APRIL 9, 2008 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NORTHERN CURRENTS, SECTION B - PAGE 11
POLK COUNTY LIBRARY NEWS Balsam Lake Public Library National Library Week – April 13 - 19 It’s National Library Week, a time to celebrate the contributions of libraries, librarians and library workers nationwide - and the perfect time to discover how you can join the circle of knowledge at your library. First sponsored in 1958, National Library Week is a national observance sponsored by the American Library Association and libraries across the country each April. Did you know that there are more public libraries than McDonald’s - a total of 15,946, including branches. Balsam Lake Public Library is celebrating National Library Week by these events. Author visit William Kent Krueger author of the Cork O’Connor mysteries set in the Minnesota northwoods will be at the Balsam Lake Library Saturday, April 12, at 11 a.m. Please join us as Krueger talks about being an author of books from the northwoods. Discussion, book signing and refreshments. Open house We invite you to Balsam Lake Public Library for an open house Wednesday, April 16. Take a kid - your own or someone else’s - to discover a world of information. The library is one of the few places that doesn’t charge admission! Drawings and refreshments!
Book club and book review The book club and book review meets Wednesday, April 16, at 3 p.m. “Three Cups of Tea,” by Greg Mortenson is our selection. It is a very moving story about the power of the humanitarian spirit. Love to read and hang out with friends Are you looking for other people who share the same obsession? Join a teen book club for sixth grade and up. Meet at the Balsam Lake Library (under the water tower)... Ride the activity bus right to our door. Club will meet again on Tuesday, April 15, at 6 p.m. Hobby and craft group Join us Saturday, April 26, at 10 a.m. here at the library. Bring a hobby or craft of your choice. Share ideas, learn new hobbies, hone skills and enjoy camaraderie. All ages welcome. We have rug hookers, knitters, artists and more. We meet every other Saturday morning. Balsam Lake Public Library, (under the water tower) at 404 Main St., Balsam Lake. Hours are Monday 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Tuesday 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Wednesday 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Friday 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m.-2 p.m. E-mail: balsamlakepl@ifls.lib.wi.us Web site www.balsamlakepubliclibrary.org.
Milltown Public Library April Stop by the library to find out what’s so great about April, besides spring! During National Library Week, April 1319, we’ll have stickers and treats at the circulation desk for customers. During TV Turn Off Week, April 21-25, we’ll have fun family activities each night from 4 p.m. until the library closes. TV Turn Off Week activities include an Open Arts night, Duct Tape Workshop, Book-making Workshop, Puppetry, and a Music and Munchies night. Book club Calling all bibliophiles, rabid readers and literary looky-loos. No book assignments and no boring discussions. The next gathering of the Milltown Book Club will be May 5 at 7 p.m. The Milltown Book Club is a forum for everyone to talk about the books they love and
hate, recommend books, and share their passion for reading. At our April meeting, we’ll spend some time talking about Old Favorites and Classics. Refreshments will be provided. Story hour Milltown Public Library offers story time every Tuesday at 10 a.m. yearround. Story times are free and are designed for children under 6 and their caregivers. Each story time lasts 30 to 45 minutes and includes time to browse and check out books. Hours Library hours are Monday and Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Thursday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Friday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Library poetry contest to be held BURNETT/POLK COUNTIES –To celebrate National Poetry Month, the Polk County Library Federation is hosting a poetry contest. The event will run from April 1- April 18 with entries to be turned in by 5 p.m., Wednesday, April 18, at the student’s local library or mailed to the federation. This year the federation will be working with the Clear Lake Library as part of the “Between Fences” exhibit. Students in grades three – 12 are encouraged to write an original poem that somehow ties into the theme of fences. Some ideas are: fences in farm life, boundaries, are fences good/bad or unAmerican, and how we build fences around our lives. Awards will be given in three categories: third – fifth, sixth – eighth grades and ninth – 12th grades. The entries will be judged in the following areas: Aptness of the title, does the title have meaning? Impact - does the poem “jump” out at the reader? Poems with impact will usually be the finalists from which winners are chosen. Imagery, mental image created by imagination or memory. Does the poet use
original and vivid descriptions throughout the body of the poem? Meaning reader has a real sense of what the poet is saying. The basic theme or the message of the poem. Craftsmanship includes word choice, aptness of phrase, freshness of rhyme, balance of lines against one another, rhythmic quality, absence of redundancy and economy of words. Winners will be announced and awards given at a poetry reading on Saturday, April 26, from 4-6 p.m. at the Clear Lake Community Center. Winning poets will have the opportunity to read their poem for a live audience. This is a countywide contest, and they will be enlisting the help of school media specialists, writing teachers and local librarians. Teens have 2-1/2 weeks to write their poems and must submit their entry by a set deadline. Questions: Call Molly Kessler, youth services librarian at 485-8680. This event is being sponsored by a grant received by the Hugh J. Andersen Foundation. submitted
Clear Lake Public Library Traveling Smithsonian exhibit “Between Fences” is here! Come join us for this rare opportunity to see a Smithsonian exhibition. Lots of exciting events are planned. Brochures can be found at your local library and also at tourism centers throughout the area. Information is also available at clearlakelibrary.org or fencesatclearlake.com.
Regular library hours Monday: Noon - 7 p.m.; Tuesday noon - 6 p.m.; Wednesday 3 - 9 p.m.; Thursday: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.; Friday: noon - 5 p.m.; and Saturday: 9:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. We can be reached by phone at 715-263or by e-mail at 2802 clearlakepl@ifls.lib.wi.us.
Frederic Public Library Celebrate National Library Week Drop in anytime during library open hours April 14 - 19 to help us celebrate the contributions of libraries to their communities. Although this week is set aside to allow us to speak about the value of libraries and librarians in the 21st century, the message should not be heard for one week only. Refreshments, special displays, and door prizes will be offered all week, so please stop by to show your support for public libraries. Wear your favorite color Preschool children accompanied by caregivers are invited for stories and activities all about colors on Wednesday, April 16, at 10:30 a.m. Calling all young poets The Polk County Library Federation is sponsoring its 4th-annual poetry contest for students in grades 3 – 12. Entry forms and rules are available at the Frederic Library, and entries must be submitted no later than April 18 to the library. Awards will be given in three categories, and the winners will be announced at the Clear Lake Community Center on April 26. April book group discussions The Thursday morning reading group meets April 17 at 10 a.m. to discuss “Three Cups of Tea,” by Greg Mortenson, an injured mountain climber who was sheltered and cared for in a remote Pakistani village, and in gratitude he promised to build them a school. The evening book group will attend the Clear Lake community book discussion of “The Milagro Beanfield War,” by John Nichols on April 17 at 2 p.m. at the community center. The book discussion is being held in conjunction with the free Smithsonian special exhibit “Between Fences,” which can be seen at the Clear Lake community center April 12 through May 24. If you would like to be part of the exhibit tour and book discussion April 17, please contact the library for more information. Copies of the books are available at the library and new members are always welcome. Knitters give big Are you an accomplished knitter, or would you like to learn the craft? A group of energetic women has chosen the month of April to launch their Knitters Give Big program, which asks knitters to give to a charity of their choice or to the Frederic School District. People are encouraged to host their own group
or gather at the Mud Hut or the Frederic Library to knit during open hours. The library is accepting completed hats, mittens, and scarves for donation to the school district, and the library is also collecting yarn for projects. If you would like to learn to knit or brush up on your skills, classes meet at the Frederic Senior Center the first, second and fourth Mondays from 6 to 8 p.m. Stop in to drop off your knitted items or yarn and see the knitting display at the library. One knitter gives, many knitters give big. Just a few weeks remain to meet the food shelf challenge The next time you come to the library, be sure to bring some food item for the food shelf. You will feed people in need, and the weight of your items will help our local pantry receive a larger monetary donation from the Feinstein Foundation, a group dedicated to alleviating hunger. If you prefer to write a check, the library will make certain it is also delivered to the food shelf. Hours and information Frederic Public Library, 127 Oak Street West. 715-327-4979, e-mail fredericpl@ifls.lib.wi.us. Regular open hours are Monday through Friday 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.; and Saturday 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Aaron Jorgenson leads the way as his family makes the trek to the library during the March 31 snowstorm.
The Frederic Library is a convenient place for friends to meet, visit, and surf the Internet together. – Photos submitted