New website

Litchfield Library has a new website!

For the latest information, please visit https://www.litchfield.lib.mn.us/

Curbside, winter and summer reading programs, and celebrating Jan

by Beth Cronk, Litchfield head librarian

Curbside pickup is tremendously popular at the Litchfield Library. Meeker County people love their books!  We’ve officially expanded those hours a bit to 12:30-4:30 Monday/Wednesday/Friday. We’ve been offering additional curbside hours on days when large numbers of requested items have arrived in the delivery, and we’ll be expanding those times further.

If you’d like to order some items for curbside pickup, but you can’t think of specific titles you want, you can go to the main page of the Pioneerland catalog and click on “New Items Purchased” near the bottom of the page.  Some of Litchfield’s newest books are on display in the front windows along the sidewalk, so stroll by and do some window shopping. I’m also posting videos and photos of the new items on the library’s Facebook page from time to time.

You might think you’re bothering us if you call and don’t know exactly what you want to order. But for me, those requests can be a lot of fun. I’ve had people ask for books by a particular author, whatever we have on the shelf. I’ve had people tell me who their favorite authors are and ask for recommendations for authors who might be similar. I’ve been asked for a stack of picture books. Those are all legitimate requests and we are happy to pull some things together.  You could also ask for some books on a subject you want to read about, whether the books are for a child or an adult.

If you happen to still have winter reading punch cards at home and you’d like to get the prize you’d intended to pick up, you can put those cards in the book drop and talk with us on the phone about which prize you’d like – or write us a note on the sheet. We can arrange to get those to you through curbside pickup, especially if we can coordinate that with your book appointment. We still have mugs, mouse pads, earrings, car chargers, and candy bars. We even have a couple of the bags that we managed to acquire from another library at the end of the program, so you could let us know if you didn’t get one when we ran out this winter.  We’ll plan to do a really late final prize drawing for the local restaurant gift certificates, so that’s another reason to drop those sheets off. I’m hoping they don’t get lost in the book drop!

The summer reading program will work in a similar way. We won’t sign kids up this year. But starting the second week of June, we’ll have summer reading game sheets available to be put in your curbside appointment bags.  When you schedule your book pickup time, you can tell staff how many kids you need sheets for.  Completed sheets can be dropped in the book drop, and prizes will be given out through curbside delivery, preferably when the family’s books are being picked up. We recognize that families may be tired of distance learning and that tracking reading time may not be your priority this summer. But if it makes your kids happy to participate in the summer reading program, we want to offer that option. The most important thing is that kids keep reading and that parents keep reading to them, whether you keep track of that time or not.  Watch the library’s website and Facebook page for more information about the summer reading program in June.

We will miss Jan at the library. If you send a retirement card to her in care of the library, we will be sure to get it to her. Jan deserves as much celebrating as we can give her for her decades of excellent service to the community. From what I’ve seen in the past decade working alongside her, I know she has had a profound impact on so many people’s lives, both children and adults. She has lived her calling of helping others every day she worked here, which I’m sure she will continue to do – but on her own schedule. Congratulations to Jan on her retirement and on her long career at the library!

Curbside service begins

by Beth Cronk, Meeker County Librarian

Pioneerland libraries are now offering contact-free curbside delivery at most locations. While our buildings remain closed to the public until further notice due to the pandemic, we are getting library materials out to patrons in a safe manner.

At Litchfield Library, curbside hours are Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, 12:30-4:30 p.m. At Dassel Library, those hours are Tuesdays and Thursdays, 2-5 p.m., and Saturdays, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. At Grove City Library, they’re Tuesdays, 2-5 p.m., and Fridays, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. At Cosmos Library, appointments are Wednesdays and Fridays, 2-5 p.m.

To request library books, DVDs, and CDs, go to the library catalog at iii.pioneerland.lib.mn.us, or call the library. By calling the library, you can also request magazine issues and, if we have them on hand, newspapers with the exception of the Independent Review. 

Delivery is happening between Pioneerland libraries but not between library systems. You can request things from other libraries in our system but not from other parts of the state at this time. Items are likely to take longer to arrive than in normal times.

Once your requested materials are ready, library staff will call you to schedule a pickup time. You will not get email notifications at this point.

At your appointment time, please park in the designated spot. At Litchfield, that’s on Marshall Avenue in front of the library’s front doors.  If you’re walking or biking, we ask that you wait by the parking sign. Call the library to let us know you’re there, and we’ll bring your bag of items out to the designated spot in front of the library, which for Litchfield is a table. Your items will have been checked out to you in advance. When the staff member goes back into the building, you may go to the table to pick up your bag. You will get a due date slip with your materials. Everything including DVDs currently has a due date four weeks from the checkout date.

We cannot take money or returned library items at the curbside pickup table, so we are not collecting fines at this time. Please put all returns in the book drop. We follow a procedure to quarantine returned items for at least 72 hours after they’re returned before we check them in, in accordance with current best practices for libraries.

Do not use the curbside service or return library materials if you or anyone in your household are feeling ill. Please contact the library and we will renew your materials or reschedule your appointment.

We are unable to meet you at the door at this time, so please call or email the library if we can assist you with research, library card issues, ebooks, or anything else. The Litchfield Library number is (320)693-2483 and the email address is litchfield.staff@pioneerland.lib.mn.us .  My email address is elizabeth.cronk@pioneerland.lib.mn.us.

To do a little browsing of new books, look for the window displays facing the sidewalk along Marshall Avenue. I’m also making some videos featuring our new books when I can. Follow the Litchfield Library Facebook page for updates or check out our new website at litchfield.lib.mn.us.

Jan's farewell column

By Jan Pease

Today I’m going to tell you a story.  A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away… Oops!  Wrong story!  Let’s try this again.

Late In 1990 I was a sad mom who was still grieving the loss of our infant son, Nathaniel.  Our daughter was in first grade, and I was at home every day, but was teaching a few piano students.  My mom saw a little notice in the paper that the library was looking for someone to work 8 hours a week, including one story hour.  Mom suggested that it would be good for me to get out of the house.   She promised free child care!  So I applied, head librarian Carol Blunt hired me, and as they say, the rest is history.  I officially started in January of 1991.

My brother’s comment was, “Eight hours a week! Is that a real job?”  It grew into a bigger job, but planning and presenting story times remained a huge part of what I do.  Eventually, I was responsible for purchasing books for the four libraries in Meeker County.   Summer Reading Programs have been a big part of my job.  I’ve also written an average of two columns a month for more than 20 years.  That might be the equivalent of the book I always meant to write.

It’s been a privilege to work with talented, curious, intelligent people.  The staff at Litchfield Library provides excellent library services.  I have to add that Beth Cronk has done a wonderful job of stepping into the management of all of the Meeker County libraries.  

As time slipped by I approached retirement age.  It came so fast!  I thought if my health held up, I’d like to work until age 67.  Well, during our great time out, I had a birthday and the number is 67. I’ve been talking about when and how to retire, and the time is now.

 Library service is drastically changed, and there are no summer programs planned for groups at this time.  It seems like a good time to close this chapter of my life.  Do I need to add that this is an extremely difficult decision? But it’s the right decision.  As of May 31^st, I’m retired.

I love living in Litchfield, and Dave and I will still be here.  We have no retirement plans to move to a more temperate clime.   I’m looking forward to having free time to meet friends for coffee or lunch, or both. 

Robert Browning wrote, in a poem titled “Rabbi Ben Ezra” (read the whole poem sometime)

Grow old along with me!

The best is yet to be,

The last of life, for which the first was made:

Our times are in His hand

Who saith "A whole I planned,

Youth shows but half; trust God: see all, nor be afraid!''

See you around!

Book Return Open

Are you getting tired of keeping library books at your house?  You may now return your library items in the book drop if you wish.

Due dates have been extended to the end of May, so there's no rush.

Please NO BAGS so that the slot doesn't get blocked, and please no donations.

If you look at your account online, you will see that the things you return remain checked out to you for at least 72 hours after you drop them off, so that we can quarantine them according to best practices for libraries.

One Book | One Minnesota launches with "Because of Winn-Dixie"

Hey Minnesota, let’s read together! One Book | One Minnesota is a new statewide book club that invites Minnesotans of all ages to read a common title and come together virtually to enjoy, reflect, and discuss. The first book selection is New York Times bestseller and Newbery Honor winner “Because of Winn-Dixie” by Minnesota’s own Kate DiCamillo! Learn more here:https://thefriends.org/minnesota-center-for-the-book/one-book-one-minnesota/ #onebookmn

Adult Book Club virtual meeting: O Pioneers

If you usually attend the adult book club at noon on the 2nd Tuesday of the month and you'd like to join our 12:00 Zoom call but haven't gotten an email about this at all from Beth, email her at elizabeth.cronk@pioneerland.lib.mn.us. At noon she will email the information about how to join the call.

At 1:00 today, Beth will go live on Facebook to lead a discussion about the book O Pioneers. If you regularly attend adult book club and you don't do Zoom or haven't been in contact with Beth to get that meeting info, or if you've never come to book club but want to talk about the book, please join us!

Willa Cather took the name of her novel from the Walt Whitman poem "Pioneers! O Pioneers!" Listen to the poem here: