Coeur dAlene Public Library News

Nell Shipman movies at library Aug. 9

2008-07-16T11:15:00.000-07:00

Free screening of silent films shot in N. Idaho

Three films by North Idaho’s pioneer moviemaker Nell Shipman will be screened Saturday, Aug. 9, at 7 p.m. in a free event in the Community Room at the Coeur d’Alene Public Library, 702 E. Front Ave.
Photo courtesy of the Idaho Film Collection, BSU
Nell Shipman and Tex above Priest Lake.
The silent films will be presented by Tom Trusky, Director of the Hemingway Western Studies Center and a Professor of English at Boise State University. He founded and heads The Idaho Film Collection at BSU, a unique state archive devoted to silent and talkie feature films made in the Gem state.
The three films to be shown were made near Priest Lake using area residents as actors and extras. They are the three surviving “two-reelers” from Shipman’s “Little Dramas of the Big Places” series. Each movie runs 20-25 minutes. They include:
► “The Trail of the North Wind,” March/April 1924, B&W, starring Barry Shipman, Nell's son in his only film role.
► “The Light on Lookout,” April 1924, B&W. Lookout is a mountain beside Priest Lake.
► “White Water,” April/May 1924, tinted. This is the most recently found and restored film of the three.
Trusky designed and edited Shipman's posthumously published autobiography, “The Silent Screen & My Talking Heart,” now in its third edition; co-edited her “Letters from God's Country;” and recently produced “The Nell Shipman Collection,” a three-volume DVD set containing all of Shipman's surviving films with a variety of extras, including documentaries and home movies.
Trusky is in North Idaho to deliver "Before Sundance: How Nell Shipman Made Her 'Little Dramas of the Big Places,'" a lecture at the Pacific Northwest Library Association's annual conference in Post Falls.
According to “Women Film Directors: An International Bio-Critical Dictionary,” by Gwendolyn Foster, Shipman was born in Vancouver in 1892. She worked as an actress in theatrical stock companies before she entered the film industry. She sold the rights to her book, “Under the Crescent,” to Universal to be made into a serial. She quickly developed a reputation as a talented writer, actress, and director.
Shipman became an overnight success with “Back to God’s Country,” a film she wrote and acted in.
She credited as one of the first directors to shoot her films almost entirely on location. Audiences were drawn to the seemingly exotic locations and "wild" animals in her films. She artfully created a persona of herself as a rugged and exotic "New Woman" of outdoor adventure.
Nell Shipman was not only an outspoken proto-feminist and director but also innovative and daring in her technical approach to film. She frequently asked her cameramen to set up unusual or dangerous scenes.
Trusky said that by the 1920s independent producers like Shipman began to be forced out of business by the major studios. With bookings for her films in decline, Shipman closed down her production company in Idaho and sold her animals to the San Diego Zoo. But she remained active as a screenwriter and novelist. She wrote her autobiography in the 1960s.
Shipman books, postcards and DVDs will be available after the programs with a portion of sales benefitting the Friends of the Coeur d’Alene Public Library.
Patrons needing accommodations to participate in library programs are asked to contact the staff prior to the program at 208/769-2315.

Photo project to enhance ‘Fences’ exhibit

2008-07-16T11:13:00.000-07:00

Young adults invited to participate in free workshops
Participants ages 13-18 are invited to register for free photography workshops to be offered in August. Photos created during the workshops will be exhibited in the Coeur d’Alene Public Library’s Parkside Gallery in conjunction with this fall’s Smithsonian Traveling Exhibit “Between Fences.”
The workshops will be taught by photographer Rebecca Harlow who will provide cameras for the sessions. Two workshops with three classes each will be offered. The sessions will be at the library, 702 E. Front Ave., on Mondays, Aug. 4, 11 and 18 for one group and Thursdays, Aug. 7, 14 and 21 for the second.
Up to six participants, for a total of 12, can register for each group by calling Harlow at 208/691-7184.
According to David Townsend, Library Communications Coordinator, the photo project is one of three local activities designed to compliment the Smithsonian exhibit to be at the library Nov. 7 through Dec. 20.
“The ‘Between Fences’ exhibit is fascinating on many different levels,” Townsend said. “The exhibit is about the physical barriers we build around our homes and land, but it is also about the social, cultural and psychological barriers we create around ourselves. With the photo exhibit we are asking these young photographers to think about these themes and how they apply to North Idaho. The results will become the photo exhibit.”
Harlow hopes to have participants share some of their thoughts in writing to accompany the photo enlargements, Townsend said. Many of the photos that aren’t included in the exhibit will be collected in a binder the public will be able to look at in the library’s Teen Central.
The photo exhibit is expected to be installed about Nov. 1.
Younger library patrons and their families will be invited to participate in a second project involving fence pickets.
“In the near future we will be signing up families to ‘adopt a picket’,” Townsend said. “Families can decorate the 3 1/2–foot pickets however they want using the theme: ‘This is my home.’ The pickets will be collected and assembled into a fence to be displayed in the Seagraves Children’s Library, also beginning about Nov. 1.”
For the third activity related to the Smithsonian exhibit, a multi-media presentation will be offered in the library’s Community Room after the exhibit has opened.
“We want to generate a local dialogue about issues related public and private property, public access to Lake Coeur d’Alene and other land-use issues with all of these activities,” Townsend said.
“Between Fences” has been made possible in Coeur d’Alene by the Idaho Humanities Council, the Richard K. and Shirley S. Hemingway Foundation and the Avista Foundation.More news and information about the Coeur d’Alene Public Library is available by calling 208/769-2315 or online at www.cdalibrary.org.

Library website adds teen health link

2008-07-10T10:44:00.000-07:00

“Teen Health & Wellness, Real Life, Real Answers,” a new online resource created specifically for teens with their unique concerns and perspective, has been added to the website for the Coeur d’Alene Public Library.
To access the site from a home computer click the “Teen Health” link on the left side of this page. A link to “Teen Health & Wellness” is also provided through the Post Falls Public Library website: http://postfallslibrary.kcl.org/.
“Teen Health & Wellness” is designed to provide research support and self-help on topics including diseases, drugs, alcohol, nutrition, fitness, life skills, work readiness, mental health, family life and more. Information is presented using a sensitive, respectful, and age-appropriate approach and gives insight into the teen experience—crucial for parents, teachers, friends, and caregivers who are part of teens’ lives.
All content is reviewed by a team of leading professionals across fields including medicine, mental health, nutrition, substance abuse prevention, guidance, and career counseling. A list of national hotlines is always available for anyone with an urgent need for advice or support.
No library card or password is needed to access the site while in the library at 702 E. Front Ave., or from home computers. The website is available on the library’s database computers.
“Recent studies have shown that the fastest growing group of library patrons are teens and young adults,” said Library Director Bette Ammon. “We feel it is critically important to provide them with easy-to-use, up-to-date and understandable health information. ‘Teen Health & Wellness’ is not only a great reference resource for personal issues, it’s also valuable for homework help and research.”
“Teen Health & Wellness” is one of numerous electronic resources available to patrons at www.cdalibrary.org. Some databases, provided by the library through the Idaho Commission on Libraries, require a password to use. To obtain this log-on information visit the library or call 208/769-2315. The library website also provides online access to the computer catalog for the Coeur d’Alene Public Library and other libraries in the Cooperative Information Network.

Learn computer basics with library workshops

2008-07-01T15:07:00.000-07:00

Workshops providing patrons basic information about computers, e-mail and using the Internet as well as an introduction to desktop publishing are offered during July and August at the Coeur d’Alene Public Library, 702 E. Front Ave.
The library’s computer workshops are offered on a first-come, first-served basis and preregistration is not required. The free, two-hour workshops are taught by Christopher Brannon, Information Technology Coordinator in the library’s computer lab on the Terrace Level. Workshops begin at 10:30 a.m. and participants should arrive 15 minutes before the starting time. Participants should have basic typing skills.
The upcoming workshops are:
○ Surfing the Web: Searches on the Internet: Saturday, July 26. If you need help finding information on the Internet, this workshop will give you the skills you need to be a smart surfer. We’ll give you a basic understanding of how to search the Internet using search engines, such as Google, Hotbot, and Yahoo!.
○ Basics in Publisher (Desktop Publishing): Tuesday, July 29. Have a quick project, such as creating a sign or business card? Need to whip up a quick brochure? You might want to create your project in Publisher. Microsoft Publisher is a desktop publishing program which makes creating signs, cards, banners, brochures, business cards, and other types of documents a quick task, not a chore.
○ Introduction to Computers: Tuesday, Saturday, Aug. 9. Workshop gives an informative tour in the basics of computer parts (the hardware), the Windows Operating System (the software), and terminology associated with each. If you have never touched a computer before, or have worked with computers but have not felt very comfortable with them, this workshop is for you. The workshop is based around the Library’s Internet Workstations, which are equipped with Windows 2000. Some Windows 2000 information may be applicable to other versions of Windows.
○ Basics in Word (Word Processing): Tuesday, Aug. 12. This workshop gives patrons a basic understanding of how to create, edit, and format documents in a word-processing program. A basic knowledge of computers is necessary.
○ Basics in PowerPoint (Presentations): Saturday, Aug. 23. Workshop will provide the basic skills to begin creating visual presentations through slide manipulation, object use, and transitions with helpful hints for creating an effective presentation.
○ Intermediate Word (Word Processing): Tuesday, Aug. 26. This workshop goes beyond the basics of word processing, exploring mail-merge techniques and page-layout tools that will enhance the effectiveness of your writing. A basic understanding of Microsoft Word is necessary. Patrons who need accommodations to participate in library programs or services are asked to contact the staff. Information about computer workshops is available by contacting Brannon at 208/769-2315 Ext. 456.

Bronze Award Donation

2008-06-26T12:44:00.001-07:00

Bailey Mote, 11, a Girl Scout with Coeur d’Alene Troop 2564, delivered a donation of 778 books and other items to the Coeur d’Alene Public Library recently. Bailey, the daughter of Scott and Gina Mote of Coeur d’Alene, distributed letters requesting book donations when she delivered Girl Scout cookies she had sold, sent out e-mail requests and sought donations at yard and garage sales. She collected the items as her service project for her Bronze Award. Donations of clean and useable books, videos and audiobooks to the library are reviewed for possible addition to the collection. Items not added to the collection go to the Friends of the Library for sale in Second Story Books in the lobby of the library, 702 E. Front Ave

‘Catch the Reading Bug’ at the Cd’A Library

2008-05-28T10:21:00.000-07:00

Summer Reading 2008 continues through July

The world of insects is featured at the Coeur d’Alene Public Library, 702 E. Front Ave., during the Summer Reading Programs – the first summer at the library’s new address.
With the theme “Catch the Reading Bug,” Summer Reading continues through July 25. The program’s popular Summer Reading Carnival is scheduled for July 30 in McEuen Field just outside the library.
“We are excited about our first summer in the new facility and the theme is a natural for our setting next to the park and Tubbs Hill,” said Susan Thorpe, Youth Services Supervisor.
Thorpe said library staff members visited local schools to promote Summer Reading.
“Teachers and school librarians know how important it is for their students to continue reading during the break and we have been helping to get the message out,” she said. “Students who read during the summer go back to class in the fall much more prepared to learn.”
Participants do not have to preregister for the free weekly programs. Even if they don’t plan to attend the library programs children and teens can come to the Seagraves Children’s Library, on the lower level, and pick up a Summer Reading Log. The log helps keep track of time spent reading – or being read to. For each three hours of reading tracked, participants can collect a prize by presenting the log to staff in the children’s library.
Summer Reading programs offer sessions for various age groups with age-appropriate stories, activities, experiments and crafts. Children under 6 visiting the library need to be supervised by an adult or a person who is at least 14. Children ages 6-9 should be accompanied by someone who is at least 14 who will remain in the building.
The schedule of weekly programs is:
◘ Book Babies Lap-Sit: Birth to 2 years old accompanied by a parent or other caregiver, Tuesdays 10:15-10:45 a.m., and Fridays 10:30-11 a.m.
◘ Tales for Twos and Threes: Ages 2-3, Tuesdays 11-11:30 a.m.
◘ Preschool Storytime: Ages 3-5, Tuesdays 1:30-2 p.m., and Wednesdays 10:30-11 a.m.
◘ Extreme Readers: Ages 5-8, Wednesdays 1-2 p.m.
◘ Extreme Readers & Paws to Read: Ages 5-8, Thursdays, 10:30-11 a.m. Families can schedule one-on-one reading time for reluctant readers with a trained therapy dog. Contact the youth department to reserve time.
◘ Book Club – Lunch Bunch: A book discussion group for ages 9-13. Participants bring their own lunches. Thursdays noon to 1:30 p.m.
◘ Kidsigns: For school-age participants. Programs offered by Jacalyn Marosi, Outreach Coordinator, using activities to teach American Sign Language vocabulary and deaf culture. Thursdays 2-3 p.m.
◘ Family Scrapbooking With Miss Abi: Tuesdays, 6:30-7:30 p.m., offers beginning and intermediate scrapbook techniques. Youth participants should be able to follow instructions and complete projects with a minimum assistance.
Most public libraries in the Cooperative Information Network (CIN) in North Idaho offer Summer Reading programs for youth. Contact the library nearest you for details.
For more information about Coeur d’Alene’s programs call Youth Services at 208/769-2315 Ext. 438 or e-mail info@cdalibrary.org.

Library Writers Competition winners named

2008-05-17T15:33:00.000-07:00

Front Row, left to right, Brooke Mayberry, Elijah Claybaugh, Melia Hannigan-Luther, Annelise Helbling, Maya Fooe, Hannah Rose Daniels, Abigail Hochberger, Emma Ployhar. Second Row, Justin Smith, Kristian Hunter Kennedy, Sasha Logan, Jeffrey Meads, Emily Morgan, Krystall Uzzi, Adelle Drapeau, Joseph Peters, Brian Pfau, Magan Pearl Daniels. Third Row, Danielle Curson, Ashley Cleremont, Carissa Hale, Harrison Lemke, Lindsay Moore, Christiana Hale. Back Row, Patricia L. Huffman, N. Chrystine Olson, Ernest Ewing, Erik L. Johnson (in photo held by his mother), and Judy Edwards, president of the Friends of the Library. Not pictured, Darcia Coons,Tessa Lauer, Angela Gates, Jennifer Rova and Carole Lynn.

The winners of the 20th annual Writers Competition at the Coeur d’Alene Public Library received their awards Saturday, May 17, in a ceremony in the library’s Community Room.
The winners in the competition – for fiction and nonfiction prose of 2,000 words or less – received cash prizes made possible through a $1,500 grant from the Coeur d’Alene Kiwanis Club to the Friends of the Library, the contest’s sponsor. Prizes are $100 for first, $50 for second and $25 for third. In case of a tie duplicate prizes are awarded. First-place may not be awarded in all categories if entries do not meet the scoring criteria.
The 2008 winners are:
* Nonfiction 6-8: No first place,. Second, Melia Hannigan-Luther, Coeur d’Alene, “Crunchy the Bear: A True Story, Third (tie) Brooke Mayberry, Rathdrum, “My Dog Jakoby,” and Elijah Claybaugh, Post Falls, “Hawaiian Vacation.”
* Nonfiction 9-11: No first place. Second, Emma Ployhar, Coeur d’Alene, “A Night to Remember,” Third, Abigail Hochberger, Coeur d’Alene, “Up a Tree Without a Ladder.”
* Nonfiction 12-14: First, Kristian Hunter Kennedy, Coeur d’Alene, “My Hike,” Second, Justin Smith, Coeur d’Alene, “Sunnis and Shiites: The Untold Story,” Third, Tessa Lauer, Harrison, “Dreams Come True.”
* Nonfiction 15-18: No First place. Second, Danielle Curson, Coeur d’Alene, “The Troublesome Truth of Poetry,” Third, Darcia Coons, Rathdrum, “Running in the Rain.”
* Nonfiction 19-Plus: First, Ernest Ewing, Spokane, “Moments Here and Gone,” Second, N. Chrystine Olson, Rathdrum, “Imbali and the Cheshire Cat Moon,” Third (tie), Jennifer Rova, Hayden Lake, “Stuck Between a Kayak and a Cold Place” and Patricia L. Huffman, Spokane Valley, “The Sign.”
* Fiction 6-8: First, Hannah Rose Daniels, Hayden, “Just Annie,” Second, Maya Fooe, Coeur d’Alene, “Spritetonia,” Third, Annelise Helbling, Rathdrum, “Haley and Gracie.”
* Fiction 9-11: First, Magan Pearl Daniels, Hayden, “Katie’s Surprise,” Second, Brian Pfau, Hayden, “Mirrasia,” Third (tie) Adelle Drapeau, Hauser, “Lifeguard Summer” and Joseph Peters, Rathdrum, “Escape From Seaworld.”
* Fiction 12-14: First, Krystall Uzzi, Post Falls, “Allegiance,” Second, Emily Morgan, Coeur d’Alene, “Narrative of a Teenage Superhero,” Third (tie), Sasha Logan, Spokane, “The Night Adventure,” Jeffrey Meads, Athol, “Starship Goliath.”
* Fiction 15-18: First, Christiana Hale, Post Falls, “Summer Adventure,” Second (tie), Harrison Lemke, Coeur d’Alene, “The Traveling Salesman” and Lindsay Moore, Coeur d’Alene, “The Storm,” Third (tie), Carissa Hale, Post Falls, “The Triumph,” Ashley Cleremont, Coeur d’Alene, “The Day I Shot Bess.”
* Fiction 19-Plus: First, Carole Lynn, Rathdrum, “Two Peas in a Pod, ”Second, Angela Gates, Hayden, “When the Sea Calls,” Third, Erik L. Johnson, Hayden, “Eggs Benedict.”
All entries, not just those of the winners, in the Writers Competition are included in bound volumes added to the non-circulating collection at the library. The volumes for past years can be seen in the Nelson Memorial Room. The 2008 volumes will be added later this summer. (These volumes are one-of-a-kind editions and are not available for sale.)
The Writers Competition was the brainchild of former Library Director Julie Meier, who wanted to encourage writing excellence in the community and to possibly discover great authors living in the region. Prize money was originally provided by the Hecla Mining Co. before that role was taken over by the Kiwanis Club.
The 21st annual competition begins at the end of January 2009.

Library’s 2008 LEGOrama winners named

2008-01-19T16:50:00.000-08:00

More than 200 people filled the Community Hall at the Coeur d’Alene Public Library recently to participate in the third annual LEGOrama or just to see what kind of ideas would spring from the minds of enthusiastic young builders.
“This is obviously a program our patrons can get excited about,” said David Townsend, Library Communications Coordinator and self-appointed LEGO Leader for the event. “It was very satisfying to see that big room filled with kids and adults.”
LEGOrama is sponsored by the Friends of the Coeur d’Alene Public Library and is a showcase and competition for young people’s designs using LEGOs and compatible building toys. The event was started at the library in 2006 as a companion activity for the library’s popular American Girl Tea Party.
“Our goal with this program is to encourage the participants to stretch their creative muscles and to demonstrate that it is a good thing to be a builder and tinkerer,” Townsend said. “Kids who are looking for building resources can find them at the library.”
This year a “Best of Show” award was added to the competition based on audience and organizer voting. The winner was Josiah Hummel, who was also the 5-6 year-old category winner.
The other winners were:
* 5-6 Years: Cade McConnachie, Second, and Riley Tenney, Third.
* 7-8 Years: Landon Moulding, First; Bridger Roger, Second; and (tie) Hunter Bell and Damon Schafer, Third.
* 9-10 Years: Philip McDaniel, First; Garett Oetkin, Second; and (tie) Andy Jakubek and Ben Macomber, Third.
* 11-12 Years: Vanya Hummel, First; Chris Gibbons and Jackson Hightower (joint project), Second; and Sam Hourland, Third.
* 13-14 Years: Elijah Ghodsee, First, and Andrew Hoskings, Second.
Some of the winning entries are on display in the glass cases in the Seagrave Children’s Library on the Parkside Level.

Paws to Read to help collar literacy

2007-10-10T10:07:00.000-07:00

Children can read to dog in Cd’A library program
The latest volunteer at the Coeur d’Alene Public Library is a retired showgirl – dog shows, that is.
Ginger, a 9-year-old Australian shepherd with a sweet face and a sweeter disposition is coming to the Seagraves Children’s Library to help children learn to read by being a good listener.
Ginger and her human companion, Sheila Darsie of Coeur d’Alene are part of a new program at the library – Paws to Read – to be offered this fall in conjunction with the Extreme Readers program for ages 5-8. Starting Wednesday, Oct. 17 the sessions will begin at 4 p.m. and 4:30-5:30 p.m. parents and guardians can schedule one-on-one time in 20-minute increments with Ginger for a child to practice reading to the dog.
Darsie and Ginger have been trained through the Delta Society’s Pet Partners program for Ginger to serve as a companion animal. Darsie said Ginger has been trained to be “off lead” and to respond to obey commands to sit, stay, and “leave it” – not to pick up items of food that have been dropped, for example.
She said Ginger has also been trained not to respond to loud noises or sudden movements. The dog is eager to enjoy human contact, Darsie said, and has been groomed with short hair to avoid the potential for children to pull her fur.
Ginger has lived with Darsie for since she was three when she was retired from the dog show circuit.
The Delta Society was founded in 1977 by a medical doctor and a veterinarian with the goal of improving human health through service and therapy animals. The society has trained more than 9,000 volunteers in the Pet Partners Program and provides a variety of related resources and referrals.
According to the Delta Society interaction with animals tends to lower blood pressure and anxiety levels and stimulates the release of endorphins that help people to feel good.
Literature from the Reading Education Assistance Dogs program – launched in 1999 by Intermountain Therapy Animals, a nonprofit organization – says children reading to dogs has been successful in encouraging literacy.
Animals can be ideal reading partners because they:
* Help increase relaxation.
* Listen attentively.
* Do not judge, laugh or criticize.
* Allow children to proceed at their own pace.
* Are less intimidating than peers.
To schedule reading time with Ginger during the Wednesday programs, contact Youth Services at the library by calling 208/769-2315 Ext. 438 or e-mail to info@cdalibrary.org.

Audiobooks available for free downloads at website

2007-10-08T15:41:00.000-07:00

State library sponsors one-year eAudiobook, eBook project
Digital and audio copies of books are now available to be downloaded free from the Coeur d’Alene Public Library’s website, www.cdalibrary.org.
eBooks and eAudiobooks are available locally from the Idaho Commission for Libraries as part of a one-year demonstration project in cooperation with Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) West and NetLibrary.
The collection of downloadable books includes best sellers, book club favorites, timeless classics, CEV Holy Bible Collection, children's and young adult titles, and the Pimsleur Language Series.
In the collection are 3, 457 eBook titles – digital versions of books in a PDF format that can be read from a computer screen – and 2,162 eAudiobook titles downloadable to home computers and to many kinds of MP3 music devices. Idaho residents may access these collections from home 24-hours a day or from public computers at the library.
At www.cdalibrary.org click the LiLI link. New users should visit the library – 702 E. Front Ave. – or call the library at 208-769-2315 to receive the user name and password needed to access LiLI databases. Users will then create a Netlibrary account with a personal user name and password.
“Audiobooks, in the form of cassettes and CDs, have been popular in libraries for many years,” said Library Director Bette Ammon. “The ability to download eAudiobooks from the Web is being embraced by longtime listeners as well as new listeners who want material for their portable media devices.”
Users may check out up to 10 eAudiobooks at a time. Downloads can be accessed by the users for 21 days. eAudiobooks can be downloaded or played on any desktop, laptop or portable device that supports Windows Media Player version 9 and above. Users can also transfer favorite titles to a wide range of portable devices, including portable music players, portable media centers, and more.
MP3 players should have a capacity of at least 512 megabytes to use the downloads successfully. (Ipods and Zunes are not compatible due to differences in operating systems.)
eBooks are full-text, electronic versions of published books that library users can search, borrow, read, and return via the Internet.
“We are excited to offer eBooks as a new resource for the library patrons of Coeur d’Alene,” said Ammon. “Because eBooks are accessible anytime of the day or night from the Internet, people who can’t visit the library during open hours will still be able to gain access to these resources.”
OCLC NetLibrary provides content and technical delivery solutions to institutional libraries, corporations and government agencies that facilitate the purchase, management and distribution of research, reference, digital learning and general interest content via Web-based technologies. NetLibrary’s eContent solution is the most broadly adopted in the market, making the content of more than 400 publishers and eContent providers available through more than 15,000 libraries worldwide.