While countless University of Idaho students filter in and out of the UI Library on a daily basis, the Latah County Public Library serves as an additional resource to both students and community members.
Located on the corner of Jefferson and First streets and a 10-minute walk from campus the library is the headquarters for six other branches in the county. Each offers a wide variety of activities and events year round for children, teenagers and adults.
“The Moscow library has access to many more resources than meets the eye in the building,” Director Chris Sokol said. “Card holders can place holds on materials shelved at our six rural branch libraries, in addition to the resource of the many other Valnet libraries.”
Sokol said the library gives students, both traditional and nontraditional, a chance to get off campus to utilize different resources. Library cards are free and it only takes a few minutes to fill out an application form with photo ID and proof of current address, she said.
Allison Spain | Argonaut
The Latah County Public Library, located at Jefferson and First streets in Moscow.
“Since the University of Idaho Library is mostly an academic resource for students, the Moscow community library can be more of a place to relax and hangout,” Sokol said. “Most college students are on a budget, so a free library card is a great resource.”
April is a busy month for upcoming events, ranging from monthly programs such as book club meetings to guest visitors. Sokol said upcoming events include Hunting for Wild Mushrooms in North Idaho April 13, as well as Historical Idaho Women Stories and Folksongs April 30.
Tim Gerlitz, club educator of the North Idaho Mushroom Club, will provide macro identification techniques, an overview of poisonous and edible mushrooms, and tips on how to forage and harvest ethically.
At the end of April, musician Tracy Morrison will present original songs that recognize historical Idaho women. Morrison has studied American folk music for more than 30 years. Her songwriting and storytelling explores culture, history and life experience.
Sokol said among events, voyager kits are popular to check out year round. The kits include happy lights to aid seasonal depression, beginner birdwatching and stargazing kits, beginner knitting and sewing kits, and how-to kits for juggling and playing the ukulele, to name a few.
Adult Services Manager Amy Thomas said she is always looking for ways to serve more young people. She said one convenient tool the library offers is a program called Overdrive, where students can rent e-books and audiobooks for free with no late fees.
“The program is perfectly set for on-the-go, busy lifestyles where you never have to step foot in the library,” Thomas said. “Often times, people associate libraries solely with books, but we are much more than just books.”
She said another resource is the large DVD and audiobook collection. New, popular movie releases are given to the library for rental, she said.
Chris Sokol | Courtesy
“The UI Library, while it does a great job as an academic library, does not necessarily have a lot of leisurely reading or the option to browse,” Thomas said. “Often times, if a book is put on hold, there will be a shorter waitlist here because we are always sharing materials among branches.”
In mid-April, Thomas will be hosting a booth in the UI Teaching and Learning Center to reach more students and give them a chance to sign up for a library card.
“I really love the sense of community in a library — witnessing what happens when these strangers walk into a room and start to connect and talk, realizing they have so many of the same things in common, even in a tiny little town,” Thomas said.
More information on all upcoming events — all free and open to the public — can be found on the library website at latahlibrary.org or their Facebook page.
With so many events, Sokol said people can sign up for the library’s e-newsletter by typing in their email address in the sign-up bar at the bottom of the website’s homepage.
Allison Spain can be reached at [email protected]