Spring into the season with the library's help

March is here and the birds are twittering all about it! It seems that the sun is peeking out more and more, too, and there is a definite hint of balminess in the air. Of course, those of us who have spent more than a couple of winters in North Idaho know that this false spring is only a teaser, but that’s no reason not to enjoy the extra rays of Vitamin D.

If you’ve got that spring twitchiness, but the ground is still too frozen to get started on your landscaping projects, never fear; the library is here! Put that extra energy to good use by celebrating National Foreign Language Month with a myriad of library resources. If you resolved to start learning a new language this year, or brush up on one you studied in the past, try Mango Languages or Pronunciator, both available on the Digital Library page at ebonnerlibrary.org, for more structured learning programs.

Another option is to check out the language learning e-books and e-audiobooks on OverDrive, available through our website or the Libby app. Once you’re there, click over to the “Magazines” tab to really see a wealth of options! All the digital magazines the library used to get from RB Digital have now been transferred to OverDrive, so you have a one-stop-shop of digital entertainment and learning resources at your fingertips. In addition to the usual suspects like The Economist, National Geographic, and CountryLiving, you can find more obscure titles like the Italian cooking magazine “Cotto e mangiato,” or the Russian interior-design magazine “Salon de Luxe Classic,” to name just a couple. In addition to Italian and Russian, we have magazines in Spanish, French, Afrikaans, German, Japanese, Danish, and Chinese. Who knows what you might find?

And the best part? They are all simultaneous-use, which means no waiting and no holds. Unlike the sun in North Idaho, OverDrive’s digital magazines are available all the time. So whether you manage to find a sunny spot outside to bask in for a few minutes, or you’d rather stick to a warm corner of your home, the Library’s digital collection can be right there with you.

To access OverDrive on a computer, go to ebonnerlibrary.overdrive.com, or download the Libby app for your reading and listening pleasure!

Vanessa Velez is a librarian with the East Bonner County Library District.