NaNoWriMo

Pipestone County Star 11-07-2013

NaNoWriMo is short for National Novel Writing Month – have you ever wanted to write the next great American novel?  Now you can!  November is the month to get started and NaNoWriMo challenges you to write 50,000 words in 30 days.  It doesn’t have to be the best literature to be written in years – you can always edit later.

NaNoWriMo started in 1999 in San Francisco and had just 21 participants that year.  It has grown steadily each year since and more than 200,000 people took part in 2010, writing more than 2.8 billion words.  Any sort of novel can be written, from fan-fiction to verse novels, and in any genre – the only requirement is it be at least 50,000 words.   Instead of completing the novel, participants can write the first 50,000 words of a novel that can be finished later.

A novel is any sort of fictional work that is more than 40,000 words long.  Less than that and you’ve written a novella.  The Great Gatsby and The Hitch-hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy are both novels of right around 50,000 words, to give you an idea.  Those aren’t particularly long books, so that may make this entire thing seem more doable.  Of course, to even think of starting, you have to realize you need to write on average 1,667 words a day.

Starting on November 25^th, participants can start uploading their entire novels for word count and verification.  If they have succeeded, they “win” and get a printable certificate, a special desktop icon, and inclusion in the list of winners.  There’s no protection against cheating, but since the only reward is basically the knowledge that you’ve done it, not many people actually cheat on their results.

Believe it or not, there are some pretty famous books that started out this way:

Water for Elephants, by Sara Gruen (Great book!)

The Night Circus, by Erin Morgenstern (this month’s book club selection!)

The God Patent, by Ransom Stephens

Fangirl, by Rainbow Rowell

Persistence of Memory, by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes

BreakupBabe, by Rebecca Agiewich

There are a few writers (or wannabes in my case) that are participating this year – we might even have a few write-ins in the library just for fun.  Come by and join us!!

If you feel the inspiration, go ahead and sign up at their website, www.nanowrimo.org.  It only takes a few minutes and if you don’t make it to 50,000 words this year, there’s always next year!

Book Club Reminder: The book club meets the fourth of the month and the next meeting will be November 21^st  (the fourth Thursday this month is Thanksgiving).  The next book is The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern.  If you don’t have a copy, let the library know and we would be happy to order one for you.  Everyone is welcome!!

If you have questions or have a book you’d like to reserve or renew, please don’t hesitate to give us a call at (507) 825-6714.  The hours for Meinders Library are Monday through Thursday from 10 AM – 8 PM, and Friday and Saturday from 10 AM to 5 PM.  Meinders Community Library is located at 1401 7^th Street SW, on the south side of the high school.

Friends of the Library

Pipestone County Star 10-24-2013

This week is National Friends of Libraries week!!  Libraries always need friends.  And most libraries also need Friends, a library-specific group of people that work hard to support the library’s needs.  For Pipestone, that group is the Pipestone Area Friends of the Library.

Why does a library need friends?  Because there’s only so much the library staff can get done on their own.  A friends group supports quality library service in their community through a large variety of ways:

·         They help with fund-raising – if they are a 501(c)3, then any donation made to them is tax deductible, unlike donations made straight to some libraries.

·         They help with volunteering – sometimes extra hands are needed for special events and the friends group usually helps with that.

·         They advocate for the library and the programs sponsored by the library – they help spread the word about what the library is currently working on.

·         Friends groups also help with long-term planning for the library, both with physical help and financial support of projects, and are kept in the loop about those projects.  They also maintain a liaison to the Library Board, which means they are included in all library decisions.

Friends groups are invaluable to the library.  Not only are they a group of smiling, supportive faces, they work hard to make sure that the library’s special needs are met, thereby taking good care of the community.  A large friends group means even more programs and services available to the people of the town or county in which the library functions.

In Pipestone, the Friends group hosts an annual book sale in December which helps to fund special projects.  They also apply for united Way money to help with the Summer Reading program, offer special programs and authors for patrons, and assist with special events that the library hosts.   They are an amazing group of people.

Pipestone Area Friends of the Library is always looking for new members.  If you want to participate in volunteering or just want to give financially, you are more than welcome to join!  We have membership cards out at the library or you can mail membership fees (listed below) to PAFL, 1401 7^th Street SW, Pipestone, MN 56164.

PAFL Membership Fees

·         Student $5

·         Individual $20

·         Family $30

·         Benefactor $100

·         Life $250

·         Patron $500

PAFL  will be having a fundraiser at the Pipestone Pizza Ranch on Wednesday, October 30^th, from 4:30 until 8:00 PM.  From 4:30 until 5:00, the library will be having a craft activity for any interested children to celebrate the season.  Come join us for great food and a spooky fun craft to take home with you!

Book Club Reminder: The book club meets the fourth Thursday (my apologies that the past few months have said Tuesday) of the month and the next meeting will be October 24^th.  The next book is In The Woods by Tana French.  If you don’t have a copy, let the library know and we would be happy to order one for you.  Everyone is welcome!!

If you have questions or have a book you’d like to reserve or renew, please don’t hesitate to give us a call at (507) 825-6714.  The hours for Meinders Library are Monday through Thursday from 10 AM – 8 PM, and Friday and Saturday from 10 AM to 5 PM.  Meinders Community Library is located at 1401 7^th Street SW, on the south side of the high school.

True Crime

Pipestone County Star 10-10-2013

Most people enjoy a good mystery novel.  For most of those readers, part of the charm is that it is fictional and the story didn’t really happen.  But some mystery and crime readers prefer to read the true accounts of murders and crimes that are found in the non-fiction section of the library.   Here are a few true crime novels that might spark your interest.

Safe Harbor: A Murder in Nantucket, by Brian McDonald

Elizabeth Lochtefeld thought she had found Mr. Right.  Thomas Toolan III was a Wall Street mogul, handsome, rich, and devoted.  Supposedly.  As it turns out, Tom had lost his job after trying to steal a very valuable piece of art from an antiques show and that was only the tip of his bad behavior.  As she began to notice the downward spiral, Beth made the decision to end the affair and two days later, she disappeared, never to be seen alive again.  But who did it?

Cruel Doubt, by Joe McGinniss

On a hot summer night in 1988, Bonnie Von Stein and her husband were brutally attacked in bed.  The husband died and Bonnie herself was stabbed and beaten, left for dead.  McGinniss set out to work on the crime at the request of Bonnie, and discovered a whole world of information she wanted to hold in denial.  Bonnie had defended her 21 year old son, a student at North Carolina State even when the evidence began to mount against him and pointed toward a bizarre attempt to recreate a Dungeons and Dragons adventure.  But was it really him?  Could it have been one of his friends or someone who coveted her 19 year old daughter and the fortune she might stand to inherit?

While They Slept: An Inquiry Into the Murder of a Family, by Kathryn Harrison

It was a lovely April morning when Billy Gilley Jr murdered his sleeping parents.  When his little sister Becky walked in on him, he killed her as well, then went upstairs to wake his sister Jody and tell her the good news.  They were free from a life of abuse – but could two people ever be free from such an act of violence?  Harrison writes a compelling narrative based on interviews with Billy and Jody, friends, police, and social workers to determine the true story of what really drove the young man to land himself in jail and make his sister an orphan.

A Cold-Blooded Business, by Marek Fuchs

Olathe, Kansas was made famous by Truman Capote when he wrote In Cold Blood about murders that happened in 1959.   But in 1982, another murder happened – David Harmon was bludgeoned to death while sleeping.  Suspicion fell on his wife and his best friend, but the church protected both and the case was quickly dropped.  Twenty years later, new evidence came to light and the two suspects, now leading law-abiding lives, suddenly found themselves once more in the spotlight.  Would the detectives be able to close the case once and for all?

Too Late To Say Goodbye, by Ann Rule

Ann Rule is rather famous for her true crime novels – we have more than 10 written by her alone.  This particular story centers around Jenn and Bart Corbin, a loving wife and a successful dentist, with two beautiful boys, a nice home, a houseboat, and everything a family could want.  But what was idyllic on the outside was dark on the inside.   Just before Christmas, 2004, Jenn is found dead, a bullet in her brain and a gun on the floor.  Suicide?  Ann untangles the story with interviews and evidence until the reader is left reeling with information and a stunning conclusion that involves another “suicide” years before…

The Devil in the White City, by Erik Larson

The World’s Fair is supposed to be the pinnacle of society – a place to showcase the talents of the famous minds of the day.  In 1893, the man in charge was Daniel Hudson Burnham, a brilliant architect who was responsible for the Flatiron building in New York and union Station in DC.  He brought the best minds of the decade together to build the White City, transforming Jackson Swamp into a thing of beauty.  Little did he know that a serial killer, Henry Holmes, would use the Fair to attract his victims and lure scores of young women to their deaths in his nearby “World’s Fair Hotel,” complete with a gas chamber and crematorium.  This story is peopled with famous figures, all of whom attended the fair, and a story that will glue you to your seat.

These stories are disturbingly chilling – they really happened and, in most cases, very little is made up (they are all found in the non-fiction section 364.1).  The crimes that were committed were committed by real people and the story reads like a train wreck – you can’t stop reading, can’t look away, no matter how disturbing it is for you.  Excellent reads for this spooky time of year.

PAFL Update:  Pipestone Area Friends of the Library is looking for members – anyone who is a friend to Meinders Library is welcome to join!  The Friends group works hard to promote the library, raise money for projects, and organize their yearly book sale, in addition to the HUGE amount of support they provide throughout the year.  Call us for the date of the next meeting!

Pipestone Area Friends of the Library will be having a fundraiser at the Pipestone Pizza Ranch on Wednesday, October 30^th, from 4:30 until 8:00 PM.  From 4:30 until 5:00, the library will be having a craft activity for any interested children to celebrate the season.  Come join us for great food and a spooky fun craft to take home with you!

Book Club Reminder: The book club meets the fourth Thursday (my apologies that the past few months have said Tuesday) of the month and the next meeting will be October 24^th.  The next book is In The Woods by Tana French.  If you don’t have a copy, let the library know and we would be happy to order one for you.  Everyone is welcome!!

If you have questions or have a book you’d like to reserve or renew, please don’t hesitate to give us a call at (507) 825-6714.  The hours for Meinders Library are Monday through Thursday from 10 AM – 8 PM, and Friday and Saturday from 10 AM to 5 PM.  Meinders Community Library is located at 1401 7^th Street SW, on the south side of the high school.

Upcoming Events

Pipestone County Star 09-26-2013

Meinders Library tries very hard to bring in programming that we think will be meaningful and well-received by the community.  We enjoy having local authors come and speak, as well as more famous authors from around the state, such as John Coy and Mary Logue.  We also work hard to have programs that benefit the children of the community and enrich the learning process, such as 1000 Books Before Kindergarten and the Summer Reading Program. 

Tune in below to some of the upcoming programs offered at the library!

1000 Books Before Kindergarten!

1000 Books Before Kindergarten is a program that encourages children who are not in school to get reading!  Meinders Library is a participant in the program and we will be having a kick-off party on September 28^th from 1 until 4 PM.

Stop in any time during those hours and sign up for the program – the child will receive a special bag and reading log and be able to do a few crafts!  We will be decorating paper crowns and making birdfeeders out of toilet paper rolls and peanut butter, which should be a huge amount of fun.

This program is open to all children, ages 0 – 5, who are not yet enrolled in school.  We look forward to seeing you!

Caryl and Ed Crozier

Join us October 5^th at 2:00 PM for an awesome documentary and book talk! 

Ed (Sherm) Crozier and his wife Caryl will be coming to talk about their books, Dream Hunter and Waking to Mourning Doves, and show their 20 minute award-winning film to attendees.  The couple will discuss their childhood in southwestern MN and talk about their journey into film-making. 

Please come and hear them speak – the movie is excellent!

PAFL  Fundraiser

Pipestone Area Friends of the Library will be having a fundraiser at the Pipestone Pizza Ranch on Wednesday, October 30^th, from 4:30 until 8:00 PM.  From 4:30 until 5:00, the library will be having a craft activity for any interested children to celebrate the season.  Come join us for great food and a spooky fun craft to take home with you!

In addition to these exciting events, there are several more speakers in the works for November and December and we are even planning for next year.  Do you have any ideas?  Let us know!

PAFL Update:  Pipestone Area Friends of the Library is looking for members – anyone who is a friend to Meinders Library is welcome to join!  The Friends group works hard to promote the library, raise money for projects, and organize their yearly book sale, in addition to the HUGE amount of support they provide throughout the year.  Call us for the date of the next meeting!

Book Club Reminder: The book club takes a break during the summer months and they are currently on hiatus until September.  Their meetings are the fourth Tuesday of the month and over the summer, they read what they want to and report back to the club on those tomes during their first meeting.  If you enjoy reading, you should try it out!  Everyone is welcome!!

If you have questions or have a book you’d like to reserve or renew, please don’t hesitate to give us a call at (507) 825-6714.  The hours for Meinders Library are Monday through Thursday from 10 AM – 8 PM, and Friday and Saturday from 10 AM to 5 PM.  Meinders Community Library is located at 1401 7^th Street SW, on the south side of the high school.

Banned Books Week 2013

Pipestone County Star 09-12-2013

Banned Books Week is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read.  This year, the dates of Banned Books Week are from September 22 until September 28^th and it highlights the value of free and open access to information.  Banned Books Week brings together the entire book community –- librarians, booksellers, publishers, journalists, teachers, and readers of all types –- in shared support of the freedom to seek and to express ideas, even those some consider unorthodox or unpopular.  

  

Banned Books Week was launched in 1982 in response to a sudden surge in the number of challenges to books in schools, bookstores and libraries. 

What is the difference between a challenge and banning?

A challenge is an attempt to remove or restrict materials, based upon the objections of a person or group.  A banning is the removal of those materials.  Challenges do not simply involve a person expressing a point of view; rather, they are an attempt to remove material from the curriculum or library, thereby restricting the access of others.  Due to the commitment of librarians, teachers, parents, students and other concerned citizens, most challenges are unsuccessful and most materials are retained in the school curriculum or library collection.

Why are books challenged?

Books usually are challenged with the best intentions—to protect others, frequently children, from difficult ideas and information.   Censorship can be subtle, almost imperceptible, as well as blatant and overt, but, nonetheless, harmful.  

Often challenges are motivated by a desire to protect children from “inappropriate” sexual content or “offensive” language. The following were the top three reasons cited for challenging materials as reported to the Office of Intellectual Freedom:

·         the material was considered to be "sexually explicit"

·         the material contained "offensive language"

·         the materials was "unsuited to any age group"

Although this is a commendable motivation, Free Access to Libraries for Minors, an interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights (ALA's basic policy concerning access to information) states that, “Librarians and governing bodies should maintain that parents—and only parents—have the right and the responsibility to restrict the access of their children—and only their children—to library resources.” Censorship by librarians of constitutionally protected speech, whether for protection or for any other reason, violates the First Amendment.

If we are to continue to protect our First Amendment, we would do well to keep in mind these words of Noam Chomsky:

“If we don't believe in freedom of expression for people we despise, we don't believe in it at all.”

Who Challenges Books?

Throughout history, more and different kinds of people and groups of all persuasions than you might first suppose, who, for all sorts of reasons, have attempted—and continue to attempt—to suppress anything that conflicts with or anyone who disagrees with their own beliefs.

According to the Challenges by Initiator, Institution, Type, and Year, parents challenge materials more often than any other group.

Top Ten Challenged books of 2012:

Captain Underpants (series), by Dav Pilkey
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie
Thirteen Reasons Why, by Jay Asher
Fifty Shades of Grey, by E. L. James
And Tango Makes Three, by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson
The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini
Looking for Alaska, by John Green
Scary Stories (series), by Alvin Schwartz
The Glass Castle, by Jeanette Walls
Beloved, by Toni Morrison

If you would like to know the reasons for the challenges, come in to the library and we can show you on our Banned Books Flyer.  Or better yet, check one of them out and read it for yourself!!

Upcoming Events: I will be doing a travelogue about my trip to Kilimanjaro on September 21^st at 2:00 PM at the library.  The event is free and open to everyone, so come and join us!  I will be doing a powerpoint presentation of pictures and have some maps, other items, and gear on hand as props.

PAFL Update:  Pipestone Area Friends of the Library is looking for members – anyone who is a friend to Meinders Library is welcome to join!  The Friends group works hard to promote the library, raise money for projects, and organize their yearly book sale, in addition to the HUGE amount of support they provide throughout the year.  Call us for the date of the next meeting!

Book Club Reminder: The book club takes a break during the summer months and they are currently on hiatus until September.  Their meetings are the fourth Tuesday of the month and over the summer, they read what they want to and report back to the club on those tomes during their first meeting.  If you enjoy reading, you should try it out!  Everyone is welcome!!

If you have questions or have a book you’d like to reserve or renew, please don’t hesitate to give us a call at (507) 825-6714.  The hours for Meinders Library are Monday through Thursday from 10 AM – 8 PM, and Friday and Saturday from 10 AM to 5 PM.  Meinders Community Library is located at 1401 7^th Street SW, on the south side of the high school.

Back to School Drama

Pipestone County Star  - 08-29-2013

It’s almost time.  The kids go back to school in less than a week, which means that school supplies are probably scattered all over your house and the realization has suddenly hit you that none of their clothes fit anymore.  My daughter had ONE pair of pants that still fit her and my son only had a few, so we made a trip to Once Upon a Child to stock up.  It’s amazing, those growth spurts.

To satisfy your need for high school drama (I know you have an urge to read these and even if you’re an adult, that’s okay!), here are some books to tide you over.  They are young adult fiction, but the plots and characters are just as well developed as most adult fiction and they are great reads!  Check one out today!

Academy 7, by Anne Osterlund

Aerin Renning and Dane Madousin have nothing in common.  The two most competitive freshman at Academy 7 both have secrets and their safety depends on them staying apart.  Of course, since this is dramatic, they can’t quite manage that and their friendship turns into a romance that could cost them both their lives.  But what’s the secret?  You’ll have to read it to find out!

Kiss and Blog, by Alyson Noel

This is an old story told a new way: two nerdy girls make a pact to do whatever it takes to become cool their sophomore year in high school.  The one who becomes cool first will help the other one along.  But Sloane likes being cool more than she likes Winter and she leaves the other girl behind when she gets in with the popular crowd.  Winter, as revenge, starts an anonymous blog and reveals all of Sloane’s best-kept secrets.  Will vengeance mean more the friendship in the end?

The List, by Siobhan Vivian

Eight girls, with very different reactions to a list that is posted just before homecoming.  Not an official list, but it gets posted every year – one girl from each grade is the “prettiest” and one is the “ugliest.”  Abby, Danielle, Lauren, Candace, Bridget, Sarah, Margo, and Jennifer all have a story to tell and this book goes in deep into the relationships that are formed and broken because of the List.

A Match Made in High School, by Kristin Walker

A class to practice marriage?  You’ve got to be kidding…Fiona has been paired with jock Todd Harding and her best friend has been paired with a very goofy Johnny Mercer.  How will they survive an entire year “hitched” to boys they can’t stand?  Todd even has a girlfriend, who quickly becomes Fiona’s arch-enemy.  A series of pranks leaves all the kids wondering if there’s more to their partners than meets the eye…very well-written, very funny.  A good end of summer read.

Prom and Prejudice, by Elizabeth Eulberg

A re-write, yes, but a good one.  If you enjoy Jane Austen, you will probably really enjoy this retelling of her classic story Pride and Prejudice, set at a very prestigious school where all the girls become obsessed with prom after winter break.  Who will take who?  Are there other plots that will get in the way of romance?

A Tale of Two Centuries, by Rachel Harris

The sixteenth century can be boring for a teenager.  Very, very boring.  And when a girl has a teenage cousin who can travel through time, why wouldn’t she want to try that, too?  Alessandra casts a spell that takes her to modern day Beverly Hills, right to her cousin Cat’s doorstep.  And what a world it is – the clothing is scandalous, the technology is confusing, and Less can hardly keep her head on straight.  And to top it all off, there’s a SURFER boy that’s really infuriating…and strangely attractive.  How can she go back to her time when she wants to stay here??

So that’s it for me today – I think I need to go buy more folders, spiral tablets, and a year long supply of pencils.  If I’m not out of Target in five minutes, send a search party.  Have a great first day of school!!

Upcoming Events: I will be doing a travelogue about my trip to Kilimanjaro on September 21^st at 2:00 PM at the library.  The event is free and open to everyone, so come and join us!  I will be doing a powerpoint presentation of pictures and have some maps, other items, and gear on hand as props.

PAFL Update:  Pipestone Area Friends of the Library is looking for members – anyone who is a friend to Meinders Library is welcome to join!  The Friends group works hard to promote the library, raise money for projects, and organize their yearly book sale, in addition to the HUGE amount of support they provide throughout the year.  Call us for the date of the next meeting!

Book Club Reminder: The book club takes a break during the summer months and they are currently on hiatus until September.  Their meetings are the fourth Tuesday of the month and over the summer, they read what they want to and report back to the club on those tomes during their first meeting.  If you enjoy reading, you should try it out!  Everyone is welcome!!

If you have questions or have a book you’d like to reserve or renew, please don’t hesitate to give us a call at (507) 825-6714.  The hours for Meinders Library are Monday through Thursday from 10 AM – 8 PM, and Friday from 10 AM to 5 PM and Saturday from 10AM to Noon.  Summer hours are in effect from Memorial Day weekend until Labor Day Weekend.  Meinders Community Library is located at 1401 7^th Street SW, on the south side of the high school.

Useful Swahili

Pipestone County Star  - 08-15-2013

Some of you are aware that I just came back from Tanzania on July 27^th after climbing Mount Kilimanjaro with my husband.  There is no way I would be able to write a column about the trip considering there’s just not enough space, BUT I thought I’d pass off a few words in Swahili that might be vaguely useful.  All right, they’re not even remotely useful around here, but they are interesting!

Jambo! (JAM-bow): Hello!!

Hakuna Matata (Ha-KUN-ah Ma-TA-ta): Sorry, now you’re probably singing the song from the Lion King and you probably already got to the part “It means no worries…”  Hakuna Matata is a good phrase to remember – stop worrying about everything.  Worrying doesn’t help fix anything at all – try telling that to a professional worrier like myself.  I think this was the biggest lesson the mountain had to teach me.

Trende Sasa!  (TREN-day SA-sa): Might actually be useful for you – it means Let’s go NOW! and was a phrase used to get us moving if we stopped too long.  Stopping was fine, but when it was time to move, sometimes we needed a little extra boost to get us going.  Try saying it, it’s fun!  You can, of course, just say Trende (let’s go), but it’s not nearly as fun as adding the NOW.

Asante Sana (a-SAN-tay SA-na): Thank you very much.  Asante is thank you, but it sounds better if you use the whole phrase.

Maji (MAH-gee):  Water.  Since we were drinking three to five liters of water a day while we were hiking, this was a good word to know!

Pole pole (POE-lee POE-lee): Slowly!  You can try using this on people walking faster than you, but if they don’t speak Swahili, it might be useless.  We were told this time and time again on the mountain since we had to walk very slowly (like a mile an hour) to allow our bodies time to acclimate to the altitude.  Try it on the treadmill sometime – it’s really hard to walk that slow.

Words for farm animals:  We saw a lot of cows, sheep, goats, and donkeys on our trip, being herded and overseen by younger boys usually, and I couldn’t resist learning all the words.

Ng’ombe (n-GOM-bay): Cow (if you can do the glottal stop, you’re amazing)

Mbuzi (m-BOO-zee): Goat

Kondoo (KON-doo): Sheep

Punda (POON-dah): Donkey

Words for Animals on Safari: And more animal words – try teaching these to small children.  The words are very fun to say!

                Twiga (TWEEG-ah): Giraffe

                Tembo (TEM-bow): Elephant

                Simba (SIM-bah): Lion (Disney totally cheated naming the Lion King “Lion”)

                Tumbili (toom-BEE-lee): Vervet monkey

                Sokwe (SOCK-wee): Chimpanzee

                Kiboko (Key-BOW-koe): Hippopotamus

Mbuzu (m-BOO-zoo): The final word is a good one for me.  It means white person.  You may feel free to refer to me as Crazy Mbuzu for writing this article.

I will be speaking about the trip in a travelogue at the library in September – stay tuned for more details on that as we get closer.  I’ll have some of my 485 pictures and some of my equipment with me for a laugh.

Hope you’re having an awesome summer!!

PAFL Update:  Pipestone Area Friends of the Library is looking for members – anyone who is a friend to Meinders Library is welcome to join!  The Friends group works hard to promote the library, raise money for projects, and organize their yearly book sale, in addition to the HUGE amount of support they provide throughout the year.  Call us for the date of the next meeting!

Book Club Reminder: The book club takes a break during the summer months and they are currently on hiatus until September.  Their meetings are the fourth Tuesday of the month and over the summer, they read what they want to and report back to the club on those tomes during their first meeting.  If you enjoy reading, you should try it out!  Everyone is welcome!!

If you have questions or have a book you’d like to reserve or renew, please don’t hesitate to give us a call at (507) 825-6714.  The hours for Meinders Library are Monday through Thursday from 10 AM – 8 PM, and Friday from 10 AM to 5 PM and Saturday from 10AM to Noon.  Summer hours are in effect from Memorial Day weekend until Labor Day Weekend.  Meinders Community Library is located at 1401 7^th Street SW, on the south side of the high school.