The Daily World Book Nook is celebrating National Library Lovers Month throughout the month of February.
The Librarians
Director/producer Kim A Snyder’s new documentary titled The Librarians premiered via Independent Lens on PBS on Feb. 9. The synopsis says, “When lawmakers seek to review a list of books, librarians find themselves on the frontlines of a national battle. Across the U.S., librarians face the impact of uniting against library collection standards that include restrictions on race-related and LGBTQIA+ content. Drawing on historical context, The Librarians explores the broader implications for education and public life.”
“Our documentaries honor individuals whose determination in the face of challenge reflect major issues impacting our nation and our world,” says Lois Vossen, executive producer of Independent Lens. “These films are intensely personal and yet speak to universal challenges. They show how there is possibility for progress against even the most intractable challenges, when people come together in hope and purpose.”
And speaking of libraries, Oakville Middle School teacher Sean McAllister recently took his students to the Oakville Timberland Library where they got library cards, played with robots and games and made buttons.
KEY UPCOMING LITERARY DATES
March 2-6 is Read Across America Week
March 2 is Dr. Seuss Day and National Read Across America Day
Dr. Seuss’s Birthday is a nationwide reading celebration that takes place annually on March 2. Across the country, thousands of schools, libraries, and community centers participate by bringing together kids, teens, and books, and you can too.
March 26: World Poetry Day
POETRY CONTEST
Shorebird Festival Poetry Contest
Grays Harbor National Wildlife Refuge and Hoquiam Timberland Library are partnering on a poetry contest to celebrate the 2026 Shorebird Festival.
Children in grades 1-6 in Grays Harbor are invited to write a poem inspired by the shorebirds
Limit one submission per person
Submission forms are available for pick up at any Grays Harbor Timberland Library branch
Submission forms can be returned to any Grays Harbor Timberland Library branch. They can also mail their submissions to the Hoquiam Timberland Library at 420 7th Street Hoquiam, WA 98550 or they can email them to klutz@trl.org.
Deadline for submissions is March 20
Winning poems will appear on a story trail on view at the refuge starting April 16
UPCOMING AUTHOR EVENTS
Story Snowflakes with Brooke Pederson
Saturday, Feb. 21, 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. Timberland Montesano Library
Saturday, Feb. 28 from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Timberland Hoquiam Library
Bring the whole family to design and cut snowflakes. Join local artist and librarian Brooke Pederson for a wonderful look at her papercut story snowflakes. Listen and engage with classic fairy tales, then learn some tips and tricks for how to fold and cut snowflakes yourself. All ages welcome.
Emily Winfield Martin in Conversation
Browsers Bookshop – Olympia
Saturday, Feb. 28 at 2 p.m.
Browsers is thrilled to welcome author Emily Winfield Martin as she discusses her latest book, The Wildest Thing, with Olympia’s own Nikki McClure. Books will be available for purchase and signing at the event. From the #1 New York Times bestselling author and illustrator of The Wonderful Things You Will Be comes an enchanting picture book about a child finding their “wild” self.
Author Talk with Janine Gates
Friday, March 6 from 4 to 6 p.m.
Lacey Timberland Library
Olympia-based journalist, photographer and author Janine Gates will discuss her book Saving the Nisqually Delta. Saving the Nisqually Delta chronicles the decades-long citizen activism that saved the Nisqually Delta from industrialization. Located eight miles northeast of Olympia, Washington, the Nisqually Delta is one of the country’s last unspoiled estuaries.
Mike Cairns’ Under The Ash: A Pilot’s Story Book Tour
Saturday, March 7 from 2:30 to 4 p.m. Westport Timberland Library
Saturday, March 14 from 11 a.m. to noon McCleary Timberland Library
Two more chances to chat with Mike in person about his new, highly-rated photo journal, Under The Ash, as well as view his remarkable slideshow presentation and take questions about his experiences at Mount St. Helens. Mike will also have copies of his book available to purchase and sign.
PNW Wilds
Saturday, March 7 — All day
The Loft in Chehalis, 547 NW Pacific Ave.
Special guests include award-winning guidebook author, outdoors writer and photographer, ardent conservationist, and Northwest trails and hiking expert Craig Romano; and author of Beautiful Rocks & How To Find Them and A Rockhound’s Guide to Oregon & Washington Alison Jean Cole.
Clare Follmann Book Launch
Friday, March 13 at 7 p.m.
Orca Books Cooperative — Olympia
Join us to celebrate former Orca Books Co-op worker Clare Follmann’s book launch. We will be hosting an in house discussion on Follmann’s forthcoming book: Scapegoat: What the Invasive Species Story Gets Wrong. Follmann is a writer, activist, and gardener with a master’s in environmental science whose work engages with themes of landscape, ecology, climate crisis, language, and philosophy.
Meet the Authors
Ocean Shores Public Library
Wednesday, March 18 from 2 to 3:30 p.m.
Join Ocean Shores authors Brian Anderson, D.S. Ayars, and yours truly Jerry Knaak for an afternoon of readings designed to intrigue and entertain.
Seabrook’s Beachside Author Series — Sarah Hawley
Saturday, March 21 at 10 a.m.
Seabrook Town Hall
Sarah Hawley is the author of the viral rom-com hit A Witch’s Guide to Fake Dating a Demon and the follow-up A Demon’s Guide to Wooing a Witch. Her stories blend laugh-out-loud humor, swoony romance, and a magical world full of charming chaos. A passionate advocate for joy-filled storytelling, Sarah’s writing celebrates whimsy, empowerment, and the unapologetically weird. When she’s not writing, she hosts the Romancing the Story podcast, diving deep into the craft and heart of romance.
WRITERS GROUPS
Hoquiam Writers Group
Harbor Books
Thursday, March 5 from 6 to 8 p.m.
This group is open to all writers who want to attend: writers, poets, journalists, wordsmiths, and storytellers. The group meets monthly on the first Thursday of each month.
(Nearly) Silent Writing Club — 1st Edition
Browswers Bookshop — Olympia
Thursday, March 5 from 4 to 5:30 p.m.
Writing can be lonely business. We say hello, have a brief conversation, and then write together in silence for an hour. Any type of writing, from journaling to an epic novel, is welcome. At the end, we do a quick check in. There is no critique or feedback on your work. Just time and space to write together.
Meetings take place upstairs at Browsers — bring your notebook/pens/computer. (Please note: we are brimming with community but lacking in electrical outlets.) Feel free to bring a snack and/or beverage for yourself. There is no cost to attend, but you’re always welcome to make a purchase from the bookstore.
Star Wuerdemann is your host. She is a long-time student of Natalie Goldberg, a graduate of The Loft Literary Center’s 2020 Year-Long-Novel Writing Project, and a 2023 Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference alum. Star embraces writing as a practice, values writing in community, and looks forward to writing with you.
BOOK GROUPS AND CLUBS
Ocean Shores Public Library
Reading Rangers
Saturday, Feb. 28 from 1 to 2 p.m.
Young readers ages 5-12 are invited to the library for a new adventure in a book series. Join us for a Pokémon themed program with FUN games, crafts, trivia and more.
Browsers Bookshop – Olympia
February Browsers Book Club
Thursday, Feb. 19 at 6 p.m.
Join us for a meeting of the Browsers Book Club upstairs. Please purchase the book at Browsers to reserve your spot. This month’s selection is On the Calculation of Volume (Book I) by Solvej Balle, translated by Barbara J. Haveland. Solvej Balle’s seven-volume novel wrings enthralling and magical new dimensions from time and its hapless, mortal subjects. As one Danish reviewer beautifully put it, Balle’s fiction consists of writing that listens. “Reading her is like being caressed by language itself.”
Harbor Books — Hoquiam
All-Genre Book Club
Sunday, Feb. 22 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
All-Genre Book club meets the last Sunday of the month to discuss the book selected by group members the previous month. February’s read is Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier. This book is available for purchase in store (no purchase necessary to participate).
Orca Books Cooperative — Olympia
Queer Open Book Club
Sunday, Feb. 22 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Join us for an open discussion of what we’re reading. Each person will share their last month’s reads, with time for Q&A and maybe some games. Come with a hot take and leave with additions to your TBR list. All queers and their allies welcome. Masks encouraged.
Harbor Books — Hoquiam
Flights of Fantasy Book Club
Monday, March 9 from 6 to 7:30 p.m.
Flights of Fantasy is a monthly book club for lovers of Fantasy and Magical Realism. We meet the second Monday of each month at Harbor Books. March’s read is The Deathless One by Emma Hamm. Copies available for purchase at Harbor Books (purchase not required for participation).
Timberland Regional Library
Aberdeen
Rainy Day Reading Reviews — Fridays at 10:30 a.m.
Come hear about the books that have captivated your friends and neighbors as they share them with you.
Friday, Feb. 20 — Alan Richrod reviews Here Comes the Sun, A Last Chance … by Bill McKibben
Friday, Feb. 27 — Bob Neisinger reviews Nothing Like it in the World by Stephen Ambrose
PageTurners Book Discussion
Saturday, Feb. 21 from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.
Join community members and library staff for a monthly book discussion. This month we will be discussing James by Percival Everett.
Montesano
PageTurners Book Discussion
Thursday, Feb. 26 from 5 to 6 p.m.
Join community members and library staff for a monthly book discussion. This month we will be discussing The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley.
Westport
PageTurners Book Group
Saturday, Feb. 28 from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.
Join community members and library staff for a monthly book discussion. This month we will be reading A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman.
Hoquiam
PageTurners Book Discussion
Tuesday, March 10 from 6 to 7 p.m.
Join community members and library staff for a monthly book discussion. This month we will be discussing The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb.
Books on 8th: Off Site Event at Hoquiam Brewing Company
Wednesday, March 18 from 6 to 7 p.m.
This library-sponsored event is occurring off-site at Hoquiam Brewing Company 526 8th St. in Hoquiam. If you’re an adult who is 21+ and likes to read Young Adult books, then this book club is for you! This month we will be discussing All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir. New members are always welcome. Email Sarah at slivingston@trl.org if you would like more information.
McCleary
McCleary Book Club: Off Site Event at McCleary Museum and Event Center
Tuesday, March 10 from 11 a.m. to noon
This library-sponsored event is occurring off-site at 426 S 3rd St. in McCleary. Join community members and library staff for a monthly book discussion. Copies of each month’s selection are available at the McCleary Library service desk during regularly staffed hours while supplies last.
Elma
PageTurners Book Group
Tuesday, March 17 from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.
Join community members and library staff for a monthly book discussion. This month we will be discussing The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot.
Ocean Shores Public Library Book Group
Monday, March 16 from 3 to 4 p.m.
Book Group meets on the third Monday of the month in the Library Meeting Room. The Friends of the Library support the Book Group financially, and purchase 10 copies of each title that check out for two weeks. Books are kept in the work room, so ask the staff at the circulation desk for a copy. March’s read is The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters.
STORY TIME
Ocean Shores Public Library Story Time
Saturdays from 10:30 to 11 a.m.
Timberland Regional Library Family Storytime
Aberdeen and Montesano
Thursdays from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.
Elma
Fridays 10 to 11 a.m.
Westport
Wednesdays 10: 30 to 11:30 a.m.
McCleary
Wednesdays 11 a.m. to Noon
Hoquiam
Fridays 10 to 11 a.m.
Stories and early learning activities that include music, movement, art, and early STEM play for children birth to 8 years old. This is an early learning program.
Raymond Timberland Regional Library
Book Babies
Wednesdays from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.
Books, bounces, music and play time for babies and their participating caregivers. This is an early learning program.
Barnes & Noble – Olympia
Barnes & Noble in Olympia hosts Storytime every Saturday at 11 a.m. featuring a different picture book each week.
Browsers Bookshop – Olympia
Bookseller Skye hosts Story Time on the first Saturday of each month from 11 to 11:30 a.m. upstairs at Browsers.
The Librarians premiered on PBS on Feb. 9.
Dr. Seuss’s birthday, March 2, is Read Across America Day.
