Iron Range Reads or Hot Reads for Cold Nights

The second annual Iron Range Reads program will take place in February. Arrowhead libraries and Ironworld are cooperating to bring programs and exhibits to everyone during the month. It will be all about collecting and sharing memories.

The book offering this year is Bill Bryson’s “The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid”. The library will have multiple copies available. Anyone who reads the book and leaves a comment on our reading board will be entered into the weekly drawings for the 2009 hot reads mugs. You can also leave recommendations for other titles on the board.

Local author, Aaron Brown, will be at the library on Wednesday, February 18th, at 6:30 p.m. His most recent book is “Overburden: Modern Life on the Iron Range”. According to the synopsis, “Brown delves into the history and mystery surrounding the Iron Range to explore the region's mystique and create a stunning and often hilarious biography of a people and a place he has called home nearly his entire life.”

Wednesday, February 25th at 6:30 p.m., area photographer, Jill Aubin will be having a workshop. Everyone that participates will be asked to bring a family recipe and a photograph of the person or an event that that brings back memories connected with the recipe. All other items will be supplied. Jill will help you construct a journal including both items and your written memories. She will also talk about the importance of archiving photographs and written items.
The library will also have displays on quilting, scrapbooking and other ways to capture your memories for the future.
The Apron Chronicles: A Patchwork of American Recollections will be on exhibit at Ironworld from January 31st through April 30th. See 155 unique aprons, images of the people who wore them, and read their stories.

Minnesota Illustrator Stephanie Mirocha at Library

Minnesota Illustrator Stephanie Mirocha at Library
Saturday, January 17th 9:30 a.m.

Discover the delightful world of manatees as seen in the picture book, My Little Book of Manatees. Minnesota illustrator Stephanie Mirocha will share her knowledge of these gentle sea creatures along with her experiences in illustrating the book.

Much beloved by many people, the endangered manatees live in an interesting sea habitat. Stephanie will talk about the story manatees have to tell, including the rhythms of their lives from birth to the mother manatee teaching her calf what to eat and how to fend for itself.

Stephanie will also take you behind the scenes into the fascinating world of book illustration. From the initial text she received in the mail, through creating the storyboard and on through editing she will show examples of her work at various stages of the process. She will also read the book aloud.

Geared for preschool through adult audiences, the program lasts about half an hour, with a book signing to follow. There will also be a drawing for a free book, and a signed sea life print. Books cost $7.95.

Slide into a good Book

A Winter Reading Program for Kids

Children of all ages can sign up to read books and win prizes. The Winter Reading Program runs from January 5th through January 31st. Read on your own or have someone read to you. Stop by the library circulation desk for details.

Great Website for Young Families

A free website has been developed for families to easily access information about child growth and development. It has links to creditable state and national organizations who address growth and development of very young children, typical and atypical. This website also offers free parent materials to download and allows participation on a Discussion Board to get your questions answered about your children. “Look At Me Grow! Don't Miss Anything” website includes listings of all county ECFE programs and schedules in our area, information about the partners in this project, the services they provide, information on developmental disorders, a developmental milestones checklist and answers to top questions. Topics covered include but are not limited to attachment, feeding, hearing and vision, sleep, post partum depression and activities to do with your baby.

Look At Me Grow! Project is an Early Identification Grant funded through the Minnesota Department of Education. Northern Lights Special Education Cooperative is partnering with local Early Childhood Family Education, Carlton County Public Health and local Head Start for this project. To access this free valuable resource for families with young children go to http://www.LookAtMeGrow.org .

Still A Few Days Left To Vote!

Check out the art created by area adults with disabilities and vote for your favorite before December 26th. Copies of the art works along with the voting box are at the library’s front desk. The winning art will be made into 300 buttons which will be sold to help support “Hearts for Hospice”.

Focus on India

With more than one billion people, India is the second most populous country in the world accounting for 17% of the world’s population. The country has recently become one of the world’s fastest growing economies with an average growth rate of eight percent over the past three years.

It has emerged as a global player in several areas, including information technology, business process outsourcing, telecommunications, and pharmaceuticals. The demographic profile of India is changing with an ageing population. The subcontinent is characterized by large diversities in geographical regions, sociocultural groups, and health needs.

For more information about India visit the World Health Organization website at:
http://www.who.int/countries/ind/en/

Or attend the Focus on India event on Thursday, December 11, 2008

Increasing global trade opportunities are creating an exciting economic environment in Northern Minnesota. A coalition of area businesses, educational institutions and nonprofit organizations are kicking of the first in a series of workshops aimed at introducing citizens and businesses to global trade and cultural opportunities.

The first event of the “Global Understanding Series” will focus on India. The event will include:

• Panel discussions
• Expert presentations
• Cultural showcase
• Ethnic food

Conference registration is $75. Includes lunch, reception, program materials, and evening performance by Ragamala Dance Troupe. Space is limited.

For more information and to register visit www.hibbing.edu/focusonindia. It promises to be fun and educational. Please plan to join us on December 11, 2008 as we Focus on India.

Global Understanding Series Focus On India Press Release

Tech Toy Workshops

Monday, December 15th in the Conference Room

This is a great hands-on experience for parents and grandparents! Learn how to use some of the new technology toys and how the internet can be used to share photos, video, and books. Registration is required for these one hour workshops so call the library (218-362-5959) and sign up early. Come to one or sign up for all of them.

9:00 a.m. Digital Cameras & Picasa/Flickr
11:00 a.m. Video Cameras & Youtube
1:00 p.m. Wii setting up & getting started / sports, games, & rock band
3:00 p.m. MP3 players & OverDrive

Computer Classe

The following classes are coming up in December:

Internet Safety I
Thursday, December 4th @ 3:00 p.m.
Learn how to protect your computer using passwords, patches, firewalls, anti-virus software, spyware, and pop-up blockers.

Internet Safety II
Thursday, December 11th @ 3:00 p.m.
A lesson on protecting yourself online. The class will cover using email, chat, shopping online, and identity theft.

Attention All Seniors on Medicare

AEOA SIAP (Senior Insurance Advocacy Program) department will be available at the Hibbing Public Library as a service to seniors for open enrollment for Medicare healthcare coverage. Seniors should be aware that there have been some changes with the area healthcare providers as to the Medicare Advantage Plans that they will accept.

Representatives from AEOA will be in the library’s computer lab the following days:
Wednesday, December 10th from 9:00 until 5:00
Thursday, December 17th from 9:00 until 5:00

Please call AEOA at one of the following numbers to schedule an appointment:
218-748-7301 or 800-662-5711 ext. 201.

Keetac Mine Expansion

The “Final Scoping Decision Document”, public comment letters, a summary of public comments and responses to comments received during a 30-day comment period for the proposed Keetac Mine Expansion Project are now available to the public.

The Department of Natural Resources and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have prepared these documents to guide analyses to include in an Environmental Impact Statement for U.S. Steel’s proposal to expand an existing mine pit and re-start an idle iron ore processing line.

Documents are available at the Hibbing Public Library front desk.

New Online Book Club!

Every other week your heart will pound as adrenaline rushes through your body and you'll be on the edge of your seat when you sample our new THRILLER Book Club!

In cooperation with authors from the International Thriller Writers Association a new Thriller Book Club will replace the Horror Book Club in our online offerings, beginning November 3rd, 2008.

Go to the library’s web site at www.hibbing.lib.mn.us , click on the Online Book Clubs icon. Join the new thriller book club and get ready for action and suspense stories that take you on high speed adventures in which tough, resourceful, but essentially ordinary heroes are pitted against villains determined to destroy them, their country, or the stability of the free world.

Services for Book Clubs

The library has multiple copies of several outstanding titles that can be checked out by book club members. Check the library’s web site, www.hibbing.lib.mn.us, for a listing of the titles or pick up a flyer at the library.

Book Clubs can also request background information on authors, reviews for specific titles, and discussion guides. Just call the library at 362-5959 and ask for reference. We will create a packet of information for any author and title.

Audio guides for titles that were part of the Big Read program are now available for check out. These CDs feature readings from the novel along with commentary from renowned artists, educators, and public figures such as Robert Redford, Colin Powell, and Mary-Louise Parker, and Big Read authors such as Amy Tan and Ray Bradbury.

Book Club members may also be interested in the library’s “Book News” newsletters. Get “Book News” delivered to your email or read it online at the library’s web site. “Book Club Picks” is just one of the categories available.

Law Library for the Public

St. Louis County maintains a small law library that can be used by the public in the Hibbing County Courthouse. It is open to all residents and there is no charge for using it. The library contains information on Minnesota Court of Appeals and Supreme Court cases. There is also Minnesota and Federal statutes and related cases, legal textbooks and treatises. The library services also include the use of the Westlaw on-line computer service. For information about the library and services, contact: Michele Des Rosier at 1-800-450-9777 or email her at desrosierm@co.st-louis.mn.us.

Kill A Watt Electric Usage Monitors

The library has the “Kill A Watt” electric usage monitors available for check out. These devices use a regular U.S. two or three (grounded) 125V pronged power cord to measure electric usage home appliances. Instructions include how to use the monitor, average electrical energy usage of typical 120-volt household appliances, and easy ways to reduce energy use in the home.

Monitors are available at the front desk.

Pumpkin Carving Contest

Wednesday, October 29th at 6:00 p.m. -

Bring your own pumpkin and show us your best design.

Prizes for several categories.

Puppet Show at the Library

Saturday, October 18th - Enjoy some great stories and watch Hilda Hippo eat her ABC's. A 30 minute program at 10:30 a.m. and repeated at 1:30 p.m.

Check Out the New Electronic Databases

New databases have been added to the Electronic Library for Minnesota. All of them can be used from either library computers or your home computer. They are great sources for information for both adults and children for reports and projects. Just go to the library’s home page (www.hibbing.lib.mn.us) click on “Databases and Search Engines” and then click on “Education”. The databases are alphabetical in this listing.

Student Resource Center Gold - Student Resource Center provides thousands of periodicals and newspapers, primary documents, creative works, video and audio clips and podcasts. Including hundreds of plays and poems, more than 63,000 topic overviews, biographies, and pieces of literary criticism, and more 1,700 study guide questions.

Expanded Academic ASAP - This premier database of more than 2,500 titles offers balanced coverage of every academic concentration including: social science journals, humanities journals, science and technology journals, national news periodicals, general interest magazines, newswires, and many others.

Educator's Reference Complete - This powerful database covers multiple levels of education from preschool to college and includes every educational specialty, such as bilingual studies, health, technology and testing. Also included are resources on issues related to administration, funding and policy in education.

General Science Collection - A well rounded science collection offering in-depth information for scientific research consisting of over 200 journals encompassing the most popular scientific titles such as Scientific American, Archeology, Physics Today, Info Today, Mathematics Magazine and many more.

If you want a quick introduction on how to use these databases just ask for reference help at the front desk.

Join the Friends of the Library - New Members Needed!

Everyone is invited to attend the annual meeting of the Friends of the Hibbing Public Library. The organization needs new members with ideas, talent, and energy. Throughout the year this group sponsors the Yuletide Festival, both adult and children’s reading programs, Cool Evening at the Library, Annual Book Sale, and other events. Fundraising for special projects and helping to supplement the book budget are also part of the Friends agenda.

Membership forms are also available at the front desk of the library. If you cannot attend the meeting, please take a few forms and share them with your friends so they can become our Friends too.

Annual Meeting
Thursday
October 23, 2008
6:30 p.m.
Library Auditorium

Minnesota Museum of Mining Adds Photographs to Minnesota Reflections

Minnesota Reflections is a digital library of more than 20,000 photos, maps, and documents that depict the history of Minnesota before 1950. New to the collection the past year are historical photographs from the Minnesota Mining Museum in Chisholm.

The Minnesota Museum of Mining in Chisholm was established in 1953 on 15 acres within a walled sports complex built as a 1930s WPA project. The museum houses a steam locomotive and shovel, large pieces of mining equipment, haul trucks, fire trucks, a replica underground mine drift, a steam railroad diorama by artist F. Lee Jaques, and exhibits from early life in a mining town. The images contributed to "Minnesota Reflections" illustrate miners and their equipment, mine safety, lowering a mule into an underground mine, and construction of the WPA-era sports complex.

View these historical pictures by going to: http://reflections.mndigital.org/
Choose “Search by Collection” and click on “Minnesota Museum of Mining”.

Banned Book Week

September 27th – October 4th

Celebrate your freedom to read by reading a banned book during Banned Books Week. This year marks the 27th annual celebration of the freedom to read. The Office of Intellectual Freedom tracks hundreds of reports of challenged items each year. There were 420 known attempts nationally to remove books from public and school libraries in 2007.

The Hibbing Public Library along with the American Library Association wants everyone to think about the importance of intellectual freedom. It is the right of an individual to choose what materials are suitable for themselves and their families.

Read a book from the “banned book display” during the week and exercise your freedom to choose.

More information and for lists of banned or challenged books.

Have you read a banned book?