Bob Dylan Walking Tour

This tour takes you along a path that was once walked by Bob Dylan as he grew up in Hibbing, Minnesota.

The walk starts at the building that was Zimmerman Electric and ends at the Androy, the site of Bob’s Bar Mitzvah celebration.

Walking Tour Map
Podcast of Tour

Great Lakes Counties Report

The draft of "Selected Information on Chemical Releases Within Great Lakes Counties Containing Areas of Concern" is available for view at the library front desk. This document, dated April 30, 2008, was prepared by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.

All comments concerning the evaluation of public health issues must be submitted in writing by June 30, 2008.

Stop in during normal hours to read the report and prepare comments.

Painters of the North Country

The 2nd Annual BOB DYLAN EXHIBIT by the Lake Superior Watercolor Society is now in the library auditorium until May 31st. It features framed watercolor and water-media paintings inspired by the life and lyrics of Bob Dylan. These paintings are for sale and a portion of the proceeds from sales will be donated to the Friends of the Hibbing Public Library.

A reception for participating artists and the public is scheduled for Thursday, May 22, from 1-4 PM in the library auditorium.

Stop by for a Dylan-inspired afternoon: Listen to Dylan's music as you view the LSWS exhibit of paintings, indulge in or resist Beatty Zimmerman’s chocolate chip banana bread. Enjoy spending time with friends, artists, and Dylan fans.

New Features - New Technology!

RSS Feeds - Allow you to read new entries on our blog without having to visit our blog. Using RSS feeds new entries are sent to you in your "reader" or into the Internet Explorer RSS options. For more information about how RSS works visit http://rssday.org/.

Another fun feature we have added is a listing of the Hibbing Public Library "Twitter" entries. Twitter is designed to allow people to make short entries about what they are doing at any given time. The Library is using it to talk about resources and events at the library.

Both of these options are available in the right hand column of this blog.

If you have questions or would like to learn more about either of these new tools send an email to Chris.

Smashing Good Time!

Congratulations to Summer Campbell, a 6th grader at Lincoln Elementary, who got to ride 65 feet up in the basket a toss out a TV filled with candy and toys. Hers was the winning essay in the "Why Books are Better than TV" contest in honor of TV Turn-Off Week. An estimated 60 kids and adults were on hand at the Hibbing Public Library to see the TV explode and run for goodies!

Did you turn your TV off this week? What did you do instead?

Painters of the North Country - 2nd Annual Bob Dylan Exhibit

The Hibbing Public Library will host the second annual exhibit of paintings by members of the Lake Superior Watercolor Society (LSWS).

The exhibit will feature more than 30 new, framed watercolor and water-media paintings inspired by the life and lyrics of Bob Dylan. The exhibit will coincide with Dylan Days. Opening on May 1 and running through June 5, 2008.

A reception for participating artists and the public is scheduled for Thursday, May 22, from 1-4 PM in the library auditorium. Stop by for a Dylan-inspired afternoon: Listen to Dylan's music, view the exhibit, indulge in Beatty Zimmerman’s chocolate chip banana bread and spend time with friends, artists, and Dylan fans.

Paintings will be for sale through the Friends of the Hibbing Public Library who will receive a commission on each painting sold. For more information email Louise Lundin or visit the Hibbing Public Library website.

Stop in and see the display during normal library hours. Did you see last year's display?

Magician Star at the Library

Magician Star was at the library on Wednesday, April 9th, promoting reading with magic.

TV Turn Off Week

TV Turn Off Week is an event that was started in 1994 by the Center for Screen Time Awareness, as a way to promote activities that involved anything but the television. This year the Hibbing Public Library supported by the other departments of the City of Hibbing are planning an event will let people know that there are things to do besides watching TV after school and work.

An essay contest will be held. All kids in grades 3-6 can write a one page essay on "Why Books are Better than TV." Essays must be turned in to the Hibbing Public Library by 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 17th. Library staff will read the essays and pick the winner, who will be notified by phone and get to go up in a cherry picker and throw a TV at a target drawn on the street.

Library events on April 23rd will include:

• Closing 21st Ave. between 4th and 5th East will be closed to traffic from 3:30-5pm.
• Local groups are invited to set up a table or booth to promote their organization, especially if it gives kids and families the opportunity to get out and away from the TV. We are also encouraging groups to sell concessions to raise money for themselves and promote a picnic atmosphere.
• At 4:30, the winner of an essay contest will go up 10 feet in a cherry picker and toss a TV at a target drawn on the street. The TV will be filled with treats and small toys.
• At 5pm, family programs including puppet shows, games, crafts and other performances and demonstrations by other organizations will begin in the library and run till 8pm.

If you would like more information or to participate in this event, please email Chuck Bell or call 362-5959.

Online Book Clubs

So many books, so little time. For all those busy people, the Hibbing Public Library has a new service: an Online Book Club that delivers books electronically.

Each day, Monday through Friday, the library emails subscribers a portion of a book that takes about 5-minutes to read. They're able to read two or three chapters from a book during the week. If they like a book, they can check it out of the library. Each week the library features new books.

With 11 book clubs to choose from, there's something for everyone. Patrons can read Fiction, Non Fiction, Romance, Business, Good News, Horror, Teen, Mystery, Pre-Publication, and Science Fiction.

They can also listen to Audio Books in their email and there's even a Pre-Publication Club. You can start reading books in your email before they're even published.

The Book Forum is your chance to be the reviewer. What do you think about this week's book so far? Do you plan on finishing the book? Is it going to make your personal reading list? If you've already found out "who done it" or "did she get the guy," don't give away the ending. But do tell me what you think.

Sign up now.

Magician Star at the Library

Come to a free magic show on Wednesday April 9, 2008, 10:00 AM in the auditorium at the Hibbing Public Library .

Cotton native Magician Star will perform her high energy, audience participation show. Not only is it great fun, but it gets your kids fired up about reading!

This show will take the place of the regularly scheduled Story Time.

For more information email or call 218-362-5959.

Click on "comments" below to tell us about the last magician you saw.

Community Wide Survey

Take the survey now.

Hibbing has partnered with North Star Destination Strategies to develop a community “Brand” for marketing the city to visitors, residents and businesses in the year 2008 and beyond.

North Star customized a Communitywide Online Survey which has been carefully crafted to determine the city’s strengths, weaknesses, challenges and opportunities. All residents are invited and encouraged to participate in this important community-wide initiative.

“We have partnered with more than 90 cities in more than 20 states nationwide and I can’t emphasize enough the importance of insights gleaned from community members,” stressed McEachern. “To learn what makes a city special, you have to go to the people who spend more than just their money and time there. You have to go to the people who spend their lives there.”

If you are interested in learning more about Hibbing ’s branding initiative, contact Duane Northagen or Miriam Kero at the City of Hibbing Economic Development Office at City Hall. To learn more about North Star Destination Strategies, go to www.northstarideas.com.

Online Help for the College Bound

The 2008, six volume, College Blue Book” and the 2008 Scholarships, Fellowships and Loans are available online via the library’s website. Both of these items are a part of the “Gale Virtual Reference Library”. I can be accessed from both library and home computers. Just visit the library’s web site http://www.hibbing.lib.mn.us, click on Databases and Search Engines, click on Education, and then click on “Gale Virtual Reference Library”.

The College Blue Book covers thousands of 2- and 4-year schools in the U.S. and Canada, their programs, degrees, and financial aid sources.

Scholarships, Fellowships and Loans provides sources of scholarships, fellowships, loans, internships, work study, and other education-related financial aid at all levels of study. Included is a summary of programs sponsored by the federal government and a state-by-state listing of agencies that users can contact in their home state.

We Have a New Phone Number!

The Library is moving to a new telephone system and our phone number has changed. Please note that our new numbers are:

Main number: 218-362-5959
TTY/TTD: 218-362-5956
Fax: 218-312-9779

Downloadable Audio Books

The downloadable audio books will be unavailable on Saturday, March 22nd, from 5:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. OverDrive will be installing upgrades and performing maintenance tasks during this time period.

Please plan ahead and if you need electronic books for the weekend; do your downloads on Friday.

Some FAQs for those who are not familiar with this service:

What are Digital Audio Books?

A digital audio book is the downloadable version of a book on tape or CD. Digital audio books can be transferred to a portable device, and select titles can even be burned to a CD. Digital media is automatically returned so there are never late fees or trips to the library.

What you will need:

Digital audio books are available for the OverDrive Media Console, which relies on Windows Media Technology. Most Windows computers with Windows Media Player 9 (or higher) and the OverDrive software installed will work.

To access digital media, you will need:

A valid library card from an Arrowhead Library System Library or the Duluth Public Library.
Access to the internet. At this time, we are unable to download digital media to public library computers. If you connect to the internet with a dial up connection it is recommended that you only download one "part" of digital media at a time.
Free OverDrive software.
Transferring digital media:

Once digital media is downloaded onto your computer it may be transferred to other portable devices. See the OverDrive website for a list of compatible devices and directions for testing your device for compatibility.

Some items may be burned to CD's. Review the "Digital Rights Information" to see how many times an item can be transferred to other devices and if it may be burned to a CD. Note that each "part" of a digital item will require a separate CD.

Go to the library's home page, click on "Download Audiobooks" and try one!

Dr. Seuss's Birthday and Luau Fun

Celebrate a birthday and the end of the Winter Reading Program with Mr. Bell on March 4th and 5th at preschool storyhour. Dr. Seuss’s birthday is March 3rd and the stories this week will of course be in his honor. Everyone is invited to come in for Green Eggs and Ham, Fox in Sox, and The Zax.

This is also the last week of the Winter Reading Program so after the stories upstairs everyone will head down to the auditorium for games, crafts, treats and assorted nonsense in the finest luau tradition.

Storyhour is every Tuesday and Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. Meet by the fireplace!

Teen Tech Week March 2 - 8, 2008

The library will be celebrating Teen Tech Week by having a giveaway just for teens. Sign up as many times as you want during the week of March 2nd. A drawing will then be held at 3:30 on Friday, March 7th, for a MP3 player or a “DDR” add-on for PS2.

There will also be a special program in the computer lab on Thursday, March 6th at 3:15 called “Blogging for Teens”. Anyone interested in attending should register by calling the library at 262-1038 or just sign up at the front desk.

The Range Reads

There is still time to pick up a copy of Tim O’Brien’s, The Things They Carried along with the discussion guide. Read the book, visit the Requiem exhibit at Ironworld, and attend one of the community discussion groups at the library. Discussions will be moderated by Hibbing High School English instructor, Lori Bandemer. Days and times are Monday, February 25th at 7:00 p.m. and Thursday, February 28th at 10:30 a.m.

New Genealogy Databases at Iron World

Ironworld's Iron Range Research Center library recently introduced new resources for amateur and experienced genealogists. The databases of Ancestry Library Edition and HeritageQuest Online can now be accessed at no charge on the Research Center's four public computer terminals.

Ancestry Library Edition and HeritageQuest Online give genealogists access to resources far beyond what has previously been available.

Ancestry Library Edition allows users to access approximately 4000 databases, including U.S. Federal Census images and indexes from 1790 to 1930, a Civil War collection, the Social Security Death Index, and much more.

HeritageQuest Online combines information from federal records, books, family and local histories, city directories and many other sources to help researchers find their ancestors, trace their paths across America and even learn what life was like in the areas where they settled.

The Research Center is free and open during Ironworld's regular hours, Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Thursday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

2008 ARRM Conference Art Contest

The Association of Residential Resources in Minnesota wants the community to vote on the art that best depicts the theme of their annual conference.

About 100 pieces by local and area artists that receive services from ARRM will be on display at the library from Monday, February 4th through Thursday, February 7th.

The theme of the 2008 ARRM Conference is “Welcome to the Big Top: There’s Something for Everyone! SoHo Artists of Hibbing is sponsoring this event.

Community members vote and the 10 winning entries will receive royalty payments for their artwork. The top entry will be imprinted on the bags all attendees are given at the annual conference.

Book Review

Duma Key
Stephen King

I haven’t read a Stephen King book in years, so I picked up Duma Key with trepidation. Duma Key passed the first hurdle when I realized it didn’t have alien spaceships in it. Edgar Freemantle moves from Minnesota to the Florida Keys to recover from a catastrophic accident where he takes up landscape painting. As Edgar’s painting improves, he forms new friendships with Wireman and Old Elizabeth Eastlake and learns of another artist whose painting seemed supernatural. Tragic historical events in one family reveal disappearances, creepy dolls, ghosts and shipwrecks to make this a satisfying read. A story that takes place in Florida is always a good thing during a Minnesota winter.
For more information on Stephen King, go to:
Website: www.stephenking.com

Tax Volunteers at the Library

Tax help, complements of the AEOA Tax Aide Program volunteers will be available in the Library Conference Room from Feb. 1, 2008 through April 15th on:

Fridays - 9:00 a.m. — 2:30 p.m.
Saturdays - 9:00 a.m. —12:00 p.m.

Help will also be available at the following locations and times:

Tourist Center
Beginning Feb. 4, 2008
Monday, 9:00—2:30

Memorial Building
Beginning Feb. 5, 2008
Tuesday, 9:00— 2:30

Hot Reads For Cold Nights!

Warm up with a hot book from the Hibbing Public Library. The library and the Friends of the Hibbing Public Library are once again offering the HOT READS FOR COLD NIGHTS winter reading program for adults.

It will run February 1st through March 1st. There will be daily giveaways, weekly drawings and a grand prize drawing at the end. Each time an adult checks out library items they can enter their name into the drawing.

This program is sponsored by the Friends of the Hibbing Public Library and Arrowhead Library System.