In April 2022, the Grand Marais Public Library was damaged due to several instances of flooding through the north wall. The following repairs and reconstruction took nine months, a time during which library programming shifted to take and make kits, off-site programming, and community partnerships.
Now with the restoration work complete, library director Amanda St John is glad to announce the Grand Marais Public Library is “easing back into a robust schedule of enriching, entertaining, and educational programs.” What programs can patrons look forward to enjoying? St John says things such as author talks, writing workshops, and theatrical performances are on the docket.
Currently, the library is hosting “Friday Night Reels’’, a wintertime film series featuring award winners, international films, and indie titles. Intended for an adult audience, with subtitles used when available, a new film is shown each Friday evening at 6 p.m. Doors open around 5:30, and light refreshments are provided by the Library Friends of Cook County.
The Book Bundles program for families is like a subscription service for library books. A time-saver for busy, working, or commuting parents; Book Bundles regularly provides children with a colorful, custom reading experience. Parents fill out a questionnaire for each child, sharing their children’s reading interests and indicating if they’d like audiobooks or DVDs included in the bundle. Library staff then select materials in line with those interests. Families can choose either a one-time or a regularly-occurring bundle.
Amanda St John says, “I’ve used it [Book Bundles] myself before going on vacation, and it gave me one less thing to focus on while getting us packed and organized. It’s free and so much fun.”
Grand Marais Public Library is also hosting preschool and class visits to the library. Teachers interested in setting up a field trip are invited to call 218-387-1140.
Families with children ages zero to six can start building a foundation for early literacy through the Ready to Read program. At registration, children receive a welcome kit that includes a special book bag, a booklet and stickers for tracking their reading, and a free book for a fun start to reading. After 25 days of reading, children can come to the library and show their log to a librarian to earn letter patches to customize their book bag. After that, every 100 days children can pick up a sticker for their Reading Ready booklet and another patch for their bag. Families are encouraged to develop a relationship with Grand Marais Public Library’s youth services librarian, Erika Ternes, who can assist in the selection of age-appropriate and interest-focused materials as literacy and cognitive skills develop.
February is Love Your Library month, so it’s a great time to check out the new and upcoming resources the Grand Marais Public Library has available to all its patrons.
