regulation, designation as a utility, and technology. Dr. Blevins will give her talk on Tuesday, November 16th in the Lecompte Auditorium at the 1912 Center at 5:30 pm.

This has been a very strange and exhausting time to work in a public library. I’m grateful to the Friends for their generous support that has allowed us to adapt our programs to meet the needs of the community during the pandemic.

A Friend-ly Summer:

Summer 2021 at the Moscow
Public Library
by Stacie Echanove – Youth Services Manager

If there is one thing that is constant with libraries, it is that libraries are ever changing! And this year is no different. The coronavirus pandemic has rocked our library programming for the second summer in a row, and while we were all in the thick of the terrible woods, we were able to connect with our community and offer a fun Summer Reading Program with the ever-helpful Friends of the Moscow Library. Just HOW exactly did the Friends support this year’s pandemic version of Summer Reading? Keep reading to find out!
One of the highlights of this Summer’s Program was our FUN-tivities To-Go. Many families were not comfortable venturing out, especially to public events, this summer, so our to-go programs were a perfect solution! With the generous financial support of the Friends we were able to create two different FUN-tivity programs which served a large number of children. The FUN-tivities included a Candy Sushi activity and Wizarding World Harry Potter activities. We received wonderful feedback on each of these activities and are excited to offer similar programs during next year’s Summer Reading Program.

This summer brought back a yearly standby: Entertainment in the Park! This year’s partnership with the City of Moscow (Moscow Arts Department) brought us two fun and local musical performances: Sesitshaya Marimba Ensemble and The Border Highlanders. It was fun to offer these child and family friendly performances for the Moscow community. We are already thinking of the children’s performances for next summer, and hope to bring back crowd favorites such as Radical Rick or Reptile Man.

We were so impressed with the amount of Summer Reading participants this year! Originally, we had expected to serve far fewer children and families simply due to pandemic concerns. However, many patrons still registered for Summer Reading and dutifully completed each reading milestone. We wanted to make sure each child who participated in this year’s Summer Reading Program felt loved and acknowledged, and what better way to convey those feelings than through prizes?! With the funds provided by the Friends, we were able to supply every registered child with a free book and small milestone prizes. For our Grand Prizes we brought back the ever-popular *backpacks stuffed with the school supplies you REALLY want.*

The Youth Services Department is so thankful to the Friends of the Moscow Library. With their support we were able to add joy and light to a very dark year for a lot of children. Here at the Moscow Public Library, we felt that especially this year, kiddos needed a win, and it was an honor to be such a bright spot in their lives. We are very hopeful that next summer the pandemic will be behind us and that it will be safe for children to gather and celebrate Summer Reading with the library!

FOL Fall Book Sale
Taking Stock

Over the past year, dozens of generous donors have contributed books to Friends of the Moscow Library. After the Book Room at the 1912 Center was full, we began storing books for our next big book sale.

Time for that sale is almost here and many treasures await shoppers. As well as a wide variety of books from individuals, we received many gifts from estates and organizations. A few of note are:

Hundreds of science fiction classic paperbacks by Hugo and Nebula award winners of the 1950s-1970s
Books on pet breeds and their care from the Humane Society of the Palouse
Quilting, knitting, and lots of other hand work books from Palouse Patchers
A large collection of babies’ board books
How-to-write manuals and reference books for all genres
Popular fiction featuring doctors and nurses: romance, mystery and general fiction
Cookbooks: ethnic specialties, special diets and those by famous chefs
Jazz CDs from a musician’s collection
Arts and crafts from advanced jewelry making to beadwork…
plus all of our usual genres in abundance.

Many thanks to everyone who gave us all these books!

by Molly Smith

When I think about all the ways a library can enrich our lives, I often remember a time that was bleak. Such times come into every life once in a while – times when action is impossible and there is nothing to do but wait. For me, it happened in 1984 when my four month old son was diagnosed with cancer. My life became weeks spent in the hospital and more weeks rocking my baby who didn’t feel so good. I wanted to be anywhere else, preferably on a different planet. Thus began my life long appreciation for science fiction and fantasy. Why let reality wreck your day, right? Our library has plenty of resources to get you away for a few hours, or however long you need.

One series I particularly enjoyed was Merovingen Nights, which begins with a novel by C.J. Cherryh. In Merovingen, a girl from the poor part of town (the canals) rescues a handsome man from the rich part of town (the towers) when he falls into the canal. He’s on the run and she hides him. The other books in the series were written by multiple authors and create quite an interesting world to fall into. Alas, it’s out of print, but there are many other titles that will get you nicely into an alternate universe. I’ve enjoyed Dune by Frank Herbert, The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher, The Bobbiverse books by Dennis E. Taylor, and Fred the Vampire Accountant by Drew Hayes. And there are so many more I can’t possibly list them.

So I urge you, when things are looking bad, go to the library and get yourself some escapist fiction. Reality is overrated

Volunteer Help Wanted!
September 24-25, 2021
at the Latah County Fairgrounds

After a year off, the Friends booksale will be back the weekend after the County Fair. Many asked, “Will there be enough books for a sale with the Book Room still in operation?” The answer is a resounding “Absolutely!” Once again, we will be setting books out on the tiered exhibit shelves. Put on a mask and come help us set up and run a socially distanced sale.

Friday, 9/24 at 9am

Set out books on shelves
Prep boxes for return to storage

We’d also welcome help during the sale:
Friday, 9/24 from 6 to 8pm

Help with checkout

Saturday, 9/21 from 10 to 2pm

Help with checkout
Clean up chores

Since the book sale runs 100% on volunteer power, we are grateful for every bit of help!
RSVP or ?s to: lmccreight@gmail.com

Treasurer’s Report
by Mary Hughes

Since our last newsletter we have received $3356 in donations from our Book Room at the 1912 Center. Hooray! Thank you 1912 Center! We have also received $3495 in Membership renewals. Thanks to all who renewed their membership!

Our recent outlays of funds include:

$2036 for Books for Babies
$2211 for Summer Reading
$717 for Adult Programming
$159 for the Repair Cafe

I know there are still some Summer Reading Program costs to come in the next billing cycle as well as more Adult Programming. We can continue the Book Room until the 2nd WInter Market on November 13th. Then we have to clear the room for Christmas for Kids and after that, renovations. We are in better financial shape than expected and I hope the upcoming fall book sale will further shore up our finances.

Friends of the Library
Book Sale returns!!!

Our book sale will take place on the 24th & 25th of September at the Latah County Fairgrounds, 1021 Harold St. in Moscow. We’re making a few changes to keep everyone safe with the resurgence of Covid. We strongly urge everyone to wear a mask. We’ll have plenty of hand sanitizer available. We won’t be having any finger foods or drinks at either the public sale or the presale, and seating will be very limited. We will have a larger number of shopping carts available for shoppers. We’ll have our traditional “Friends Only” presale on the evening of Friday, September 24th from 6:00 to 8:00 pm. If your membership has lapsed or you’d like to become a member, you may sign up at the door. Dues start at $15 for an individual membership, $25 for family membership, $50 for a Patron, $100 Carol Ryrie Brink Club, $500 Carnegie Club. You may also renew at the library or send your membership dues in advance of the book sale to Friends of the Moscow Library, 110 S. Jefferson St. Moscow, ID 83843

Remember, we can now accept debit and credit cards for your membership dues and purchases. This will mean we lose a couple of percent to the bank so if you’d like to voluntarily add a little to your total to offset that we’d really appreciate it.

We will open our doors to the general public at 8:00 am on Saturday September 25th. The book sale will close at Noon and reopen at 12:15 pm for our big “Buck a Bag” sale. The book sale will then close for good at 1:30pm. Please feel free to bring your reusable bags to use at the sale or the Buck a Bag event. We don’t mind if they’re a bit bigger than regular grocery bags. In response to customer questions I must stress that books may not be held over from the regular price sale to the buck a bag sale. That would defeat the whole purpose of having a regular price sale.

See the “Help Wanted” article in this newsletter for info on how you can get involved and help out at this fun event. If you have books to donate you may bring them directly to the Fairgrounds on Friday, no later than noon, the earlier the better. Or you may drop them off at the library anytime prior to the book sale during normal business hours. Our brave book sorters wish me to remind you that it’s not necessary (or even kind) to wait until the last minute to donate. Donations of clean, good condition grocery bags will also be gratefully accepted at the Fairgrounds both before and during the sale. Be sure to attend and join in the fun while supporting your library. See you there!

Friends of the Moscow Library Spring 2021 Newsletter

News From the Library Director
by Chris Sokol

If there’s one thing the staff here at the Moscow Library have noticed about the Friends of the Moscow Library, it’s that these folks are persistent and resilient. The semi-annual book sales at the fairgrounds have long been the fundraising mainstay for the Friends. What happens when a pandemic forces you to cancel your big fundraiser? You find another way to try to fill the gap! The Book Room at the 1912 Center (described elsewhere in this newsletter) gives our community a chance once again to satisfy the craving to buy inexpensive books and other materials while helping to supplement library funding.

A word about how the Latah County Library District is supported: The LCLD is an independent taxing district of seven libraries throughout the county. If you live in Latah County, you help support us with your taxes and we work hard to use that money wisely. We manage our own budget, which provides us with the means to purchase many tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of physical and digital materials for our collections. That’s where we put our budgeting emphasis.

But programming is another significant component of library services. While we include programming in our library district budget, this is the area where the Moscow location of the LCLD relies heavily on the Friends of the Library– a volunteer booster group entirely separate from the LCLD. The Summer Reading Program, now expanded to include all ages, is wildly popular but does not come cheap. We’ve added an all ages Winter Reading Program, done on a smaller scale. And we’ve always hosted a variety of other intermittent programs such as Everybody Reads, author visits, STEM and early literacy events for youth, and more. Enter the Friends of the Moscow Library and their invaluable funding support to keep our programming vibrant. Of course, library programs across the globe have shifted temporarily to virtual and curbside platforms, but the Friends have helped there, too, with funding for prizes, take-away crafts, and book drawings to help keep our community happy and sane during these strange times.

We are gearing up for some remodeling of the Moscow Library main floor this spring. We hope to keep the library open while that happens but you will undoubtedly experience some dust and minor disruption. The Library Hamster, recently featured in an exclusive interview in the Moscow-Pullman Daily News, currently reigns over the Moscow Library from the comfort of a Plexiglas enclosure perched on the circulation desk. The remodel means we’ll have to find another prominent spot for our promotional (stuffed) spokesrodent. In the accompanying photo you can see Hamster prepping for Read in the Bathtub Day. Did you miss this scintillating interview? Catch the library columns in each Saturday edition of the Daily News, with contributions from the Latah County Library, Neill Public Library, Whitman County Library, and now the UI and WSU libraries.

Have you signed up for the Latah County Library District monthly eNewsletter? It’s brief, it’s colorful, it’s informative, and it’s yours at http://latahlibrary.org/news/182-newsletter . Or find the link at the bottom of our website.

The Book Room,
Brought to You By…

By late summer the Friends of the Library board knew it would be impossible to hold the usual big fall book sale due to the pandemic. Jenny Kostroff, 1912 Center manager, suggested that the Friends’ used book stock could be set out in a 2nd floor classroom and visited by folks who might like to adopt books in exchange for a donation. Proceeds would be shared with the 1912 Center building fund to later renovate the classroom in lieu of rent.

The classroom would be available as soon as the current construction on the second floor was complete. The Friends’ board, feeling that the “Book Room” could be operated following social distancing guidelines, voted to give it a try. Board members went to work finding fixtures and stock for the Book Room.

When the first pandemic stay-at-home order had gone into effect in March, FOL had just completed its spring book sale and had no stock. Then two area bookshops went out of business and gave the Friends much of their remaining stock. In September a team of board members went to work sorting that stock from storage. It became clear that we had no popular fiction or children’s books. We needed new donations.

The library was open but could not accept new book donations because of space constraints. So, word got around and FOL board members, their friends and neighbors contributed books, families that were downsizing asked to donate books and libraries culling stock made donations. By mid-October we had eighty boxes of a variety of genres waiting in a nearby garage – enough to initially stock the Book Room.

After the Book Room opened in December, shelves of additional stock were set up on the 1912 Center 1st floor, ready to refill Book Room tables. Small quantities of donations can be accepted there now (see Jenny).

So, the Book Room is brought to you by hundreds of book lovers, all true “friends of the library”. A big THANK YOU to every one of you!

What’s in the Book Room?

Books of every genre found at our big book sales
Lots of classic science fiction and fantasy
Media: music CDs, movie DVDs, audio books
Old treasures and recent publications
Lots of young adult books from the Moscow Library, many like new
Oodles of gift possibilities; blank journals, reference and how-to book

Article by Lynn McCreight

Libraries – A Gateway to the Unexpected
by Molly Smith, Friends of the Moscow Library Co-President

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the potential of any library to provide the unexpected, even a life altering experience. In my own life, two examples spring instantly to mind. The first spanned several years and began when I was nine. I begged my parents for a dog. They said no, claiming it was a bad idea to have a dog in the city. I compensated by reading books about dogs, including the classic dog stories Big Red, Old Yeller and Where the Red Fern Grows, which I brought home by the bike basket full from the Boise Public Library. My favorites, however, were a series of books by a man named Albert Payson Terhune. This gentleman was a writer and journalist who bred collies at his home in New Jersey. He wrote over thirty books about his collies. By today’s standards they do not cut it as literary masterpieces. They are sappy and betray his various prejudices about people of color. But somehow he managed to capture the personality of the collie, and I became obsessed. My beleaguered parents had to listen to my endless pleas for a collie, which I maintained was well adapted to life in town. This went on until I had saved enough money to move out on my own and purchase a puppy. That was nearly fifty years ago and I now share my life and my sofa with my eighth collie, Hamish.

My second most memorable library event took place much more recently, perhaps twenty years ago. My library at the time, in Kooskia, Idaho, consisted of donated books and an all volunteer staff. It was housed in an unused corner of City Hall. I checked out a cookbook published by the Elk City PTA. Some of you may know that Elk City is really the end of the road. Who would expect to find anything in it of note? I did find a recipe for salsa that I treasure. I’ve been making it every summer since, although I’ve added more peppers of various kinds.

Our Moscow Library today has many more resources than either of the libraries in which I found my treasures. You can check out anything from an Itty Bitty Brain Box to a ukulele to a sewing machine. The opportunities for stumbling upon a random life changing book other item are endless. When you visit the library, feel free to leave your usual reading habits behind and select something unfamiliar, something random. You could bring home something that will change you in a way you never expected.

Youth Services Fall/Winter Report
by Stacie Echanove
Youth Services Manager

Library services during a pandemic are not for the faint of heart. Here at the Latah County Library District we have found many ways to adapt our services – from curbside checkouts, to plexiglass barriers, to changes in our programming. In the Youth Services Department we have still found many ways to deliver programs while doing our part to ensure the safety of staff and patrons alike. The “to-go” and passive programs offered by the Youth Department, with the help from funds from the Moscow Friends, have provided the community with entertainment and opportunities for learning. Instead of providing the Friends with a list containing the multiple programs we provided this fall/winter, we have decided to highlight the four programs that we feel best served the youth of Moscow & Latah County. (Visit our facebook page for a complete timeline of all Youth Services Events & Programs)

Hide and Eek – A Halloween Scavenger Hunt

For the month of October we celebrated Halloween at the Moscow Public Library with a spooky outdoor scavenger hunt. Children were invited to grab a Hide and Eek Scavenger Hunt sheet from the handy-dandy outdoor display and hunt the grounds outside the library building for the scarily cute monsters on their scavenger sheet. After the kiddo found all the hidden monsters, they were encouraged to come to the Circulation desk in the library and declare, “I Found the Monsters”! to be rewarded with a Spooky Prize! The prizes consisted of fall themed picture books, treats and crafts. This program was so well received by the community that we will probably continue to host Hide and Eek, even after the pandemic.

ScreenTime: Zoom Babytime & Zoom Storytime

Each month since September, Youth Services Manager Stacie has hosted ScreenTime. This program consists of a monthly BabyTime & monthly Storytime. All registered participants for these programs have received special ‘at-home’ Storytime or BabyTime toolkits, so that caregivers can continue their early literacy journey with their little ones. Being able to meet with children & families via zoom has been such a wonderful way to stay connected with our storytime families. Even though meeting online cannot take the place of meeting in-person, it is a fun and safe way for kiddos in the Latah County area to socialize and interact with their local library! We are hoping to increase our storytime offerings in the spring and summer.

Santa Programs

The Moscow Public Library does not typically host Christmas/Santa specific programming, but this has been a year of changes and we decided to host a program of pure joy for the community. Our special Santa themed programming included Reindeer Express: your direct post to and from The Man with the Bag and a Santa Drive Thru. For our letter exchange, the Latah County Library District Elves invited children of all ages to drop off their letter to Santa using the Magical Mailbox at the Circulation Desk and await a merry message of reply.

During our Santa Drive-Thru, Santa and his Happy Helpers deliver drive-through waves, hellos and treats! Both of these Santa themed programs allowed us to bring such joy to our community and we are very proud of the work we put into them.

Story Stroll through Downtown Moscow

For the month of January, the Moscow Public Library teamed up with several local businesses for a StoryStroll. Participating businesses in the downtown area hosted pages from the picture book Snowmen at Night by Caralyn Buehner. Community members were invited to stroll through downtown and read the book as they passed each window. This program allowed us the opportunity to not only develop wonderful partnerships with local businesses, it also allowed us to provide free and safe entertainment. We are hoping to partner with these businesses again during the summer months to promote our Summer Reading Program.

As you can see, we have had a very busy season, and with Summer Reading right around the corner, there are no signs of slowing down. As we wind down our Winter Programming I am hopeful that the Youth Services staff is able to take some time to reflect on the great impact we have made for youth & families of Latah County. While it is so important to support our community during these trying times, it is also important to support ourselves and our need for self-care and self-compassion. We are very thankful for the Moscow Friends, and their continued support of Youth Programming. Together we will get through these difficult times.

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Treasurer’s Report
by Mary Hughes

Have you visited the Friends of the Library Book Room on the 2nd floor of the 1912 Center yet? If not you’re in for a treat! We have a nice selection in all categories of fiction and non fiction as well as lots of books for children and young adults. In addition there is also a variety of CDs, DVDs, LPs and books on CD. Be sure to stop by often as we are constantly restocking so it’s never the same store twice! The room can be accessed by customers anytime the 1912 Center is open, just ask Jenny or one of the staff to let you in. Sales are by donation and there is a secure donation box for deposits. Occupancy is limited to just a few customers at a time to observe social distancing guidelines. Masks are required at all times per the 1912 Center rules. Please use the provided hand sanitizer before and after handling the books. A generous grant from an anonymous member allowed us to buy 12 tables as well as several wall hung shelves from the WSU Surplus store to display our ever changing inventory of great books. The proceeds go to the Friends of the Library to support our usual projects (including the Summer Reading Program) and the 1912 Center to help fund further improvements.

Due to the continuing Covid 19 situation we will not be having our usual Spring Book Sale at the Latah County Fairgrounds this March. Combined with the cancellation of our sale last fall this has made quite a dent in our finances. We applied for and were awarded a generous grant from the Latah Community Foundation of $1,000 to help with this year’s Summer Reading Program expenses. The 1912 Center book room has so far brought in $1,237 which is a great help. We are still looking at a possible budget shortfall this year.

Recent outlays of Friends funds include:

$1940 for Books for Babies materials
$732 for Summer Reading Program
$65 for Adult programming
$60 for software upgrade to Friends accounting program
$22 for supplies & printing for the Book Room

We couldn’t do any of this without you, our members. Your membership dollars make our support of the library possible.

Thank you for your continued support and for being a true friend to your library!

Fall and Winter Adult Programming
by Adult Services Manager, Bailey Gillreath-Brown

In October, the Friends supported two rounds of Book Look, a Book Scavenger Hunt, where we hid new, popular books around Moscow with information about the library. During this month, I partnered with the Moscow Human Rights Committee to celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day with a book display, an Overdrive collection, a display of Native artifacts in the display case, and educational handouts for patrons. For Halloween, I did a live reading of a Spooky Story for Adults on Facebook Live.

In November, I developed a Paint-By-Numbers Pick-Up Project which was a take-away craft for adults, and we opened registration for our District-wide Winter Reading. Winter Reading was an all-ages program that ran through December and January. Upon sign-up, patrons automatically received a goodie bag filled with an ornament craft, cocoa, candy, a scented bookmark, and a scratch-off reading challenge card. If their challenge card was a winner, they could pick up their grand prize at the end of January, consisting of a new book and a gift card to a local Latah County small business! Also in December, I offered a Paper Bag Snowflake Pick-Up Project. Each Pick-Up Project also entails a how-to video posted to Facebook.

Winter Reading continued into January, when we opened up a second round of registration, after the first round filled up within a few days. As part of this program, we also adapted Book Look for winter, and brought the scavenger hunt into our libraries across the District. During this month, I was excited to offer a Virtual Author Talk with Jess Walter. That event took place on Zoom-to-Facebook Live, and was well attended. I encouraged patrons to submit questions for the author ahead of the event, and incentivized it promoting a drawing for those who submitted questions to win a copy of Jess Walter’s The Cold Millions.

As of the beginning of February, I launched the Grab & Go Garden with help from the Master Gardener who manages the P.E.A.S. Seed Library. Now patrons can stop in and grab assembled envelopes of the eight most-requested seed categories, and can submit special requests for seeds outside of those categories through a paper form at the library or online through a form on our website. For the month of February, this is presented with a book display in the front of the library. I am also looking forward to Bloody Valentine, an Anti-Valentine’s Day Program for teens and adults. This program includes a Facebook Live reading of spooky short stories of “romance gone wrong” along with a take-away kit to Be Your Own Valentine. This kit includes several mental health/self-care items to help during this time of isolation.

Each month, I also host the Whatcha Reading Wednesday Book Club on Facebook, where patrons can comment and converse about books they are reading or want to read.

This has been a very strange and exhausting time to work in a public library. I’m grateful to the Friends for their generous support that has allowed us to adapt our programs to meet the needs of the community during the pandemic.

Friends of the Library membership
Many members renew their membership in March. If your membership is due please consider bumping it up to the next level to help make up for the looming budget shortfall due to the loss of book sale revenue. Not sure if you’re due to renew? Just send an email inquiry to yousehughes@gmail.com to find out.
Individual $15
Family $25
Patron $50
Carol Ryrie Brink $100
Carnegie Club $500

Membership may be dropped off at the Library or mailed to:
Friends of the Moscow Library

110 S. Jefferson St. Moscow ID 83843

And finally, we couldn’t resist bringing you this from the Latah County Library District Instagram account: