Spring book sale this April

The Friends of the Cloquet Public Library will host their annual Spring Book Sale from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sat., April 19, 2008. Everyone is welcome to come and browse through the ample selection of discarded library books as well as area donations of books, ranging in quality from used to next-to-new.

Proceeds from sales will go to children’s programming and new book acquisitions.

Join your friends at the Cloquet Public Library’s Spring Book Sale. For more information, call 879-1531.

Free kantele lessons for adults

Adults and teens can learn to play the kantele (Finnish lap harp) from musician/songwriter Barb Hanka at the Cloquet Public Library this spring. Hanka will conduct a four-session workshop, Tuesday afternoons, from 4:45 p.m. to 6:15 p.m., April 15 through May 6.

Lessons are free of charge and open to the public. Enrollment is limited, so pre-registration is a must. Learn to play songs, melodies, and chords on the 5-string Finnish kantele. You can bring your own kantele or borrow one from the instructor.

The last class, May 6, will include a special concert by the students playing the tunes they learned over the past three sessions. Hanka previously taught a kantele class for children at the library.

This wonderful opportunity to learn the basics of kantele playing is sponsored by the Cloquet Public Library. To register or to learn more about the lessons, call the Library at 879-1531.

Red (and blue) letter day at the library

The final phase of the carpet installation is now complete. The Children's Area reveals a clever arrangement of alphabet and number tiles. Now the movers and library staff step in, arranging the furniture and shelves before patrons can return. We are looking forward to opening our doors Monday morning!

I Spy a Colorful New Floor

The carpet tiles are truly brightening the library, thanks to Johnson Carpet One of Duluth. We can't wait for all of you to see the finished project, but that will take a few more days of hard work. Thank you so much for your patience. If you like what you've seen so far (and we certainly hope you do), you'll love the special touches we're saving for the Children's Area. We'll keep you posted!

Moving Mountains (of books) in Cloquet

The movers and carpet workers came early Monday morning starting the rigorous task of recarpeting the library. Slowly but surely, sections of shelves were raised and shifted to remove the old carpeting. The Bester Brothers made it look almost easy as they used specialized equipment to raise completely stacked bookshelves around the library. It's an exciting process to witness. Staff from the Duluth Public Library dropped by to inspect the project. Sometime this spring, Duluth is also planning a major carpet and renovation project. Hopefully they got some tips from us!

Cloquet Public Library closed Feb. 4 - 9

The library will need to close a week in order to have new carpeting installed. We are excited about the new carpeting and hope everyone gets a chance to come and see it when we re-open. No items will be due the week we are closed. We apologize for any inconveniences while we are closed. Our catalog will remain online and you may place holds and look up book and magazine information from your computer at home or other remote locations.

Celebrating the Trickster

The popular trickster character in folktales—from the Ojibwe’s Nanabozho to Africa’s Anansi—was explored through storytelling and mask-making at an after-school program that drew Community Ed staff and children from both Washington and Churchill elementary schools. The group heard tales of the clever prankster who is also a cultural hero around the world. Inspired by the stories, kids created their own tricksters by making masks, and some even took the time to compose a folktale for their tricksters.