New Titles from Young Authors
Category: Books
Author Allen Eskens at Meinders
Saturday November 10 @ 2:00pm
Join award-winning Minnesota author, Allen Eskens, as he shares his newest book, “The Shadows We Hide.” This sequel to “The Life We Bury” will be released on November 13.
Refreshments will be provided by Pipestone Area Friends of the Library. Other sponsors of this program include the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage fund, as well as State Farm’s Neighborhood Assist grant.
Thanks to all who have made our Community Read possible.
Cheers to Minnesota for being a Leader in e-book Lending
At Meinders Community Library, patrons can check out over 30,000 physical items. Not all of those are books, as we also have cake pans, DVDs, and board games. When you tap into the Plum Creek Library System, your access to materials increases exponentially. Add the items from any library in Minnesota, and your choices are nearly unlimited.
You might not know this, but Minnesota is a believer in the arts. It has a vibrant writing community and more than its share of publishing companies. As a lover of words, I’m thankful to be a part of this great state.
Introduce digital materials into the mix, and Minnesota jumps the ranks to being a leader in lending.
Ebooks Minnesota breaks the mold and breaks down physical barriers to book accessibility. If you have an electronic device, you can access over 4,000 books. You don’t need a library card. You will never return a book late. And you can read the same book at the same time as your friend, your neighbor, your mother-in-law, the principal and his wife, as well as any other Minnesotan–without waiting for it to get returned first.
Don’t believe me? Check out this article and start reading now!
Like reading digital books? Ask at the library about our own e-book collections today.
PAFL Book Sale Starts Today!
Get your hands on some great reads at Meinders Library.
The Pipestone Area Friends of the Library are hosting their ANNUAL BOOK SALE this week.
Stop by beginning at 1:00pm today.
Wednesday 1pm until 8pm
Thursday 10a-8p
Friday 10a-5p
Saturday 10a-12noon
Library Closed Saturday
Meinders Community Library will be closed on Saturday, December 2nd.
To keep reading over the weekend, download a good book from one of our digital platforms.
You can find the catalog on our Plum Creek Library System website and use your library card to access great books to read or listen to.
Simply click on the OverDrive or RB Digital icons on the left-hand column. If you haven’t already done so, you will need to download the apps on your device and set up an account to access the audiobooks and e-books in our system. Use your library card barcode as your ID# and the last four digits for the pin number.
We are available between now and Friday at 5:00pm to help you set up your device and download some books.
Our digital library is also a great way to spend travel time this holiday season.
Youth titles are available for all-ages, family entertainment!
How To Survive Book Discussion
Monday, October 30
@ 6:00pm
Everyone is welcome to join a community-wide discussion on Andy Steiner’s “How to Survive: The Extraordinary Resilience of Ordinary People”.
Steiner is a Minnesota author and joins a cadre of other successful writers at Think Piece Publishing.
If you have read some or all of How to Survive, you are invited to stop by the library at 6:00pm and share your thoughts, experiences, or tips on overcoming adversity and how this book helps put life into perspective.
The publisher, Adam Wahlberg, will visit Meinders Library on Saturday, November 11, for more insight into this book in particular and publishing in general. Beginning at 2:00pm, you will hear the unique perspective of a journalist, author and publisher as he shares his passion for helping others become the best they can be.
How to Survive is also the book pick for Meinders two book clubs. If tonight doesn’t work for you, consider stopping by at 8:30am on Tuesday, November 21 for our Early Bird Book discussion.
How To Survive a Community Read
Yes, I know, grammar and punctuation is always the thing. And despite the title of this post sounding a bit strange, it conveys exactly what I want it to.
As it is written, I’d like to tell you a bit about community reads and how to survive them.
- Community Reads encourage the masses to read the same book, thus providing a common experience and a nice platform for discussion with anyone who partook in the read–regardless of age, gender, stage of life, or general interests. This book is for everyone. It is universal in our attempts to live our daily lives with grace, courage and dignity.
- Reading a book outside your typical genre sometimes isn’t easy. However, it is worth it to broaden your literary experiences. The nice thing about Andy Steiner’s How to Survive: The Extraordinary Resilience of Ordinary People is that she tells the story of courage and triumph in bite-sized pieces. It’s easy to find a story that speaks to you.
- As we know time is short, we try to pick community read books that are quick and easy. This allows readers to spend minimal personal time while still being able to participate. So, I would say, don’t be afraid to cut your teeth on this book. Take a chance that you will find a sliver of time to read at least one story of survival.
- Sharing is caring. Sometimes we fall in love with literature and are reluctant to pass it along to others in case the pages get crumpled or someone might love a story with their morning coffee. The beauty of a community read is that these books are meant to be shared. The more widely read they are, the more successful our endeavor becomes. Read, share and discuss. Pass along the book to others who are going through tough times and who might need a bit of encouragement, or who enjoys similar writing as you do.
- Attend a book discussion. Yes, I know that is uncomfortable sometimes. But listening is also participating. Nobody expects to hear and speak with authority on the topics presented in Steiner’s book. Rather, everyone is encouraged to simply absorb the book as a community, listening to others and yourself about how a story touched you personally.
- Lastly, community reads are a no-cost endeavor. Thanks to a grant from the Minnesota Cultural and Heritage Foundation, Meinders Library has 30 free copies of How to Survive for your reading pleasure. Simply stop in and nab a book.
How To Survive Events
Monday October 30 @ 6:00pm: Community Book Discussion
Friday November 10 @ 6:30pm Books-n-Brew Book Club
Saturday November 11 @ 2:00pm Publisher’s Presentation on How to Survive with Adam Wahlberg
Tuesday November 21 @ 8:30am Early Bird Book Club
*read*share*discuss*
Banned Books Week
Celebrate Your Freedom to Read
The beauty of living in America is that we get to choose which books we read or don’t read. We have complete control over the topics and authors we spend our time with.
As a reader, I choose which books to buy or check out from my library. I get to choose to read past the first page or the first chapter or the first book in a series. Likewise, I can choose to set aside a book if I find myself upset, frustrated, angry, bored, or challenged.
As a friend, neighbor or family member, I can recommend books to other bibliophiles. I can express my opinion in the safety of my book clubs. I can write reviews and add as many or as few stars as I wish. I am in control of the books I consume.
Just as you are in control.
Like me, you can read books about diversity, controversy, or history. You can peruse romance to your heart’s content or read only scripture-based books. Politics that push your buttons can remain on the shelf. When you encounter vampires or profanity or faith, you get to decide to keep reading or to return the book unread to the library.
Like me, you can recommend the books you love to your family, friends and neighbors. You, too, can write reviews with as many or as few stars as you wish.
The beauty of living in America is that I do not censor what you read even though it may be very different than the books I love. My job as a librarian is to help all my patrons find the books that interest them–a job made easy because we live in America in a culture that provides books for each and every literary taste.
By some standards, books can be diverse and perverse. They may be family friendly or violent. They tell the story of abuse and drugs, of redemption and love. They are surreal and real; profane, litigious, adulterous, inspirational, or simply fun for fun’s sake. Often, they are a surprising mix , filled with unexpected twists that challenge the best and the rest of us.
Libraries with their vast collections allow us to explore each of these perspectives or only one. That is our choice to make.
September 24 through September 30 is Banned Books Week.
Celebrate your freedom to read whatever you want, whenever you want.
Meinders Has New Friends!
Stop by and meet Mo Willem’s Elephant, Piggy and Pigeon!
Their adventures are quirky, comical, and fun for readers of all ages.
Refreshing Reads at Meinders Library
Don’t give up on summer yet–or on voting #fullSTEAMahead.
- Down a Dark Road by Linda Castillo in print and on audio
- Lying Game by Ruth Ware
- Silent Corner by Dean Koontz
- Sulfur Springs by William Kent Krueger
- Wired by Julie Garwood in print and on audio
- 2 Nights by Kathy Reichs
- Beloved Hope by Tracie Peterson
- Late Show by Michael Connelly
- Look Behind You by Iris Johansen
- The Life She Was Given by Ellen Marie Wiseman
- Plus another 30 titles
Up for a good discussion? Early Bird Book Club meets at 8:30am on the third Tuesday of each month. Their September book is “Hillbilly Elegy” by J.D. Vance.
Up for supporting a good cause? Vote #fullSTEAMahead for $25,000 and help our library win a grant for more programming, more supplies and cool tools.
