Classics Book Club: Thursday, July 9th at 12pm, reading TheHouse on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
Maker Event—Tiny School of Art and Design, Mobile Comedy Suitcase & More: Tuesday, July 14th starting at 2pm
Summer Music Series—Annie Humphrey, Anishinaabe Singer & Songwriter: Tuesday, July 14th at 6pm
Early Bird Book Club: Thursday, July 16th at 8:30am, reading The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters
Maker Event—Printmaking INC, Nature Prints: Tuesday, July 28th from 2-5pm
Maker Event—Pedal to the Metal, Traveling Foundry: Wednesday July 29th from 1-4pm
Weekly Storytime: Tuesdays at 10am
Crafternoon: Wednesdays from 1:30-4pm
Thank you to the Pipestone Area Friends of the Library, United Way of Pipestone County, Prairielands Library Exchange, and Minnesota’s Arts and Cultural Heritage fund for supporting Summer Reading activities at Meinders Community Library!
Summer Reading Program: Sign up starting June 1st!
Joe Friedrichs, Minnesota Author: Wednesday, June 3rd at 6pm
Summer Reading Kickoff with the McFolke Brothers: Sunday, June 7th from 2-3:30pm, bring your lawn chairs and blankets for yard games, refreshments and music on the library’s patio and greenspace!
Classics Book Club: Thursday, June 11th at 12pm, reading The Pearl by John Steinbeck
Early Bird Book Club: Thursday, June 18th at 8:30am, reading Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann
Closed for Juneteenth: Friday, June 19th
Bingo for Books: Friday, June 26th at 2pm
Closed for the Water Tower Festival Parade and Activities: Saturday, June 27th
Thank you to everyone who participated in the Pipestone Area Friends of the Library’s inaugural Bars for Books Fundraiser! From our talented bakers to the enthusiastic bar-tasters to the many PAFL volunteers, we couldn’t have done it without you. Over sixty people came to sample seventeen different bars, bedazzle books and notebooks, enjoy some accordion music, and raise money for new books. Between bar entry fees, general donations, bar voting money, and new memberships, PAFL raised over $1,500!
First Place: Raspberry Almond Bars by Dorie Sendelbach with $94.25
Second Place: Val’s Almond Bars by Jeanette Larson with $60.21
Third Place: Chocolate Mint Bars by Bev Slinger with $53.23
PAFL’s Choice: Chocolate Highlander Cookie Bars by Samantha Davis, who got her recipe from Strawberry Shortcake Murder by Joanne Fluke
Closest to a Tie: Pecan Pie Bars by LaVonne Blom and Can’t Leave Alone Bars by Carrie Backer were only 2¢ apart!
Honorable Mention: Caramel Bars by Sharon Wolff, Dutch Letter Almond Bars by Nancy Koets, and Heavenly Bars by Janine Aaland were all within $5 of Third Place!
Bars for Books Winner Trivia Winner
We had two trivia questions for attendees to answer for a chance to win prizes. Congratulations to our winners Natalie Resch and Laurie Welu! Here are the answers:
How many books did PAFL buy for the library in 2025: 209
How much money did the Pipestone Community save in 2025 by checking out library materials instead of buying them: $541,644.58
We had so much fun with Bars for Books, thank you again to everyone involved! Now it’s time to start brainstorming and test-baking for next year…
To help celebrate National Library Week, Pipestone Area Friends of the Library is hosting a tasty event on Thursday April 23. Their first ever Bars for Books will run from 3pm to 6pm and will raise funds for new library materials across all ages and formats.
During the event, over a dozen local bakers will be putting their signature bars on the table and leaving it up to you to decide who bakes the best bars in Pipestone.
From Blueberry Lemon Blondies to Chocolate Highlander Cookie Bars, and tried and true brownies to newly created concoctions, everyone should find something to love.
All PAFL asks is that you put your money where your mouth is. Instead of talking about your #1 bar, use your dollars to upvote your favorite(s). Winners will be decided by the funds their bars bring in.
We’ve already heard a lot of strategizing by people planning to attend. One patron is planning to pay a dollar per bite-sized sample. She will then put a second dollar into her third place choice, a $5 bill into her second place bar, and $10 toward her favorite recipe. She told us she will spend roughly $25-$30 to help PAFL find Pipestone’s best baker.
As PAFL will use 100% of the proceeds for this fundraiser to purchase new library materials, this strategy could net the library a new adult hardcover novel, or a picture book and board book combo, or two middle grade novels and one young adult novel.
Another patron plans to give a free will offering of $20 straight to PAFL to taste the goods, followed by pocket change toward his favorite treats. Yet another claims they will jar watch–bumping the best baked goods with a few bucks here and there if the competition appears to be edging closer to a win. Whatever your method, you get to choose your own fundraising adventure while supporting a worthwhile organization and the literary needs of our entire community.
BONUS: Your vote(s) will also provide bragging rights to the top three bakers of the day!
It’s time to announce our Book Blizzard Bingo blackout drawing winners! Thank you to the Pipestone Area Friends of the Library providing $20 in Chamber Checks for two lucky winner:
Classics Book Club: Thursday, April 9th reading The Epic of Gilgamesh
Julie Klassen, Inspirational Historical Fiction Author: Friday, April 10th at 11am
Early Bird Book Club: Thursday, April 16th at 8:30am, reading Tough Luck by Sandra Dallas
Decorative Candle Workshop with Teri Bogstad: Sunday, April 19th at 2pm, registration required by calling the library at 507-825-6714 or with the form below, for ages 14+
National Library Week: April 19-25, Stay tuned for fun activities all week!
We just have a few days of Book Blizzard Bingo left to go! If you get a blackout, drop your bingo card off at the library by Tuesday, April 7th to be entered into the grand prize drawing. Today’s pick is N42, Vegetables Love Flowers by Lisa Mason Ziegler.
In case you missed any of the posts on Facebook, here are the rest of this week’s Book Blizzard Bingo selections and links to the library’s catalog for more information about the books.
Today’s Book Blizzard Bingo pick is B14, The Wedding People by Alison Espach. Stop by the library after your first bingo for a prize and keep playing to enter the blackout bingo drawing!
In case you missed any of the posts on Facebook, here are the rest of this week’s Book Blizzard Bingo selections and links to the library’s catalog for more information about the books.
In case you missed any of the posts on Facebook, here are the rest of this week’s Book Blizzard Bingo selections and links to the library’s catalog for more information about the books.
