July!

July – one of my favorite months. I like summer, and I think we are going to have warm weather for a while, which will maybe prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

The Fosston Community Library Association is sponsoring a couple more online art classes for adults during the month of July. DeeDee Narum will teach a class on making a glass mosaic, and Jess Aakre will guide participants through some art journaling. For more details and to register, go to fclaa.org.

Originally planned as a summer series of outdoor concerts, the Third Thursday Concert Series sponsored by the FCLAA is going online. On Thursday, July 16, Fosston native Michael Rendahl will perform beginning at 7 p.m. Again, check the FCLAA Website for details. A concert with Jeff Menten and Paul Nye is planned for August.

The most exciting news at the Fosston Library is that it is now open to the public. Currently the hours are Monday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. (curbside pickup only), Tuesday, 12 noon – 7 p.m., Wednesday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Thursday, 12 noon – 6 p.m., and Friday, 10 a.m.- 3 p.m. (curbside pickup only). Patrons are asked to use the provided hand sanitizer, wear a mask, and limit visits to 20 minutes. Three computers will be available for public use, but please call ahead for an appointment. (435-1320). Computers will be sanitized between appointments.

Explore, the summer reading library experience for kids through age 13, continues throughout the month. You may sign up and track your reading on the LARL Website, or you may obtain a paper log from the library if that is what you prefer.

Remember there is also a Solve the Mystery summer library experience for teens and adults. Information is available at larl.org.

If you need a way to connect to the Internet in places that do not have wireless access, the library now has some wireless hotspots that can be checked out for a period of two weeks. Wireless hotspots are portable internet access devices that allow you to connect to a Wi-Fi network using your computer, smartphone, or another device while away from you home, school or office Internet connection. Call the library for more information.

Happy summer and stay safe!

It is June

It is June, and the world is transformed, with green leaves and grass, blooming lilacs, and orioles at the feeder. Things are opening a bit on the pandemic front, but it will be some time before life goes back to what it was. In the meantime, The Fosston Community Library Arts Association will be offering a great line-up of on-line art classes starting June 15 and running for five weeks. There are classes for both adults and children. For details and to sign up, check the FCLAA website (fclaa.org).

Although the Fosston Library is still physically closed to patrons, library staff will be there so you can obtain books, magazines, DVDs, and CDs with no contact curbside delivery. Request materials on-line at larl.org, call the library at 435-1300 or e-mail to fosston@larl.org. A staff member will notify you when your selection is ready, and you can arrange a pick-up time. If you aren’t sure exactly what you want, they can make suggestions or even pick out some books for you. (And remember, if you don’t like what you get, you don’t have to read it.) There will be regular shipments of books from other LARL libraries, so you are not restricted to just the Fosston collection. No books from Northwest just yet, and no ILL books.

It is once again possible to have printing done at the library as well as sending and receiving faxes. Call the library for details.

Materials can now be returned via the book drop. However, if you have a box full, it might be good to wait until a time the librarians are working which now will be Monday through Friday, during regular library hours.

I would still recommend the LARL website(larl.org) as a place to access all the great on-line resources available. If you haven’t tried Hoopla, take a look at what is offered. You can stream movies and TV shows, as well as checking out e-books.

If you have questions and the Fosston Library is not open, try the toll-free hotline (833-522-5275). You may text if that is what you prefer.

Caese, Jen and Mavis will all be at the library during their regular hours, so request some books. We want to keep them busy. We would not want them just standing around twiddling their thumbs.

Stay well and safe and enjoy June.

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.)

March is here!

March is upon us – and we are that much closer to spring. Maybe by the end of the month the snow will be gone – or maybe not. I can’t predict the weather, but I can tell you about all the great things going on with the Fosston Community Library Arts Association.

The newest FCLAA board member is Maggie Stewart. Although she lived in Alaska for a bit as a young child and in Moorhead for college and awhile after that, Fosston is really her hometown and she has been back here for the last five years. An English major and a theater minor from MSUM, Maggie was involved with the Straw Hat Players during her college days. She currently works at a group home in Fosston as well as having an Etsy shop, where she sells paper crafts and knitted items. To find it go to etsy.com and look for MadeinMinnie. In addition to knitting and crocheting, her other hobbies include reading and scrapbooking. Maggie’s parents are Mike and Bonnie Stewart. She decided to join the board to become more involved in the local arts community.
Saturday, March 7, will be the Mystery Dinner Theater. Held at Ventures, the event begins with a social hour at 6 and the performance scheduled for 7 p.m. Tickets are available at Generations.
On Sunday, March 8, at 2 p.m., the fourth annual “Cans” film festival will be held at the library theater to benefit the Loaves and Fishes Food Shelf. Several short films will be shown. Admission is a non-perishable food item.
In the Sorenson Gallery March brings the second annual juried art show. An artist reception will be held on Thursday, March 26, from 5-7 p.m. Artists wishing to enter may apply on-line or pick up a form in the art center lobby.
The library book club will meet Tuesday, March 10, at 7 p.m. This month’s book is The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon. It’s an interesting book, with the narrator being a young teenager with autism. Refreshments will be served.
Writers’ group will meet Tuesday, March 24, at 7:30 p.m. February’s meeting didn’t happen because of several conflicts (among them precinct caucuses) so hopefully March will be better.
Here are a few facts about the library that you may not know:
1.       Library cards are free to those in the local area. If you don’t have one, bring proof of your address and apply at the library.
2.       With that library card, you will have access to books, DVDs, magazines and audio books.
3.       If you need to send or receive a FAX, you may do so at the library. There is a charge for this service.
4.       The library has a Facebook page (Fosston Public Library.) Follow it to get information about all the fun events.

February - still winter!

February – Valentine’s Day, Presidents Day, and still winter! This is Minnesota after all, so life doesn’t come to a standstill because of a little cold and snow.

The Fosston Community Library Arts Association elected officers and accepted new member Maggie Stewart to the board at its recent annual meeting. Other members of the board are Bonnie Stewart, Sarah Steinbrenner, Joann Papke, Molly Peltier, Dawn Skeie-Crane, Jason Steinbrenner, Barbara Johnson, and Abby Pearson.
The FCLAA will be celebrating 40 years in 2020. There will be a brunch reception (10 a.m.- noon) on Saturday, February 29. Plans are to include present and past directors, artists, musicians, board members and volunteers in the celebration. The gallery exhibit for the month will be a display of past productions.
The Fosston Library has a special promotion during the month of February. You are invited to go on a blind date with a book. Books will be wrapped up in paper with a few hints as to the contents. Pick one, read it, and make some comments on the enclosed card. You just might find a new favorite with no danger of involving yourself in unsavory situations.
The Book Blizzard adult reading program will continue through the month. Read four books for a chance to win a prize. (The blind date book will count.)
Book club meets Tuesday, February 11 at 7 p.m. to discuss A Fireproof Home for the Bride by Amy Scheibe. I enjoyed the book with its late 1950s Fargo-Moorhead area setting, although I was a little bit puzzled by the description with the discussion questions which said it was set in southern Minnesota. Anyway, new members are always welcome, and there are also treats.
Crafternoon for kids will be Wednesday, Feb. 5, from 12:30-2:00 p.m. Make a fun Valentine craft. Those under eight must be accompanied by an adult or older caregiver.
Writers’ group will meet Tuesday, Feb. 25, at 7:30 p.m. New members are always welcome.
If you like to read the book before you see the movie, watch for a display at the library featuring books that are soon coming out as movies.  Or once you’ve seen the movie, you may want to read the book
Remember that the library will be closed Monday, Feb. 17, for Presidents Day.
And lastly, watch for upcoming details on the FCLAA’s first mystery dinner theater to be held March 7.

January 2020

January 2020 – how’s that? White and snowy for sure. It’s perfect weather for curling up with a good book, so you might as well join the Fosston Library’s Book Blizzard winter reading adventure, and you just might win a prize. Complete a reading log, available at the library, and every four books you read or listen to will put you in contention. You may also sign up online at larl.org/bookblizzard.

If you would like to know more about the Fosston Community Library Arts Association, here’s an opportunity for you.  The FCLAA will be holding its annual meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 8, at 7 p.m. The 2020 board of directors will be elected, and annual reports will be available. The public is invited to attend.

The library book club will meet Tuesday, Jan. 14, at 7 p.m. January’s book is After Anna by Lisa Scottoline. When Anna moves in with her mother and stepfather after years apart, things go terribly wrong. I have just gotten started reading this thriller and I can’t predict the ending, but it is holding my attention. We also get treats.

Kids’ Club will continue to meet on Wednesdays from 3:30-5 p.m. There will be crafts, Legos, games and bingo on a rotating basis. Children under the age of eight must be accompanied by an adult or older caregiver.

Writers’ group will meet Tuesday, January 28, at 7:30 p.m. If one of your New Year’s resolutions is to write that memoir, this might give you the motivation to get started on it. Bring a sample of your writing to share, or feel free to just come and listen. We are a pretty easy-going group.

Remember that the library is closed on Monday, January 20, for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. If you are in dire need of something to read, the digital library is available on-line 24-7. You may ask your local librarian for help with that.