Here We Are in May

      Here we are in May. The weather has warmed up, the birds are singing, buds are beginning to swell on the trees, and the library is still closed. However, there are plenty of assets still available from the Fosston Community Library Art Center and Lake Agassiz Regional Library.

      The FCLAA is sponsoring online art classes, for adults on Tuesdays at 7 p.m. and for kids on Thursdays at 4 p.m. There is a charge for these, and you may register on-line at fclaa.org. The adult class on Tuesday, May 5, will be watercolor painting with Ivy Bailie. She will also be doing the kids’ class on Thursday, May 7, where the subject is a watermelon slice. On Thursday, May 14, Jessica Aakre will will work with the children on graffiti, text and hand lettering. Scholarships are available for the kids. Check the FCLAA Website for further offerings.

     While there are a multitude of e-books available through the Lake Agassiz Website (larl.org), if you are hungering to hold a real book in your hands, the library is now offering no-contact curbside service. Request what you want on-line, and when it is ready, you will receive a phone call to arrange for pickup from the picnic table in front of the library. Requests are usually filled once a week. Books may be requested from Fosston or from other Lake Agassiz locations, but not from Northwest.

       LARL also has a new service which enables patrons to borrow movies, music, e-Audiobooks, eBooks, comics and TV shows to download to your computer, tablet or phone. It is called hoopla, and it can be accessed by going to larl.org. There is a limit of 5 titles per month.

      While your little ones currently cannot come to the library for story time, they can watch story time at LARL at Home. The library system has a You-Tube channel with books read by librarians from throughout the system. There are also STEM activities available.

      If you are missing coming to the library to use the wireless access, it continues to be available from outside the building during normal library hours. No password needed.

If you have no library card, remember that you can apply on-line and be given a number that you can use to access all these free services.

     I would encourage you to go to larl.org if you have further questions. There is now a chat feature as well as a hotline number (833-522-5275).

     Stay safe, and  take advantage of all the wonderful resources available through the library system.

An April like no other

April – as I am writing on March 29, we still have snow although little by little it is melting. We are all staying home for the most part, because of the global coronavirus pandemic. Therefore, there are no activities scheduled at the Fosston Community Library Art Center and the library is closed.

However, the library has several on-line resources available at larl.org.  With a growing collection of more than 20,000 titles of downloadable eBooks and eAudiobooks, there is plenty of reading material that can be accessed on your computer, your phone or your e-reader. And if you have some printed library books that are already checked out, don’t worry. Just return them when the library reopens and there will be no overdue fees.
You are required to have a library card to check out these eBooks. If you don’t, you can apply for one online (again at larl.org). You will be sent a library card number via e-mail within 24 hours. As always, library cards are free.
Also, on the library Website you can find links to a ton of online resources for kids. There are sites for early learners, for grades K-6, and for grades 7-12. Sites such as Tumblebook Library, ReadBrightly Storytimes, and Britannica School Elementary will help children keep learning from home.
If you are interested in genealogy research, with your library card you can have free access to AncestryLibrary and HeritageQuest. I just took a quick look at HeritageQuest and found the 1900 census page showing my grandfather, who at that time was single and living as a boarder in someone else’s home.
Magazine and newspaper articles from thousands of publications around the world can be accessed digitally. I looked at these two sites also. The amount of choices was a bit bewildering, but if one takes the times to look for something, you can probably find it.
For all you aspiring writers out there, this might be the time to sit down and write. After all, there is basically no place to go. MN Writes MN Reads is a resource for writers seeking free resources for publishing and sharing e-books and for readers interested in discovering books by local writers.
Take care, stay safe, practice social distancing and read a book (an eBook that is.)