New York Mills Public Library

Library Fundraiser!!

2012-01-17T12:44:00.000-06:00

Preschool Story Time

2012-01-09T11:50:00.001-06:00

Preschool Story Time is coming up on Wednesday, January 11 - 10:15 am!!

Limited to 10 participants. (We still have space!)

Parents are encouraged to stay with their preschoolers during story hour.

Please call 385-2436 to pre-register.

Retirement Party TOMORROW!!

2011-12-27T07:28:00.002-06:00

You are invited to a

Retirement Party for

Barb Baker!

Everyone is invited to help Barb

celebrate her retirement from the

New York Mills Public Library.

Barb has worked at the Library

for the past 22 years.

Wednesday, December 28

1 pm to 3 pm

NYM Public Library

HELP WANTED!

2011-12-06T17:29:00.000-06:00

Part-Time Library Technician

Approx 22.5 hours/week

Schedule will include evenings and Saturdays

Applicants MUST have computer experience

Pick-up job description and application

at New York Mills Public Library before 12/23/11

Retirement Party!

2011-11-28T10:36:00.001-06:00

You are invited to a
Retirement Party for
Barb Baker!

Everyone is invited to help Barb
celebrate her retirement from the
New York Mills Public Library.

Barb has worked at the Library
for the past 22 years.

Wednesday, December 28

1 pm to 3 pm

NYM Public Library

Holiday hours

2011-11-23T10:24:00.002-06:00

The Library will be CLOSED Thursday, November 24, in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday.

The Library will be OPEN Friday, November 25 - 10 am to 5 pm, and Saturday, November 26 - 10 am to 2 -pm.

"Happy Thanksgiving!!" from the Library staff and board - we thank you for your continued support of the Library!

Preschool Storytime!

2011-10-31T12:40:00.001-05:00

Wednesday, November 16
10:15 am
Thanksgiving theme

Wednesday, December 14
10:15 am
Christmas Theme

At the New York Mills Public Library
Please call 385-2436 to pre-register

Limited to 10 participants
Parents are encouraged to stay with their preschoolers during story hour.

Interested in Book Club?

2011-10-24T13:56:00.000-05:00

The Library is exploring the possibility of starting a 3rd Book Club!

There has been an outstanding amount of interest in our book clubs and both of our existing book clubs are currently filled to capacity.

There will be an organizational meeting of all who are interested in starting a new book club on Tuesday, November 8, at 8:00 pm, in the Library Meeting Room.

At this meeting it will determined if there are enough people interested in forming a new book club. If there is enough interest, the group will select the meeting dates and times and titles of books to discuss.

Please call the Library at 385-2436 if you would like more information.

Library Board vacancy - filled

2011-10-23T21:13:00.003-05:00

I just realized that I hadn't updated this information in a while. Our Library Board vacancy has been filled - the City Council recently appointed and we welcome new Library Board member Jim Van Schaick!

Thanks to all who expressed interest in our Board vacancy. If you are interested in helping out the Library, we accept volunteer help as well as we are always looking for more Friends of the Library members. Please contact the Library staff if you are interested.

Library Board vacancy

2011-08-12T11:31:00.000-05:00

Dear Library Patrons,

We have a vacancy on the Library Board. Jen Kotaska recently resigned from the Library Board as she and her family are in the process of moving to a different community. We will certainly miss Jen on the Board as she has been an very active member.

We are looking for someone to fill Jen’s position on the Board. The process is quite simple. If you are interested in this volunteer position (as described below), please stop by the Library to pick up an application. The Library Board will review all the applications at their upcoming meeting and will recommend an applicant to the City Council for appointment to the Board.

The Library Board is responsible to the City Council for the policies and annual operating budget of the Library. An ideal candidate for the Library Board is someone who:
• Is a resident of Ottertail County. (At this time are accepting applications from in-town residents only.)
• Supports the mission and vision of the Library
• Resists censorship of Library materials
• Can attend monthly meetings (third Thursday of every month at 5 pm)
• Is willing to help with Library fundraising

Please pick up and return your application as soon as possible to the Library. If possible, the Library Board would like to review the applications on Thursday, August 18.

If you have any questions at all, please contact the Library. Please forward this to anyone you think might be interested!

Members of the Library Board are:
Dianna Wallgren – President
Patrick Veazie – Vice-President
Kendal Wurst – Secretary
Susan Thompson – Viking Library System Representative
Becky Becker – Board Member
Julie Radniecki – Board Member

Our meetings are fairly short and pretty low key.

Book Sale update

2011-08-10T10:39:00.001-05:00

Many thanks for all of the support for our Annual Used Book Sale that was held last month. The Friends of the Library raised a little over $1700 - which is almost exactly what we raised last year! The money will be used to support the Library.

Also, many thanks to all of the volunteers who helped during the Book Sale: Becky B, Ken B, Alice L, Shelley W, Gen K, Jo R, Kevin M, Marlene B, Brandy B, Dotie H, Julie R, Denise K, Kelly V, Sally L, Jolene G, Sue S, Ariane G, Pat B, Arliss A, Karen O, Teri B, Myrna B, and Cheri K. And our thanks to Adele E for sorting the books!!

ANNUAL USED BOOK SALE

2011-07-08T11:33:00.001-05:00

Our Annual Used Book Sale is coming up Wednesday, July 20, 4-8 pm and Thursday, July 21, 8 am to 3 pm in the City Hall Ballroom.

Everything will be $1.00 on Wednesday, July 20. Hard covers will be 50 cents, and paperbacks will be 25 cents on Thursday, July 21 - with a $1/bag sale starting at 2 pm.

We accept donations throughout the year for our Book Sale, in fact the vast majority of the items sold at the Book Sale have been donated. If you have books or movies you would like to donate–anytime—please drop them off at the Library (during open hours only-please don’t leave them outside). We cannot accept damaged items or magazines. Please note that we always go through donated items to see what we can add to our collection first, before storing them for our Book Sale.

We will need volunteers to help with the Book Sale the following shifts:
Wednesday, July 20
Set-up 10 am until finished. (Volunteers for this shift can shop for a little while once everything is set-up. The prices are $1/item.)
4-6 pm
6-8 pm

Thursday, July 21
8-10 am
10 am-noon
Noon-2 pm
2 pm until clean-up is done (Volunteers for this shift get a REALLY REALLY good deal on as many books as they want!)

Please contact us if you are interested in helping. We would like at least 2 people for each shift.

This Annual Used Book Sale is a fundraiser for the New York Mills Public Library, sponsored by the Friends of the Library. As always, our thanks to Adele Esala for sorting the books as they come in throughout the year! Contact the Library at 385-2436 for more information.

Thank you for your continued support of the Library!

Annual Used Book Sale

2011-06-27T17:03:00.002-05:00

Missoula Children’s Theatre

2011-05-05T09:24:00.002-05:00

Summer Reading Program

2011-05-04T08:31:00.002-05:00

Kids Book Club to be formed this summer

2011-05-03T16:39:00.000-05:00

Return to Honor

2011-04-25T09:21:00.002-05:00

If you would like more information about the play, "Return to Honor" that we, with the help of Viking Library System and Legacy funds, will be sponsoring on Friday, May 6, 7 pm, in the City Hall Ballroom, please click here. Free admission. Hope you can join us!

2011-04-21T17:46:00.001-05:00

2011-03-24T10:58:00.000-05:00

Local Library Begins Writers Group

2011-03-21T10:02:00.000-05:00

New York Mills Public Library is seeking writers interested in meeting others to find support, refine skills, and gain confidence. The first four gatherings will be led by writer and editor Tim Rundquist on Saturdays, April 2, 16, 30, and May 14 from 10:00-12:00 noon. Participants should bring writing materials and are encouraged to attend all four meetings. Following the structured introductory sessions, the group will continue to meet independently if members are interested.

This newly established writers group is free to writers of all levels and is sponsored by Viking Library System, Lake Region Writers Network, and New York Mills Public Library. The project is funded in part or in whole with money from Minnesota’s Arts and Cultural Heritage fund.

The library is located at 30 Main Ave. N. and can be reached at 218-385-2436.

Writers groups in Fergus Falls and Elbow Lake are also starting up. For more information on dates and locations, call Gail Nordstrom at Viking Library System at 218-739-5286.

Book-Making Class

2011-03-09T12:09:00.001-06:00

Are you feelin' crafty? Then we have just the class for you! We have received Legacy funding to provide a book making class –

Awesome Adventures in Accordion Books

Thursday, April 7, 6:30 pm

City Hall Ballroom (Party Room)

Phyllis Joos, printmaker and artist (and also a librarian) from Hancock, MN, will lead the class. This class is a lot of fun and really gets the creative juices flowing! (And the books you will make are FABULOUS!)

All of the supplies will be provided and because this is sponsored by the New York Mills Public Library and Viking library System with the help of Legacy funds, the class is FREE to participants.

The class is limited to 15 participants (adults only). Registration is open now – talk to NYM Public Library staff.

This class will fill up fast, so please contact us ASAP if you are interested!

KING TUT!

2011-03-09T08:39:00.002-06:00

All the pieces are in place…we have received Legacy funding to provide transportation and admission to the King Tut exhibit at the Science Museum of Minnesota on Saturday, April 16, 2011 - FREE but strictly limited to 55 participants. Registrations will be taken on a first come-first served basis.

Information about the King Tut exhibit.

For more specific information about our bus trip, please call or stop by the Library.

WE ♥ OUR LIBRARY PATRONS

2011-03-07T12:10:00.000-06:00

Congratulations to Sally Line who won our final WE ♥ OUR LIBRARY PATRONS drawing on Friday! The drawings may have stopped, but the ♥ continues!

Many thanks to Mills Lanes, Subway, Mills Creamery, Eagles Cafe, and Dinee Dykhoff/lia sopia for all the wonderful prizes!

We LOVE our Library patrons!

2011-03-03T09:05:00.001-06:00

Congratulations to Mikayla Geiser for winning the gift certificate to Eagles Cafe in our WE LOVE OUR LIBRARY PATRONS drawing last Friday! Surprise - we have one more drawing this week and it's BLING this time! Many thanks to Dinee Dykhoff for donating a lia sophia necklace & gift certificate. Stop by all week to put your name in the drawing!

Prize winner!

2011-02-22T08:38:00.001-06:00

Congratulations to Wanda Brasel who won the gift certificate to Mills Creamery in our WE LOVE OUR LIBRARY PATRONS drawing last Friday! Stop by this week to put your name in the drawing for a $25 gift certificate to Eagles Cafe. Many thanks to Tom & Julie Gerber for donating the prize!

2011-02-14T08:30:00.002-06:00

WE ♥ OUR LIBRARY PATRONS ~ stop by TODAY, Valentine’s Day, and get ALL your overdue fines waived!! We are open 10 am to 6 pm. (Sorry, we can't waive fees on lost items or fines from other libraries.) Happy Valentine’s/Fine Amnesty Day! :)

Fine Amnesty!

2011-02-09T10:31:00.000-06:00

WE ♥ OUR LIBRARY PATRONS ~ stop by on Monday, February 14, and get ALL your overdue fines waived!! (Sorry, this doesn't apply to lost items or fines from other libraries.)

WE LOVE OUR LIBRARY PATRONS

2011-02-08T08:49:00.002-06:00

Last week's winner of our WE LOVE OUR LIBRARY PATRONS drawing is Adele Esala! Congratulations to Adele for winning a $20.00 gift certificate to Mills Lanes!

Reminder ~ stop in every day this month to enter our WE LOVE OUR LIBRARY PATRONS drawings. This week to sign up for the 4 meals from Subway giveaway. Many thanks to Ken Hendrickx for donating this week's prize!!

WE LOVE OUR PATRONS!

2011-02-01T09:00:00.001-06:00

February is “I love to read month”! The New York Mills Public Library staff and board are officially declaring February “WE LOVE OUR LIBRARY PATRONS!” month! But wait there’s more . . . we have prizes!! Every Friday we will have a drawing for a gift certificate from a local restaurant, so stop by as many times as you can during the week to put your name in the drawing

This week’s prize will be a $20.00 gift certificate from Mills Lanes. Many thanks to Dolly & Owen Tumberg for donating the gift certificate. We will draw the winner’s name at 4:30 pm on Friday. You do not need to be present to win – I’m just giving you the time so you can figure out how many times this week you can stop by to put your name in the drawing.

Book Clubs

2011-01-31T09:05:00.002-06:00

I heard there is a little bit of confusion about our Book Clubs. I will try to clarify:

Our "Monday Book Club" has been in existence since 2002. There are 13 active members. Because of our small meeting room, at this time we are not accepting new members in this Book Club.

Our new Book Club, the "Tuesday Book Club", will hold it's first official meeting in February. Because this is a new Book Club, and so far only 8 members, we do have room for at least 5 more people to join. The Tuesday Book Club will meet the 3rd Tuesday of every month at 8 pm. For more details, please contact the Library!

Upcoming Sumemr Event

2011-01-27T10:38:00.002-06:00

YES, summer is just around the corner!

I am so excited about this, that I just have to start spreading the news:

We have received Legacy funding to sponsor a week long residency of the Missoula Children's Theatre!! They will be in town working with kids grades 1-12, June 20-25. We will partner with the NYM School. We are still working on all the details, but if you know of someone who would like to be part of this play, tell them to keep June 20-25th open! Up to 60 kids can participate! More details to follow.

So go to your family calendar right now and reserve that week for your kids to be part of this!

I will be starting a list of interested people, so please contact me if you would like to be on an email list for more information as we iron out the details. Also, if you aren’t already, please follow the New York Mills Public Library on Facebook.

*This project is funded in part or in whole with money from Minnesota’s Arts and Cultural Heritage fund. This program is sponsored by the New York Mills Public Library and Viking Library System.

2nd Book Club

2011-01-26T10:52:00.002-06:00

Thanks to those of you who came to our organizational meeting last night – it was fun!

Things we decided:

We will meet the 3rd Tuesday of every month at 8 pm in the Library Meeting Room.

We will discuss The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo on February 15.

If you would like to be part of this new Book Club, please let us know and we will get you a copy of the book. We have plenty of space for more members to the Book Club, so spread the word!

Our exisiting Book Club continues to go strong, with active 12 members (capacity for our Meeting Room). They meet the last Monday of every month at 7 pm, 4:30 pm during the winter months.

2nd Book Club

2011-01-24T09:22:00.000-06:00

Our existing Book Club currently has 14 active members and our Meeting Room gets pretty “cozy” with more than about 10 people in there, so… it’s time for the Library to start a 2nd Book Club!!

We are having an organizational meeting of our 2nd Book club tomorrow (Tuesday) at 6:30 pm in the Library Meeting Room. If you are interested in joining the Book Club, please come to this meeting as we will finalize the schedule and pick out upcoming titles to discuss.

If you would like more information or have questions, please contact me. Hope to see you tomorrow evening!

The Minnesota Historical Society Awards the New York Mills Public Library a Historical and Cultural Heritage Grant

2011-01-10T11:24:00.001-06:00

Local organization directly benefits from funds appropriated by the Legacy Act.

NEW YORK MILLS, MN – Without a concerted effort, our state’s historic and cultural treasures are in danger of being lost to time. The Minnesota Historical Society awarded a Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grant in the amount of $850.00 to the New York Mills Public Library. The grant was approved by the Society’s awards committee recently and will support the Minnesota History Bookshelf project.

Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grants are made possible by the Minnesota Legislature from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund created with the passage of the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment to the Minnesota Constitution in November 2008. The grants are awarded to support projects of enduring value for the cause of history and historic preservation across the state.

The Minnesota History Bookshelf is a project of enduring value because it will include the addition of 34 Minnesota history books to the collection at the New York Mills Public Library.

“It is wonderful to see so many communities and local organizations benefitting from the Historical and Cultural Heritage Grants,” said Britta Bloomberg, deputy state historic preservation officer. “Minnesotans should be proud of the unprecedented opportunities these grants provide for organizations to preserve and share our history and cultural heritage. The impact of projects supported by Historical and Cultural Heritage Grants will be felt throughout the state for many years to come.”

Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grants
The Society will award a total of $6.75 million in Historical and Cultural Heritage Grants to non-profit and educational organizations, government units and tribes during the 2010 and 2011 fiscal years for projects of enduring value for the cause of history and historical preservation across the state. Grants are available in three tiers: Small or “Fast Track” grants of $7,000 or less, Mid-Size grants between $7,000 and $50,000, and Large grants of more than $50,000. For more information, including application deadlines, visit www,mnhs.org/legacygrants.

The Minnesota Historical Society is a non-profit educational and cultural institution established in 1849. Its essence is to help illuminate the past as a way to shed light on the future. The Society collects, preserves and tells the story of Minnesota’s past through museum exhibits, libraries and collections, historic sites, educational programs, and book publishing.

Upcoming holiday

2011-01-07T12:22:00.001-06:00

The Library will be closed on
Monday, January 17,
in observance of
Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Holiday hours

2010-12-21T11:56:00.003-06:00

The Library will be closed on

Friday, December 24

Saturday, December 25

and

Saturday, January 1

The Library staff wishes everyone a

Merry Christmas and

Happy New Year!!

Kill A Watt Meters

2010-12-02T11:45:00.000-06:00

Lake Region Electric Coop donated 2 Kill A Watt meters to our Library. They are available for you to check-out. All you do is plug an appliance into the meter, then plug the meter in. It will calculate that appliance’s electricity usage - providing you with great information when looking to reduce your home electricity usage!

Check out this related story!

2010-11-04T10:13:00.001-05:00

I have been asked by the New Horizons group to pass this along to everyone:

New Horizons Women’s Club of New York Mills invites everyone to their Annual Fall Silent Auction to be held on Thursday, November 11, 2010, at the Regional Cultural Center in New York Mills. The bidding will begin at 7:00 and end at 8:30.

The proceeds from our auction support the New York Mills Public Library and community projects such as Santa Anonymous, Closeup, school staff breakfast, Nursing Home Week, Food Shelf, Regional Cultural Center, and Elementary finger painting to name a few.

If you are interested in donating an item for the auction, they can be dropped off at the Regional Cultural Center in New York Mills prior to November 11, or call Becky Becker at 385-2205, Diane Duchene at 385-3231, or Dyann Tigges at 385-3018.

Please plan to attend this Silent Auction. Lots of nice items to bid on. Refreshments will be served.

Tickets available!

2010-10-28T10:24:00.002-05:00

We have tickets available for our bus trip to the MN History Center. The bus leaves at 8 am on Saturday. We had a full bus, but because of a few cancellations we now have some open seats.

The ticket covers transportation and admission to the MN History Center (food and beverages are on your own). You can view all of the exhibits in the History Center (there’s a chocolate display!!) as well as participate in the guided tour of the MN Greatest Generation exhibit.

Minnesota’s Greatest Generation Bus Trip FAQ

Schedule & Transportation:
What is included in the library bus tour?
Tour includes transportation and ticket to the Minnesota History Center’s general exhibits for the day and the Minnesota’s Greatest Generation exhibit at 1:00 pm.
When is the bus trip?
Saturday, October 30, 2010
8:00 am – leave from NYM School Parking Lot
11:30 am (approximately) –arrive at the History Center. Please use this time to generally tour the museum and/or eat lunch (food and beverages are on your own)
1:00 pm –Admission to the Minnesota’s Greatest Generation exhibit. The guided tour last approximately 30 with additional time to explore the exhibit on your own. You can also use this additional time for exploring the entire museum after you exit the exhibit.
3:30 pm –leave the History Center
7:00 pm (approximately) – return to the NYM School Parking lot
What kind of bus are you taking?
We will be taking a chartered bus from Minn-Dakota Coaches.
Where do I meet the bus and can I leave my car there?
Please park in the NYM School parking lot and meet the bus by the “eagle door” of the school.

Food:
Will food be provided?
No food will be provided—you will have the opportunity to purchase food at the History Center. Outside food and beverages are not permitted inside the History Center.
What food is available for purchase?
There is one eating establishment in the History Center, the Café Minnesota features “a menu that highlights sustainable, local ingredients, the Café offers self service dining, with a grill, and stations with entrees, deli items and desserts”.
May we bring our own food?
Food may be brought along and eaten/stored on the bus.

Age Limit:
May children attend?
Parents are asked to use good judgment as to whether their child is able to handle the bus trip. All History Center exhibits are family friendly.
Must children have an adult with them?
Yes, all children must be accompanied by an adult.

Cancellation:
What do I do if I registered, but am unable to go on the tour?
Because there are a limited number of seats available, the library will be holding a waiting list of names in the case of a cancellation. If you are unable to attend the tour, please notify the library ASAP so that your tickets can be passed onto someone else.

Exhibit and Museum:
Where can I get more information on the exhibit?
You can see more information at: http://www.minnesotahistorycenter.org/

2010-10-22T09:59:00.001-05:00

Online article courtesy of the EOT Focus.

New York Mills Public Library continues to sponsor events throughout October

2010-10-21T11:49:00.001-05:00

This article didn't quite make it into today's paper, but it should be available online (www.eotfocus.com) soon. In the meantime, here it is:

Courtesy of the East Otter Tail Focus

By: Christopher D. Michalski, EOT Focus

The New York Mills Public Library extends its thanks to the residents of New York Mills and those who continue to support their entertaining, educational and historical events so far this month.

Library Director Julie Adams said, "We've gotten exceptional feedback about our recent Dead Sea Scrolls bus trip, the 'Golden Age of Radio' show, and the 'Virginia Mae Hope' History Player (Tami Moehring) who visited the New York Mills Regional Cultural Center."

"It's exciting to be able to offer these programs to our community with the help of the Viking Library System and Legacy Funds," she said.

More programs are continuing throughout the month that the NY Mills Public Library invites interested parties to.

The Accidental Hero

On Saturday, October 23, "The Accidental Hero", also known as "The Mushroom Picker," will be performed at the NY Mills Regional Cultural Center at 7 p.m. The one-man play presents "a very moving story about a real WWII hero".

Daniel Freeman of the Smithsonian Institute lauds the play as "Impossible to forget. Remarkable."

"It is easy to imagine 'The Mushroom Picker' as being tailored primarily to audiences of veterans, WWII buffs, and Czech Americans, but it has an appeal that extends far beyond those interest groups. At the most basic level, anyone intrigued by family history will find it fascinating."

According to the play's official website, Patrick Dewane tells the story of his grandfather, Matt Konop, a man whose seemingly-goofy CB handle during the 1970s – "The Mushroom Picker" – was really a clue to his incredible story as a WWII Czech-American soldier fighting in the forests of his family's ancient homeland.

Whenever young Patrick would beg for stories about the war, his grandfather would change the subject or make a joke but never talk about it, typical of the generation who remained silent.

Years after his grandfather's death, Dewane was handed a pile of type-written pages that a family member had discovered in a box in a basement.

In "The Mushroom Picker," Dewane chronicles an astonishing journey about the reality of war, the mystery of heroes, and a side of his grandfather, history, and even himself that he never knew.

Eliska Zigova, Consul General of the Czech Republic, said the play is "an extraordinary and touching show. What is amazing is this interesting story about Matt Konop is performed by his own grandson. To have seen it done in Bohemian National Hall in New York City on Czech Independence Day was a thrilling experience."

Minnesota's Greatest Generation Exhibit

Fifty-five people will take a bus to the Minnesota History Center for a free, guided tour of the Minnesota's Greatest Generation Exhibit on Saturday, October 30.

The trip is currently full, but interested parties may still sign up on a waiting list at the NY Mills Public Library.

For more information, or to place yourself on the waiting list, please call 218-385-2436.

CLIMB Theatre to educate through entertainment

Monday, October 25 will bring two presentations from the CLIMB Theatre at the NY Mills School Auditorium.

"The Bystander," which focuses on anti-bullying, will be presented to students in grades 4-6 at 2:10 p.m.

According to CLIMB, there are three types of students in bullying situations: the perpetrator, the victim, and the bystanders (students who watch and do nothing).

CLIMB cites a study in which 57 percent of bystanders who intervene in a bullying situation resolve it within 10 seconds.

The two plays being shown "inspire bystanders" aim to stop bullying and harassment.

At 6 p.m., "Rude Rudy Roo" will be presented to families with young children (preschool and up), who "will enjoy this beneficial and entertaining play about showing respect to others."

CLIMB describes the show as Rudy Roo being "a very rude and disrespectful kangaroo, but his friend Teo Tiger doesn't seem to notice. It takes the perspectives of the new kid, Kenesha Koala, and the students in the audience, for Teo to see that it is not okay for Rudy to gossip, say mean things, exclude others, or damage their things.

When Teo learns to respectfully refuse to accept Rudy's disrespectful ways, Rudy learns to do things differently and very much likes the results."

About CLIMB

CLIMB theatre, located in a suburb of Minneapolis and St. Paul, is a nationally recognized non-profit company that has provided programming to K-12 schools for 35 years.

CLIMB's theatre artists write, produce and present plays and drama classes on topics like bullying, self-control, respect, friendship, acceptance of differences, methamphetamine-use prevention, and the environment.

CLIMB's work is not only entertaining, but it is educational. Independent research done on their programs show that young people learn, and may change their thinking and even their behavior, because of their shows.

In the last year, CLIMB reached nearly 300,000 students and their teachers in 1,250 schools, primarily in nine states around Minnesota.

Their mission is "to create and perform plays, classes, and other creative works that inspire and propel young people toward actions that benefit themselves, each other, and the community."

Sponsors

The events are made possible by a partnership between Minnesota Regional Public Libraries and the Minnesota Historical Society. Funding provided by the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund through the vote of Minnesotans on November 4, 2008.

Further information

Interested parties or questions on the performances can be directed to the NY Mills Public Library at 218-385-2436.

Upcoming event!

2010-10-21T10:11:00.003-05:00

Please help spead the word:

With the help of Legacy Funds* the
New York Mills Public Library
is pleased to present
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
MN Historical Society One-Man Play
“The Accidental Hero”
Saturday, October 23, 2010, 7 pm
New York Mills Regional Cultural Center

Patrick Dewane tells the story of his grandfather, a man whose seemingly goofy CD radio-handle during the 1970s – “The Accidental Hero” –was really a clue to his incredible story as a WWII Czech-American soldier fighting in the forests of his father’s ancient homeland. Dewane’s grandfather, Matt Konop, rarely talked about the war, but years after his death Dewane was handed a pile of typewritten pages that a family member had discovered in a box in a basement. “The Accidental Hero” is an astonishing one-man play about history, the reality of war, and the mystery of heroes.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FREE ADMISSION
Sponsored by Viking Library System
and the New York Mills Public Library
Call 385-2436 for more information
*“A partnership between Minnesota Regional Public Libraries and the Minnesota Historical Society. Made possible by the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund through the vote of Minnesotans on November 4, 2008.”

Upcoming events!

2010-10-15T14:48:00.002-05:00

Many thanks to everyone for all of your support! We have gotten exceptional feedback about our recent Dead Sea Scrolls bus trip, the “Golden Age of Radio” show, and the “Virginia Mae Hope” History Player. It is exciting to be able to offer these programs in our community with the help of Viking Library System and Legacy Funds!

We have a few more programs coming up that we would like to invite you to:

Saturday, October 23
* “The Accidental Hero” (aka “The Mushroom Picker”)
This one man play presents a very moving story about a real WWII hero.
DON’T MISS THIS!!
7 pm, New York Mills Regional Cultural Center

Monday, October 25
2 presentations of CLIMB Theater
* * “The Bystander” (about anti-bullying) will be presented to students in grades 4-5-6 at 2:10 pm.
* * “Rude Rudy Roo” (about showing respect to others) will be presented at 6:00 pm.
Families with young children (preschool and up) will enjoy this beneficial and entertaining play.
Many thanks to the school for their collaboration on these programs!

Saturday, October 30
*Bus Trip to the Minnesota History Center with a guided tour of the MN Greatest Generation exhibit.
(The bus if full, so the best we can offer at this point is a place on our waiting list, but I wanted to remind everyone about this event.)

All of these programs are FREE and open to the public because of

* “A partnership between Minnesota Regional Public Libraries and the Minnesota Historical Society.
Made possible by the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund through the vote of Minnesotans on November 4, 2008.”

* *This project was funded in part or in whole with money from Minnesota’s Arts and Curtural Heritage fund.
This program is sponsored by the New York Mills Public Library and Viking Library System.

If you have any questions, please contact the New York Mills Public Library – 385-2436 or
FIND US ON FACE BOOK!

Rude Rudy Roo

2010-10-14T16:22:00.001-05:00

With the help of Legacy funds* the

New York Mills Public Library

presents the play

Rude Rudy Roo

Monday, October 25

6:00 pm

NYM School Auditorium

Families are invited to this

FREE event!

Rudy Roo is a very rude and disrespectful little kangaroo, but his friend Teo Tiger doesn't seem to notice.

It takes the perspectives of the new kid, Kenesha Koala, and the students in the audience, for Teo to see

that it is not okay for Rudy to gossip, say mean things, exclude others or damage their things.

When Teo learns to respectfully refuse to accept Rudy's disrespectful ways, Rudy learns to do things

differently and very much likes the results!

*This project was funded in part or in whole with money from Minnesota's Arts and Curtural Heritage fund.

This program is sponsored by the New York Mills Public Library and Viking Library System

2010-10-04T11:08:00.001-05:00

When was the last time you went to a play? How about a play with FREE ADMISSION?!? Well, here’s your chance:

With the help of Legacy Funds* the New York Mills Public Library is pleased to present the play

“Virginia Mae Hope” A MN Historical Society History Player production

Saturday, October 9, 2010, 7 pm - New York Mills Regional Cultural Center,
FREE ADMISSION!

A native of Winnebago, Minnesota, Virginia Mae Hope was a member of the Women Air force Service Pilots (WASP) during WWII. WASPs flew planes and performed wartime duties in the United States, thus freeing male pilots for combat. Using props and artifacts, a costumed History Player will engage the audience in the life story of a memorable Minnesotan.

“A partnership between Minnesota Regional Public Libraries and the Minnesota Historical Society. Made possible by the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund through the vote of Minnesotans on November 4, 2008.”

Hope to see all of you at the Cultural Center on Saturday! We are so fortunate to have access to such a beautiful facility for our program.

I have heard this play is outstanding! People of all ages will enjoy it! If you have any questions, please contact the Library.

Upcoming MN Greatest Generation events

2010-09-30T12:23:00.001-05:00

With the help of Legacy Funds* the

New York Mills

Public Library

is pleased to present

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MN Historical Society History Player "Virginia Mae Hope"

Saturday, October 9, 2010, 7 pm - New York Mills Regional Cultural Center

A native of Winnebago, Minnesota, Virginia Mae Hope was a member of the Women Air force Service Pilots (WASP) during WWII. WASPs flew planes and performed wartime duties in the United States, thus freeing male pilots for combat. Using props and artifacts, a costumed History Player will engage the audience in the life story of a memorable Minnesotan.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MN Historical Society One-Man Play "The Accidental Hero"

Saturday, October 23, 2010, 7 pm - New York Mills Regional Cultural Center

Patrick Dewane tells the story of his grandfather, a man whose seemingly goofy CD radio-handle during the 1970s – "The Accidental Hero" –was really a clue to his incredible story as a WWII Czech-American soldier fighting in the forests of his father's ancient homeland. Dewane's grandfather, Matt Konop, rarely talked about the war, but years after his death Dewane was handed a pile of typewritten pages that a family member had discovered in a box in a basement. "The Accidental Hero" is an astonishing one-man play about history, the reality of war, and the mystery of heroes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

FREE ADMISSION

to both of these family programs!

Golden Age of Radio Show

2010-09-13T13:23:00.001-05:00

With the help of Legacy Funds* the

New York Mills

Public Library

is pleased to present a series on

Minnesota's

Greatest

Generation

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The first event will be the

Golden Age of Radio Show

Prudence Johnson & Dan Chouinard

share standards of the 30s & 40s

Saturday, September 25, 2010, 7 pm

James Mann Auditorium New York Mills School

"The Golden Age of Radio is a BIG exciting show!"

Minnesota History

2010-09-02T09:32:00.002-05:00

We will be doing a series of events in September and October that are all about Minnesota's Greatest Generation.

Find out more information about this fascinating time in Minnesota's history at http://www.minnesotahistorycenter.org/

For more information about our series of events, please contact the Library.

COMING SOON!

2010-08-26T13:22:00.001-05:00

With the help of Legacy Funds* the

New York Mills

Public Library

is pleased to present a series on

Minnesota's Greatest Generation

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Golden Age of Radio

Prudence Johnson & Dan Chouinard

share standards of the 30s & 40s

Saturday, September 25, 2010, 7 pm

James Mann Auditorium New York Mills School

"The Golden Age of Radio is a BIG exciting show!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MN Historical Society History Player

"Virginia Mae Hope"

Saturday, October 9, 2010, 7 pm

New York Mills
Regional Cultural Center

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MN Historical Society One-Man Play

"The Accidental Hero"

Saturday, October 23, 2010, 7 pm

New York Mills
Regional Cultural Center

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bus Trip to the

Minnesota's Greatest Generation

Exhibit

FREE Transportation and Admission ticket to the

Minnesota's Greatest Generation exhibit at the

Minnesota History Center

Saturday, October 30, 2010

Limited to 55 participants - contact the New York Mills Public Library to register

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Our Next Big Thing

2010-08-24T10:09:00.002-05:00

Coming soon: Details about a series of events we (with the help of Viking Library System and Legacy funds) will be sponsoring. The events will include a concert, a couple plays, and another bus trip (different destination, different exhibit). Stay tuned!!

Hint: events will be about Minnesota

Dead Sea Scrolls Bus Trip

2010-08-23T10:56:00.002-05:00

We have one ticket left. After that, we will start a waiting list in case anyone who already has a ticket needs to cancel.

It is very exciting that so many people are interested and supporting our program!

Look for details to come about our Minnesota Greatest Generation series of programs coming up in September & October!!

Dead Sea Scrolls Bus Trip FAQ

2010-08-13T09:30:00.002-05:00

Schedule & Transportation:
What is included in the library bus tour?
Tour includes transportation and ticket to the Science Museum’s general exhibits for the day and the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit at 1:00 pm.
When is the bus trip?
Saturday September 11, 2010
8:00 am – leave from NYM School Parking Lot
11:30 am (approximately) –arrive at the Science Museum. Please use this time to generally tour the museum and/or eat lunch (food and beverages are on your own)
1:00 pm –Admission to the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit. There is an audio self-guided tour that takes approximately 45 minutes, although you may spend as much time as you like viewing the exhibit. There may be additional free time for exploring the general museum after you exit the exhibit.
3:30 pm –leave the Science Museum
7:00 pm (approximately) – return to the NYM School Parking lot
What kind of bus are you taking?
We will be taking a chartered bus from Minn-Dakota Coaches.
Where do I meet the bus and can I leave my car there?
Please park in the NYM School parking lot and meet the bus by the “eagle door” of the school.

Food:
Will food be provided?
No food will be provided—you will have the opportunity to purchase food at the Science Museum. Outside food and beverages are not permitted inside the Science Museum.
What food is available for purchase?
There are 3 eating establishments in the Science Museum:
Elements Café features hot entrees, salads, sandwiches, and soups, served cafeteria-style.
Chomp Deli features soups, salads, and ice cream
Java Lab features Caribou Coffee and tasty treats.
May we bring our own food?
Food may be brought along and eaten/stored on the bus.

Age Limit:
May children attend?
Parents are asked to use good judgment as to whether their child is able to handle the bus trip. Information from the Science Museum states that the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit is appropriate for all ages. There is a special audio tour designed for kids that is included with our admission.
Must children have an adult with them?
Yes, all children must be accompanied by an adult.

Cancellation:
What do I do if I registered, but am unable to go on the tour?
Because there are a limited number of seats available, the library will be holding a waiting list of names in the case of a cancellation. If you are unable to attend the tour, please notify the library before September 9, 2010, so that your tickets can be passed onto someone else.

Exhibit and Museum:
Can we access the Omnitheater?
The tour does not include tickets to the Omnitheater. It is currently showing Arabia and shows are available on the hour and last for 45 minutes. Tickets must be purchased at least two hours in advance and cost $7 for children & seniors and $8 for adults. They may be purchased in advance at www.smm.org/tickets. You will want to opt for Omintheater tickets only (not including museum admission since the tour includes museum admission.) The Arabia show is not specific to the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit although it describes the culture and history of the area. If considering viewing the Omnitheater film, please keep in mind that our Dead Sea Scrolls tickets are specifically for entry at 1:00 pm and you may not be able to enter the exhibit after that time.
How long does the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit take?
There is an audio self-guided tour that takes approximately 45 minutes, although you can experience the scrolls at your own pace, but keep in mind our tickets are for a specific entry time (1:00 pm) and that our bus will be leaving the Science Museum at 3:30 pm.
What will I see at the exhibit?
You'll begin by learning about the world and the time that created the scrolls, through authentic artifacts and a look at the ongoing debate about who wrote these rare documents. You will learn how science is learning more about the scrolls, and the meticulous process of preserving them. The scrolls have a profound impact of Christianity, Judaism, the Muslim faith, and you'll see examples of how their words have echoed in these three great religions for 200 years. In the scroll room, you'll see five fragments of the scrolls themselves, and learn how to read them. And finally, you'll see the newest handwritten version of the Bible in a display of the magnificent Saint John's Bible.
Are these the real Dead Sea Scrolls?
Yes—these are the authentic documents and artifacts. The Science Museum is one of a very few museums worldwide that have been allowed to display the actual scrolls.
Can I take pictures or video in the exhibit?
Because of the conservation needs of the scrolls and other artifacts, photography and video are NOT permitted in The Dead Sea Scrolls exhibition. You are welcome to take pictures in the rest of the museum.
Where can I get more information?
You can see more information at: www.smm.org

Dead Sea Scrolls Exhibit

2010-08-09T11:36:00.002-05:00

Because of Legacy funding* we are able to offer
FREE
Transportation
and
Admission ticket
to the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit at the
Science Museum of Minnesota
Saturday, September 11, 2010

Food and beverages not included

Register at the New York Mills Public Library
Strictly limited to 55 participants
Registrations will be taken in the order they are received.

Call 385-2436 for more information

Sponsored by Viking Library System
and the New York Mills Public Library

*This program was funded in part or in whole with money from the vote of the people of Minnesota on November 4, 2008, which dedicated funding to preserve Minnesota’s arts and cultural heritage

Annual Used Book Sale

2010-07-30T09:22:00.002-05:00

Many thanks to all who supported our Annual Used Book Sale. It was a successful fundraiser, not as good as we've had in the past, but a good fundraiser nonetheless.

Thanks to everyone who donated books, etc., for our Sale. It's hard to know for sure, but I think we had about 20 gazillion books. :)

Thanks to all of the volunteers who helped during the Book Sale -- we had 30 people help through out the two days! That is amazing - and so very much appreciated!!

Thanks to the City of New York Mills for allowing us to use the City Hall Ballroom for free -- it is a perfect place for us to set-up and spread out (and be in air conditioning).

And of course MANY MANY MANY thanks to Adele Esala for organizing the books for us. She works on sorting the book throughout the year as items are donated to us. She spends many hours doing so. We appreciate all of your hard work Adele!!

Here's the break-down of our past Used Book Sale fundraising totals:

1988
$ 100.00
1989
$ 80.00
1990
$ 200.00
1991
$ 150.00
1992
$ 140.00
1993
$ 390.00
1994
$ 200.00
1995
$ 640.00
1996
$ 600.00
1997
$ 830.00
1998
$ 1,000.00
1999
$ 940.00
2000
$ 800.00
2001
$ 1,250.00
2002
$ 1,200.00
2003
$ 1,300.00
2004
$ 1,200.00
2005
$ 1,400.00
2006
$ 1,788.00
2007
$ 2,038.00
2008
$ 1,864.00
2009
$ 1,967.00
2010
$ 1,735.00

So, as you can see, we didn't do quite as well this year as we have in the past. I would like to hear from you on what we can do to improve our Book Sale for next year. If you have any suggestions please contact us or leave a comment.

Also, if you have any ideas for different types of fundraisers we can do, I would like to hear those suggestions as well!

Annual Used Book Sale

2010-07-22T14:18:00.002-05:00

Don’t forget our Annual Used Book Sale will be in the City Hall Ballroom:
4 to 8 pm on Wednesday, July 28th
(prices=everything $1.00)
8 am to 3 pm on Thursday, July 29th
(prices=50¢ for hard covers, 25¢ for paperbacks, $1/bag starting at 2:00 pm)

We have received many donations already but if you still have books or movies you would like to donate to our Used Book Sale, please drop them off at the Library anytime during open hours – as soon as possible. We cannot accept magazines, books that have been stripped (front covers removed), or anything damaged, moldy, or musty.

If you are available to help at the Book Sale, we are still looking for volunteers for the following shifts:
Thursday, July 29
Noon to 2 pm
2 pm until finished (includes clean-up)

Hope to see everyone at the Book Sale! Your help with this fundraiser sponsored by the Friends of the Library is essential and greatly appreciated.

Annual Used Book Sale

2010-07-09T12:11:00.002-05:00

Our Book Sale will be Wednesday, July 28, and Thursday, July 29, in the City Hall Ballroom. Wednesday, July 28th will be 4 to 8 pm and everything will be $1.00. Thursday, July 29th will be 8 am to 3 pm and the prices will be 50 cents for hard covers and 25 cents for paperbacks. Beginning at 2:00 pm, there will be a $1/bag sale.

If you have any books or movies you would like to donate for our Used Book Sale, please drop them off at the Library anytime during open hours. We cannot accept magazines, books that have been stripped (front covers removed), or anything damaged, moldy, or musty.

If you are available to help at the Book Sale, we are looking for volunteers for the following shifts:

Wednesday, July 28
Set-up – 10 am until finished
4:00 pm to 6 pm
6 pm to 8 pm

Thursday, July 29
8 am to 10 am
10 am to noon
Noon to 2 pm
2 pm until finished (includes clean-up)

Hope to see everyone at the Book Sale! Your help with this fundraiser sponsored by the Friends of the Library is essential and greatly appreciated.

Upcoming at the New York Mills Public Library

2010-06-21T16:31:00.001-05:00

Tuesday, June 29
Summer Reading Program Kick-off Event - Brodini Family Comedy Magic Show, 11:00 am City Hall Ballroom.
This project was funded in part or in whole with money from the vote of the people of Minnesota on November 4, 2008 which dedicated funding to preserve Minnesota's arts and cultural heritage. This program is sponsored by Viking Library System.
The Reading Challenge begins! Kids preschool thru grade 4 read 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week and earn prizes.

Monday, July 5th
The Library will be closed in observance of Independence Day.

Tuesday, July 6
Story Hour at 10:30 am, in the Library Meeting Room

Wednesday, July 7
Art In Your Park Story Hour 1:00 pm, in the Library Meeting Room

Thursday, July 8
Movie, 2:30 pm, Library Meeting Room

Friday, July 9
Art In Your Park Movie, 1:00 pm, Library Meeting Room.

Go to “New York Mills Public Library” on Face book to receive more information from the Library.

Youtube video

2010-03-04T10:40:00.002-06:00

I stumbled across this youtube video. It was made in support of the New York City Public Library, but I think all of the themes presented in the video pertain to all public libraries throughout our country. It takes less than 5 minutes to watch it -- I really encourage you to do so.

Youtube video

Facebook fan page

2010-03-01T16:46:00.002-06:00

Make sure to sign up to be a "fan" on the Library's facebook page. We try to keep everyone up-to-date on what is happening at the Library with frequent posts.

Please click this link to get started.

2009 Circulation Statistics

2010-01-12T09:46:00.002-06:00

Our circulation statistics went up slightly in 2009, making it our highest ever.

2010-01-07T10:54:00.002-06:00

We are looking for applicants for our vacant Library Board seat. If you are interested, please stop by the Library for an application. Just so the word "application" doesn't scare off any potential candidates, here are the application questions:

Your place of residence?

Why are you interested in becoming a Library Board member?

It is essential that Library Board members support the mission of the Library. Our mission is to provide and promote a variety of public library materials and services in varying formats to meet the educational, informational, recreational, and cultural needs of the people of all ages in the New York Mills community. As a member you would be expected to support this mission. Please explain your views on these issues.

What would your reaction be to a Library patron request for a book to be removed from the Library’s collection?

The Library Board meets on the third Thursday of every month at 5:00 p.m. in the Library Meeting Room. Do you have any conflicts that would make you unable to attend the meetings?

Please describe any previous experience serving on a board.

An individual can be appointed to the Library Board for a three year term and serve a maximum of three terms (total of nine years). How long would you be able to commit to Library Board service?

Board members can be elected to one of the following officer positions: President, Vice-President, Treasurer, Secretary, or Viking Library System Representative. Would you ever be willing to serve as an officer?

Are you a Library patron?

The Board is responsible to the City Council for establishing the Library's annual budget, reviewing and developing policies, and assisting the Friends of the Library in fundraising. Do you have any fundraising experience?

Please include any other information about yourself that may be helpful to us in our selection process.

Library Board Vacancy

2009-12-14T12:36:00.000-06:00

There will be a vacancy on the Library Board at the end of the year. Wendy Hetland will be leaving the Board after serving for the past nine years. By MN state statute, a person can serve on a Library Board no longer than three-three year terms (or a total of nine consecutive years). We will certainly miss Wendy’s input on the Board as she has been an very active member. During her tenure with the Board, Wendy has served in many ways, mostly recently serving as the Viking Library System Representative.

We are looking for someone to fill Wendy’s position on the Board. The process is quite simple. If you are interested in this volunteer position (as described below), please stop by the Library to pick-up an application. The deadline for submitting your application will be Tuesday, January 19, 2010. The Library Board will review all the application and will recommend an applicant to the City Council for appointment to the Board.

The Library Board is responsible to the City Council for the policies and annual operating budget of the Library. An ideal candidate for the Library Board is someone who:
· Is a resident of Ottertail County
· Supports the mission and vision of the Library
· Resists censorship of Library materials
· Can attend monthly meetings (third Thursday of every month at 5 pm)
· Is willing to help with Library fundraising

Please stop by the Library to pick-up an application.

Gifts for the Library

2009-11-24T11:56:00.001-06:00

Dear Library patrons,

Have you noticed in the ads for this holiday season that books and DVDs are cheap? I mean really, really cheap. I’ve seen new hardcover books for $9.00 and DVDs for $3.00! That’s crazy. They may not all be “new releases”, but who cares – they are crazy cheap!

Since these prices are better than we can get even with our “library discount”, I would like the Library to be able to take advantage of these great deals. But these price wars have come at a bad time for us. Since it is almost the end of the year and close to the end of our budget cycle, we do not have much money left. So I need to turn to all of you for help.

When you are shopping and you see these good deals on books and DVDs, could you please buy one for the Library? Don’t worry about what you buy – if you would like to read it or watch it, someone else will too. If we already own the item, we will either add it as a second copy or swap it out so that the crisp new clean copy is the one we circulate. If everyone would pitch in and help us take advantage of these really good deals, our collection would grow by leaps and bounds!

It is awkward for me to ask this of all of you and I hope no one is offended by my request, but I would hate for the Library to miss out on these good deals, so thanks for your understanding. Remember your contributions to the Library are tax deductible. If you would prefer to give us a cash donation, we will use that money to purchase items while these price wars are going on.

Your help is GREATLY appreciated!

New today

2009-11-12T14:08:00.006-06:00

We are adding these books to our collection today:

Ford Country by John Grisham

Knit the Season by Kate Jacobs

The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver

Kindred in Death by J.D. Robb

and a couple others! Check them out!

FOCUS article

2009-10-29T10:01:00.002-05:00

Article published in the East Ottertail Focus on Thursday, October 29, 2009.

New Horizons readies for annual fundraiserNew York Mills is continuously praised for being a community dedicated to the arts. Standing right next to the famed New York Mills Regional Cultural Center is the city’s public library, a more common small town icon, but thriving in a way that is nothing less than out-of-the-ordinary.
By: Heidi Kratzke, EOT Focus

New York Mills is continuously praised for being a community dedicated to the arts. Standing right next to the famed New York Mills Regional Cultural Center is the city’s public library, a more common small town icon, but thriving in a way that is nothing less than out-of-the-ordinary.

For starters, there aren’t many small town libraries urging patrons to become a “fan” of the structure. In New York Mills, community members are encouraged to add the library to their Facebook pages to help boost awareness of what the facility has to offer.

Dianna Wallgren, who serves as president on the New York Mills Public Library Board, says she often hears out-of-towners express their surprise and delight at the quality of the library.

Taking pride in her local library and helping to make sure it remains a viable community hub is a task Wallgren has taken to heart.

Not only does she serve on the library board, but she’s also president of the GFWC New York Mills New Horizons Women’s Club. She’s served as president of the club for the last four years, with six years total spent in the leadership position.

Wallgren describes the New Horizons group as “very instrumental” in not only establishing the library the city has today, but also in continuing to keep the library afloat.

“As of 2007, 75 percent of public libraries the GFWC has helped get started,” Wallgren reports.
Each year, for the past 30 years, the New Horizons Women’s Club holds an auction to raise funds for the library and other community projects. This year’s auction is set for Nov. 5 at the New York Mills Regional Cultural Center. The auction will run 7-8:30 p.m., with someone there as early as 6 p.m. if people want to drop items off for the action.

Donations are still needed, and interested individuals and businesses are urged to consider donating an item for the worthy cause. Donations for the silent auction can be dropped off at Dean’s Country Market or call Becky at 218-385-2205 or Diane at 218-385-3231.

Each year at least half of the proceeds generated from the auction go directly to the library. The rest of the money is given to help fund a community project selected by the group. The fall auction is the group’s largest fundraiser of the year.

Examples of past projects and organizations that have benefitted from the New Horizons club funds are: Santa Anonymous, March of Dimes, teachers breakfast during National Education Week, After Prom, the city swimming pool, recycling, park upkeep, and the food shelf.

“It’s very satisfying,” Wallgren says, reflecting upon what they’ve accomplished over the years.
Some of her most memorable projects were getting safe playground equipment for the kids and putting in a new sprinkler system at the Elders’ Home.

According to Wallgren, education, reading, and literacy have always been some of the key tenants of the group. “It started with a candlelight study club over 70 years ago,” explains Wallgren of the unique origins of the group.

Even though their contributions are substantial, it’s far more than just monetary aid that ties the New Horizons club to the NY Mills library. New Horizons members have even helped clean at times when the library has been short-staffed over the years.

“We truly evolve as we see new needs,” Wallgren says.

Although originally from Casper, Wyoming, Wallgren has deeply invested herself in the New York Mills community since moving here in 1979. Wallgren works part-time at the NY Mills Dean’s Country Market, in addition to her full-time volunteer work.

She and her husband Jim have been married for 15 years. With Dianna having two daughters, and Jim two sons and one daughter, she is now proud to claim 10 grandchildren.

Despite the New Horizons Women’s Club title, men are welcome in the group. However, relatively few have ever joined. Although there have been some men who were members of the group in the past, it is now comprised of 21 women.

However, it seems there are always plenty of local men involved with the club’s doings in some way or another. Wallgren says that many of the women’s husbands help out when needed, serving as an invaluable help with many of their efforts.

In addition to her leadership roles on the library board and with the New Horizons club, Wallgren is also known around town for her position as the first woman on the New York Mills City Council.

“I’m affectionately called the ‘city mother,’” says a beaming Wallgren.

Wallgren was appointed to the city council in 1999, and has successfully run for re-election twice. She credits her years of experience with the New Horizons club for preparing her to step into the city council position.

“Being a part of New Horizons gave me the confidence to take on that role,” she says.

The New York Mills New Horizons club meets the second Thursday of each month, typically at the United Church of Christ. The group focuses on supporting education and the betterment of women.

Looking for something scary to read?

2009-10-27T08:44:00.004-05:00

Here's a sampling of some vampire books that you can check-out at YOUR library:

(click on the image to go to the Viking Library System website)

Update

2009-08-20T13:09:00.002-05:00

The fundraising total for this year's Book Sale should be: $2,092.00. Which makes it our most successful Book Sale ever!

Book Sale

2009-07-31T09:57:00.002-05:00

We had another successful Book Sale! First off, many thanks to Adele Esala who once again organized our Book Sale by sorting all the books. Also, many thanks to the Friends of the Library, all our volunteers who helped at the Book Sale, people who donated items for the Book Sale, and all of you who supported our fundraiser by purchasing items at the Book Sale! We raised $1,967.00!

We won't have another Book Sale until next summer (the dates are to be determined), but we do take donations throughout the year. So, anytime you have books, DVDs, books-on-CD, etc., that you would like to donate just drop them off at the Library during our regular open hours. We always look through the donations to see what we can add to our collection first before we put anything into storage for the next Book Sale. Remember, we cannot accept damaged items or magazines.

Here's a little fundraising history of our Book Sale:

1988 - $ 100.00
1989 - $ 80.00
1990 - $ 200.00
1991 - $ 150.00
1992 - $ 140.00
1993 - $ 390.00
1994 - $ 200.00
1995 - $ 640.00
1996 - $ 600.00
1997 - $ 830.00
1998 - $1,000.00
1999 - $ 940.00
2000 - $ 800.00
2001 - $1,250.00
2002 - $1,200.00
2003 - $1,300.00
2004 - $1,200.00
2005 - $1,400.00
2006 - $1,788.00
2007 - $2,038.00
2008 - $1,864.00
2009 - $1,967.00

Annual Used Book Sale

2009-07-13T14:01:00.001-05:00

The New York Mills Public Library’s Annual Used Book Sale is coming up. It will be Wednesday, July 29 -- 4 to 8 pm and Thursday, July 30 –- 8 am to 4 pm in the City Hall Ballroom.

If you have books, movies, or CDs you would like to donate, please do so before July 24. You can drop off your donations at the Library anytime during Library open hours. The Library cannot except magazines or damaged items for the Book Sale.

The Friends of the Library sponsor this fundraising event for the Library. If you would like to volunteer at the Book Sale, please contact the Library.

Updates & reminders

2009-06-30T15:46:00.002-05:00

As you can probably tell, no one was interested in discussing our book online. I'm a little bummed about that, but can understand that it's not everyone's "thing". Oh well, we gave it a shot.

As the community prepares to celebrate its 125th anniversary, I want to remind everyone about a few things going on at the Library.

The One Book ~ One Community program is going strong—many people are reading Song of Sampo Lake by William Durbin. It is an interesting story about a Finnish immigrant family as they homestead in Minnesota. We still have copies available (they are only $3.00) and you still have time to read it (you don’t have to finish it to come to the author presentation). The author presentation will be on Friday, July 3 at noon. Everyone is invited to this free event. Bring a bag lunch if you want—we will provide cardamom bread and beverages. If you are interested in helping out please let me know.

During the 125th celebration, our hours will be:
Friday, July 3 – 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
Saturday, July 4 – 10:00 am to 2:00 pm
Sunday, July 5 – closed
We will be closed Monday, July 6th in observance of Independence Day.

As visitors come to our community, please remind them that they can “stay connected” by using one of our internet computers or they can bring their own laptop and use our wi-fi connection.

And just so there is no confusion—we are NOT holding our Annual Used Book Sale during the celebration—it will be held on Wednesday, July 29, 4-8 pm, and Thursday, July 30, 8 am to 4 pm, in the City Hall Ballroom. We are claiming the Book Sale as the last 125th Anniversary celebration event! J

If you have any questions, please contact me.

Song of Sampo Lake--Chapter 1

2009-06-05T11:40:00.002-05:00

The Kalevala is mentioned throughout the book, beginning in chapter one. If you are interested in the Kalevala, we have it available at the Library.

Epic of the North
Women of the Kalevala
Kalevala Mythology
The Kalevala: the epic of the Finnish people

Song of Sampo Lake--Chapter 1

2009-06-05T11:21:00.002-05:00

"That's it,' Father said. "Show us your sisu"

For those of us who aren't Finnish, the word sisu is "a Finnish word that meant strength, courage, and stubbornness all wrapped into one." Tell us about your sisu in the "comments" section below.

Song of Sampo Lake--Chapter 1

2009-06-05T11:16:00.002-05:00

Matti is 15 years old, yet he is working ten hour shifts hammering in a mine where "the iron ore was so hard that it took an hour to bore a hole deep enough for a single stick of dynamite". Share some examples of work you did at that age in the "comments" below.

Song of Sampo Lake--intro and author info

2009-06-04T11:04:00.008-05:00

If you would like to know more about Song of Sampo Lake, please click here, information about the author, William Durbin, is available here or on his website. Read an excerpt of Song of Sampo Lake by following this link.

You may be interested in learning more about Finnish immigrants. These web articles are very interesting:

Finnish Immigrants in the United States

Finnish American from Wikipedia

The Finns in America

Finnish Immigration to America

The immigrants in Song of Sampo Lake probably have many similar experiences as the immigratns who settled New York Mills 125 years ago.

The New York Mills name first appeared in 1872, when a firm from Oleans, New York, moved to the spot, bought land and started to build a sawmill, which it named New York Mills. After the sawmill came the post office, which was set up in the railroad depot, and so the whole village received the name of New York Mills. Most of the village was originally homestead land owned by one R. L. Frazee, who sold it to the New York Mills Lumber Company, which wasted no time in beginning logging operations. For the first few years, then, the village was essentially made up of loggers and sawmill workers, and farming was almost unknown. (East Ottertail History Museum)

Although New York Mills was a logging community and Soudan, the town in the book, was a mining community, please make note as you read what experiences you think would have been similar for a Finnish immigrant coming to New York Mills. Post your observations by clicking on the "comments" link below.

ONE BOOK ~ ONE COMMUNITY

2009-06-02T10:29:00.002-05:00

In celebration of the 125th anniversary of New York Mills, we invite everyone in the community to read the same book, Song of Sampo Lake, about Finnish immigrants who homestead in Minnesota in the 1900's.

"One Book ~ One Community" will run now through July 3. On July 3, we will meet with the author William Durbin. The program will be at noon on that day, here in the Library.

Song of Sampo Lake is on sale now at the Library--only $3.00 per book!

I hope to have some online discussions about the book during the month. Please check back often!

New DVDs

2009-05-22T10:40:00.001-05:00

Due to concerns expressed by a local business owner, the Library Board has agreed to delay adding new popular DVDs to our collection for at least 45 days after their release.

If you have any questions or concerns about our new proceedure, please make sure to talk to Julie.

Email Notification

2009-05-18T11:16:00.002-05:00

We are pleased to announce a NEW SERVICE! We now are able to send overdue notices via email and “pre-notification”—an email 3 days before your book is due. In order to start this service, please send me an email (jadams@newyorkmills.lib.mn.us) with the following information:

Your name, address, phone number, and library barcode. The email address you use to send me this information will be the one used unless you instruct me otherwise.

Computer Tutoring Sessions

2009-05-06T13:13:00.000-05:00

Our volunteer is no longer available to do the Computer Tutoring sessions. We apologize for the inconvenience, but all scheduled sessions will be cancelled. Thank you for your understanding.

VOLUNTEER HELP WANTED

2009-05-05T15:01:00.003-05:00

We have several volunteer opportunities available:

* Substitute volunteer shelver

* Summer Reading Program volunteer

* Volunteer to organize a children's "Reader's Theater" group

* Volunteer to help us start a "Book & Movie Club" for kids and/or adults

If any of these sound like something that interests you, please contact me!!

New at the Library

2009-04-29T14:08:00.002-05:00

Here is a few of the new items that we have recently added to the Library:

Bedtime stories
Doubt
Eagle eye
Marley and me
The reader
Seven pounds
Slumdog millionaire
Yes man

Thanks for the memories - Ahern
First family - Baldacci
Borderline - Barr
Lost quilter - Chiaverini
Just take my heart - Clark (also in large print)
Cursed - Clark
Long lost - Coben (also in large print)
Lavender morning - Deveraux
Still life - Fielding
Love the one you're with - Giffin
Diary - Goudge
Malice - Jackson
Knit two - Jacobs
Killing tree - Keener
Oh Johnny - Lehrer
Secret - Lewis
Tea time for the traditionally built - McCall Smith (also in large print)
Geometry of sisters - Rice
Look again - Scottoline
Help - Stockett
Loitering with intent - Woods (also in large print)

MnKnows – Dig Deeper @ Your Library

2009-04-16T11:01:00.000-05:00

MnKnows – Dig Deeper @ Your Library (www.mnknows.org) gives Minnesotans one-stop access to five statewide library services:
· Find books, CDs, DVDs, articles and more through the MnLINK Gateway and have them delivered to a local library (but always check www.viking.lib.mn.us first).
· Search trusted information resources in the Electronic Library for Minnesota (ELM) to find online articles and electronic books on a vast array of topics.
· Discover photos, documents and maps related to Minnesota history through Minnesota Reflections.
· Get real-time answers from a librarian 24/7 at AskMN.
· Use the Research Project Calculator to create sensible timelines for student's homework.

Library Wish List

2009-04-03T15:13:00.002-05:00

I have added a gadget in the side bar--it's our Wish List from Amazon. If you are interested in donating to the Library and would like to know what might be something we could use, take a look at the Wish List.

Right now I have a book on there that is out of print. I generally do not purchase used books, but this is one that a lot of people have been interested in so if anyone would like to purchase a "like new copy" for us--we would greatly appreciate it!

I also have listed some DVDs that we already own, but because of a lot of demand, we really could use two or more copies. I am trying to stretch our budget as far as possible, so I try to not purchase more than one copy of an item. This is a perfect example of how your donations would really help our collection and patrons.

I will be adding to our Wish List periodically, so please stop back!

New DVDs

2009-04-01T12:15:00.002-05:00

Here are the new DVDs:

Australia

Beverly Hills Chihuahua

Bolt

Boy in the striped pajamas

Changeling

City of Ember

High School Musical 3: Senior Year

Milk

Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor

Nick & Nora's infinite playlist

Quantum of solace

Sisterhood of the traveling pants 2

Transporter 3

Twilight

Kids DVDs:

Barbie presents Thumbelina

Happily n'ever after 2

Secret of the magic gourd

Spongebob vs the big one

Thank you!

2009-03-30T12:14:00.002-05:00

A big "thank you" to our volunteers who helped at the Library's booth at the Trade Show:

Dianna Wallgren
Wendy Hetland
Susan Thompson
Kendal Wurst
Becky Crary
Shelley Wessels

Your help is greatly appreciated!

Computer Tutor

2009-03-24T15:02:00.002-05:00

Ever wish computers came with a "help button"?

The New York Mills Public Library is now offering FREE computer classes for those who would like to learn computer basics. Class size will be limited and customized for each person!

Classes will be by appointment only, so please contact the Library at 385-2436.

Libraries and the Economy

2009-03-17T15:56:00.002-05:00

The old saying goes, "Libraries will get you through times with no money better than money will get you through times of no libraries". Lately there has been attention given to the role of libraries in their communities and how they can help people through rough economic times. Here is a sampling of some of those articles and news reports:

NBC report - Libraries offer relief in tough times

MN Public Radio - Library usage increases with recession

Libraries: a great local government resource in tough economic times

Star Tribune - Checked out: libraries to the rescue

CBS News - In recession, libraries are booming

New York Times - Public Library renaissance

Woman's Day - The Library helped me start my business

Volunteer Help

2009-03-17T12:51:00.001-05:00

We are looking for volunteer help at the Library's booth at the NYM Trade Show on Saturday, March 28. If you are available to help, please contact me.

Library Board Meeting

2009-03-16T09:14:00.001-05:00

The next Library Board meeting will be on Thursday, March 19, at 5 pm, in the Library Meeting Room.

NYM Trade Show

2009-03-07T10:36:00.002-06:00

The New York Mills Trade Show is coming up on Saturday, March 28, 9 am to 3 pm, in the NYM School Sports Center & High School Gym. The Library will have a booth there. Remember when we did the "Library Wish List" at the Christmas Tree Festival? We plan to do something similar at the Trade Show, but instead of a Christmas Tree, it will more than likely be a bulletin board. We are still in the planning stages; but there will be more.

If you are available to help at the booth, please let me know. Your help is greatly appreciated!

Hope to see you there!

Friends of the Library meeting

2009-02-24T09:04:00.000-06:00

I think I may have figured out what we can do for a community reads event that could go along with the town’s 125th anniversary, so I would like to have a Friends of the Library meeting on Tuesday, March 3, at 4:30 pm, in the Library Meeting Room to discuss it.

I would also like to discuss plans for our Trade Show booth and the changes that we had to make on our plans for the Annual Used Book Sale.

Hope to see all of you next Tuesday!

New DVDs

2009-02-23T13:00:00.001-06:00

TA DA! And last, but not least, here is a list of our new DVDS:

Burn after reading
Changeling
Fireproof
High School Musical 3: senior year
Igor
Journey to the center of the earth
Madagascar escape 2 Africa
Nights in Rodanthe
Open Season 2
Step brothers

Please leave a comment or send me an email if you use any of our "new" lists. I like to hear some feedback.

New Fiction

2009-02-23T12:40:00.002-06:00

I try to add a list of new fiction about once a month--that's not always possible, but I do try. We are constantly getting new books in--so make sure you stop by the Library and look on our "new shelf". Here is a list of new fiction added since February 1:

A killing frost-Alexander
Dark of night-Brockmann
Wind dancer-Carie
Finntown of the soul-Eilola
Lethal legacy-Fairstein
True colors-Hannah
On a someday-Henke
A darker place-Higgins
The restorer-Hinck
The apothecary's daughter-Klassen
Independence of Miss Mary Bennet-McCullough
Fool-Moore
Run for your life-Patterson
What I did for love-Phillips
Remember to forget-Raney
Guernsey literary and potato pie society-Shaffer
Dear John: Minnesota's true murder mystery-Shirlee
Breakneck-Spindler
Star Wars: Luke Skywalker and the shadows of Mindor-Stover
Very Valentine-Trigiani
Mounting Fears-Woods

New Non-Fiction

2009-02-23T11:35:00.003-06:00

Here are some recently added adult non-fiction titles:

(For call number click on title.)

Uncommon: finding your path to significance
The next 100 years: a forecast for the 21st century
Why him? Why her? Finding real love by understanding your personality type
Change we can believe in: Barack Obama's plan to renew America's promise
American west at risk: science myths, and politics of land abuse and recovery
State of the world 2009: into a warming world
Take America back: 20 simple ways the average American can help
13 things that don't make sense: the most baffling scientific mysteries of our time
I can make you thin: the revolutionary system used by more than 3 million people
What's age got to do with it? Living your healthiest and happiest life
Complete guide to prescription and nonprescription drugs
Story of Penelope, a puppy mill dog
Jerry Baker's backyard birdscaping bonanza
Biggest Loser family cookbook: budget-friendly meals your whole family will love
David Blume's Alcohol can be a gas
Socks a la carte: pick and choose patterns to knit socks your way
Street gang: the complete history of Sesame Street
So terrible a storm: a tale of fury on Lake Superior
We can have peace in the Holy Land

New Kid's Books & Movies

2009-02-23T10:48:00.003-06:00

Since February 1st, we have added these kid's materials:

Picture Books:
Henry and the valentine surprise
A hero's quest
Batman saves the day
Fancy Nancy: poison ivy expert
Batman versus joker

Juvenile Fiction:
City of the Dead
Chrissa
Chrissa stands strong
3 willows: the sisterhood grows
Mr. Granite is from another planet
From Russia with lunch
Amulet
Best bad luck I ever had
Ambush
Chasing the secret

Juvenile Non-fiction:
Practical guide to faeries
Babies don't eat pizza: the big kid's book about baby brothers and baby sisters
Bakugan battle brawlers: how to draw
Good sports: rhymes about running, jumping, throwing and more

Juvenile DVDs:
Space Buddies
Sylvester and Tweety mysteries

DVDs coming soon:
Phineas & Ferb: daze of summer
Strawberry Shortcake: happily ever after
Wizards of Waverly Place: supernaturally stylin'

2009 Annual Used Book Sale

2009-02-20T10:38:00.002-06:00

Our next Annual Used Book Sale will be on July 29 & 30 in the City Hall Ballroom. I had announced a different set of dates earlier, but because of scheduling conflicts these will the dates. The times and more details will be available as the dates approach.

Library Hours

2009-02-19T11:37:00.002-06:00

There seems to be some confusion about our open hours. Our hours have been the same since about 1994, but I will list them below and in our profile just to be sure everyone gets the right information.

The Library is open:
Mondays 10 am to 6 pm
Tuesdays 10 am to 6 pm
Wednesdays 10 am to 7 pm
Thursdays 10 am to 7 pm
Saturdays 10 am to 2 pm

We do not contribute information to any websites other than this blog, Viking Library System's website www.viking.lib.mn.us, and the City of New York Mills' website http://newyorkmills.govoffice2.com.

I believe some confusion comes about if people google "new york mills public library". One of the results is for the public library in New York Mills, NEW YORK. Their hours are slightly different from ours.

Presidents Day

2009-02-05T12:35:00.002-06:00

The Library will be closed on Monday, February 16, in observance of Presidents Day.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2009-02-05T12:29:00.004-06:00

A very Happy Valentine's Day to all of you a little early. We have a display of books specifically for Valentine's Day--please stop by and check them out! And speaking of Valentine's Day, we are encouraging everyone to show their love for the library by purchasing a $1.00 heart that says, "I LOVE MY LIBRARY". You can put your name on and and we'll proudly display it in the Library. We have several hearts up already, but I'm certain that there is a lot more love for the Library out there yet. Please stop by soon!