Move into the fast lane with our new internet service

by Beth Cronk, Litchfield head librarian

It’s a happy time at the library for internet users.  We have increased our speed from 1.5 Mbps to 12.  How’s that for a jump ahead in technology? You should notice a big difference on our public computers and on your mobile devices on the wi-fi.  I know I’ve noticed it. 

Things can still get a little bit slow when our computers are full.  If you have twenty-five people online here, some of them streaming video or downloading something, 12 Mbps still can get a bit stretched.  But despite a few traffic jams,  it’s like driving a sports car now instead of a lawn mower.  Litchfield Library is one of the busiest in the library system for internet use, so we will all appreciate it.  Even checking out your books goes faster.

We’re so grateful that the federal e-rate program which helps public libraries offer broadband access to people throughout the country has allowed us to adjust for our demand like this.  Many of our rural residents cannot get anything faster than dial-up at home, and most websites now require so much more than that.  Even people in town who could get high-speed internet cannot always afford it, or a computer of their own. 

According to the Pew Research Center this month, 77% of Americans who use the internet but don’t have access at home say that internet access at their public library is important to them and their family. People living in lower-income households are much more likely to say that internet access at libraries is important to them. 

People use our computers to take online classes, complete job training modules, apply for jobs and unemployment, print boarding passes and event tickets, buy things online, search real estate listings… the list goes on and on.  Just think of how many things you search for online and how much you keep in touch with people through email and social media, and then imagine someone who has no way to do any of that.  Many people in that situation use the library to do it. 

With the new iPads and laptops in the district this fall, I expect that more kids will need to use our wi-fi than ever before to do their homework in the evenings and on weekends.  There’s no longer a complicated sign-in process to use our wi-fi; just choose the Litchfield Public Library network, accept the terms of service, and you’re in. There is no password.   It will time out after you’ve been on for four hours, so save your work if you’re doing a long project.  Our wi-fi works in the parking lot, so you could do some emergency homework in your minivan even when we’re closed.  The wi-fi turns on early in the morning and off late at night, well beyond our business hours.

Part of the role of the public library is to provide access to information.  In today’s world, so much of the information is online.  If you need internet access, whether on your own mobile device or our computer, you can visit the library to do that.  I hope you’ll enjoy the change in our service.  Faster is better!

Journey to the Center of the Universe!

 By Jan Pease

 It was my privilege to meet with an enthusiastic group of Cosmos folks who make up the Building Committee for the Cosmos Library.  I’m there as a representative from Pioneerland Library System, in place of Beth and am happy to see this project get started.   When the library opens, Beth Cronk, as Meeker County Librarian will manage it, but I hope to be involved in developing the children’s collection.  The State of Minnesota provided a grant, so this building project really will happen.

 You might remember, February 24, 2011, the Cosmos fire department was called at 5:11 a.m. to the Cosmos library which burned to the ground.  This was a terrible loss to the Cosmos community.  The library provided children’s programs, books, audio books, movies, and internet access to the community and was a safe place for teens to gather.

Pioneerland Library System has provided employees that bring the summer reading experience for children to the former school building.  Some summers the building has been unbearably hot, but families  come and take home bags of books to read.  This year, Elle Puckett and Jennifer Barnes have worked together on this project.

The committee members did their best to inform me that Cosmos is really the center of the universe.  I didn’t know that, but come to think of it, Cosmos is 20 minutes from Hutchinson, 26 minutes from Litchfield, and 33 minutes from Willmar. It offers an easy commute paired with a very nice small town.

   

 The weekend of July 18-20 they will try to prove that Cosmos is indeed the center of the universe, with the Cosmos Space Festival.  Saturday night the “best fireworks display in any small town” is planned.  There is a parade on Sunday, with vendors in the park.  I’m going down for Sunday afternoon, because   Jennifer Barnes and I will be at a table in the park.  I also plan to be there for the pork chop supper;   they told me that the pork chops are very, very good.   

In small towns, libraries are the heart beat of the community.  Yes, if your house is burning, you need the fire department, not a book about fighting fires.  But  quality of life is the issue.  Families often visit the Litchfield library if they are contemplating a move to our area.  Having a vibrant library lets them know that this is a vibrant community.  I think that having a library in Cosmos will  show that even if it isn’t the center of the universe, it is a great small town community.  If you’re at the Space Festival on Sunday afternoon, stop by the Cosmos Library Table.  We’ll be there.

   

No gaming tonight

Gaming night is cancelled for tonight due to illness.  Please join us next Monday at 6 p.m.

No story hour on Watercade Saturday

We are cancelling our 2nd Saturday story hour for July because it would fall during the Watercade kiddie parade.  Enjoy Watercade and stop by our book sale between 10 and 4!

Closed for Independence Day

We will be closed on Friday, July 4, in observance of Independence Day.

Truth as fascinating as fiction

by Beth Cronk, Litchfield head librarian

What is popular around the country for nonfiction books these days?  In my last column, I told you that cookbooks are the most popular kind of nonfiction to check out in libraries.  But when you look at the New York Times bestseller lists, popular nonfiction includes all different sorts of books.  For the week of July 6, the NYT list of print and e-book nonfiction bestsellers isn’t even limited to new releases.  We have many of these popular books at our library.

Hillary Rodham Clinton’s new book is at the top of the list.  Hard Choices is a memoir of Hillary’s years as Secretary of State.  She describes her meetings with world leaders and details her involvements in international affairs.  Reviewers say that there are no secrets revealed here; it’s very carefully written to serve as a potential pre-campaign autobiography, explaining her views on policy and her differences from President Obama.  Very little is personal, so it’s most likely to appeal to people interested in U.S. foreign policy.  Litchfield Library owns a copy, as do a few other libraries in the system.

Orange is the New Black: My Year in a Women’s Prison is next on the list in nonfiction.  This book is also a memoir.  It tells the story of Piper Kerman, a young woman who had everything going for her when she was convicted of drug trafficking and money laundering ten years after delivering a suitcase of drug money for a girlfriend.  The memoir tells a fish-out-of-water story of an educated, refined woman with a great support system of family and friends, learning to navigate the unwritten rules of prison.  She also tells moving stories of female friendship in difficult circumstances.  The Netflix series of the same name is based on this book.  We have both the book and season one of the TV series at Litchfield.

The number three book on the combined print and e-book sales is Me by Katharine Hepburn.  This is a peculiar one, since the book came out in 1991.  I’m guessing that people are buying it because it’s inexpensive as an e-book, since there doesn’t seem to be a particular reason for renewed interest in Katharine Hepburn at the moment.  If you want to read this autobiography, you don’t even have to spend the $1.99 it costs as an e-book.  You can borrow a print copy for free.  We don’t own a copy at Litchfield, but Grove City Library does, as do many other libraries in Pioneerland. 

We do have The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics by Daniel James Brown, number four on the list.  This is the true story of a group of working-class young men from the University of Washington who won gold in rowing over the elite teams of the world.  This is one of those nonfiction books that reads like a novel, with suspense and emotion.

Another book that fits that description (and even includes the same Olympic games) is the fifth book on the bestseller list, Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Lauren Hillenbrand.  We read this book in the library’s adult book club, and I thought it was exciting and inspiring.  This is the true story of Louis Zamperini, a famous Olympic distance runner whose B-24 crashed into the Pacific on a mission to rescue another crew during World War II.  His survival story is riveting.  He is still alive today.  Angelina Jolie and the Coen brothers’ movie adaptation of the book is coming out this Christmas. 

Truth can be as interesting as fiction.  And libraries offer more than novels.  Whether you like biographies, history, books on health, or self-help, we’ve got many interesting choices available.

What's New with You?

   By Jan Pease

What’s new at the library?  292 young people ages 3-17 are participating in the summer reading program.  The final count at Professor Marvel’s show was about 142.  And there are many, many new books on the shelf in the children’s department.

Because our summer theme is “Paws to Read,” I have been purchasing books that feature animals, especially animals with paws that are really unusual.  A series published by Bellwether Media, “Extremely Weird Animals,” includes titles such as   Aye-Aye  and Proboscis Monkey by Lisa Owings, and Tarsier by Christina Leaf.  The proboscis monkey reminds me of Jimmy Durante with its large, large nose.  The Tarsier is a cute little critter with huge eyes.  But the Aye-Aye is my favorite. It  has an extremely long middle finger that it uses to pull insects out of trees.  It locates them by tapping on the tree and listening, and they are believed to be the only primates who use echolocation to find food. 

I don’t remember ever seeing a snowy owl, but there were reports of them being around this past winter.  Snowy Owls, by Jennifer Zeiger, is part of the Nature’s Children series published by Scholastic.  This lovely book has extraordinary pictures of these magnificent birds.  I’m glad I’m not a lemming, their favorite prey.

What if your feet drifted away from the ground?  What stops everything from floating into space?  Jason Chin answers these questions, in a very simple way, in his new book, Gravity.  The cover reminds me of the movie, “Gravity,” but this book is very child-friendly.

What’s New? The Zoo!: A Zippy History of Zoos, by Kathleen Krull, is packed with fun facts about zoos.  Did you know that the first zoo was established 4300 years ago in present-day Iraq?  I’m glad that zoos now are concerned about the health and well being of the animals. I  wanted to open cage doors and set the animals free when we visited a zoo.

   

Fighting Fire! by Michael L. Cooper,  tells about ten major fires in American history.  Each of these fires led to changes in technology and the science of fire fighting.

  

Finally, some of the people that most appreciate wild places and wildlife are hunters and anglers.  Turkey Hunting, by Sara Green,  celebrates  the bird immortalized by Benjamin Franklin, “For in Truth the Turkey is in Comparison a much more respectable Bird, and withal a true original Native of America. Eagles have been found in all Countries, but the Turkey was peculiar to ours, “ Matt Soniak, quoting Benjamin Franklin, from  Matt’s  blog,  mental_floss.com. 

 My favorite picture in the book is on the page about turkey hunting in Alabama.  A beautiful young woman, tastefully dressed in camouflage, holding a well-used gun, watches intently for a gobbler.  Her eye makeup  flawlessly matches the blue tones in her camouflage, and her golden hair flows gracefully under her hunting hat.   I just didn’t know that turkey hunting could be a fashion statement.

For anglers, we have a book, Ice Fishing, also by Sara Green.  I like the term “anglers” because “fishermen” and “fisherwomen” sound like I’m trying to be politically correct.  Since there were about 4 feet of ice out on the lake this year, I’m happy to see that Minnesota features prominently in Ice Fishing. I wonder what a child from Arizona would think about this book.   See you at the library!