Basics

216 N Marshall Ave

Litchfield MN 55355

(320)693-2483

All Pioneerland

While all Pioneerland Library System buildings remain closed to the public due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Curbside Pick-up of library items is available. You may place items on hold using the online catalog. Library staff will call you to schedule a pickup time once your hold is ready. Pickup days/times vary by location. Please contact your library if you have questions or need assistance in using this service.

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Adults need educational activities, too!

by Beth Cronk, Litchfield head librarian

Fall is here, and library activities for all ages are underway.  If you’re getting back onto a schedule with the onset of school and cooler weather, consider our library’s activities for social and educational opportunities. 

Have you tried researching your family tree but could use a little help?  This Saturday, September 21, we will be hosting two genealogy workshops.  From 10-11:30 a.m., instructor Molly Schweinfurter will teach a beginner’s session on genealogy and family history research.  She will show attendees how to get started researching their family trees and demonstrate how to find many different types of records, using examples from her own research.

The second workshop, Genealogy Online, runs from 12:30 – 3:30 p.m.  Molly will guide participants to helpful websites related to family history searching, with a special emphasis on sites related to Minnesota history.

Both workshops will be held in the library meeting room, using laptops.  We will be borrowing the Pioneerland laptop lab of ten computers, so that limits our class size.  If some of the participants bring their own laptops, we can increase the size of the class.  The advantage of bringing your own laptop or tablet is that you can bookmark the useful websites you learn about.

These workshops are free to attend because they’re funded by Minnesota’s Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund. Reserve a spot by calling us at 693-2483 or stopping in.  Specify whether you’re attending the morning or afternoon workshop or both, and whether you’ll be bringing your own computer.

Have you been thinking about joining a book club?  Our adult book club meets at noon on the second Tuesday of the month.  It’s a great group of people, usually ten to sixteen of us, who have lively discussions about a wide variety of books.  In August, we discussed Sarah’s Key; that made for a great discussion about history and prejudice.


This month, we talked about The Sunday Philosophy Club by Alexander McCall Smith.  As we criticized the book (sometimes that’s how it goes!), somehow we managed to have a really great discussion on the ethics of forgiveness and responsibility anyway.

Now for October, we’re reading The Hunger Games.  I’m really looking forward to discussing the profound themes it covers with a group of adults.  It’s not just a book for teenagers!  Many adult library patrons of all ages have told us that they loved it and could not put it down.  I think some adults are put off by the description of the book, but it is not nearly as gritty and disturbing as it sounds, much less so than most of the modern adult novels I’ve read.  I encourage skeptical adults to put aside their preconceived ideas and give it a try, especially if they’ve enjoyed other survival, futuristic, or coming-of-age stories.
 Even if you aren’t usually part of our book club, you are welcome to join us for any book discussion that interests you.  This one will be held on Tuesday, October 8, at noon in the library meeting room.


For more information on when specific book and other clubs meet at the library, look at the information on the right-hand column of this blog.