Winter Story Times at the Library

Preschool Story Times (ages 3-5) will be at 10 a.m.,Wednesdays, beginning January 14 through April 1. LapSit Story Times (ages 0-2) will be at 10 a.m., Thursdays, beginning January 15 through April 2.

Little child, where are you?

The Cloquet Public Library is looking for a child who attended Sámi performer Asfrid Karlsen’s program on July 23, 2008, at the Library. A native of Norway, Karlsen spoke on her Sámi heritage as part of the Library’s summer reading program for children. During the presentation, Karlsen gave away small mementoes from her homeland to both children and adults in the audience.

Unfortunately, Karlsen was short one giveaway and one child did not receive a present. It’s been nearly half a year since the program, but Karlsen still thinks about that child who left her program without a prize. As a holiday gesture, she has sent a gift to the Library to be passed on to the child.

“Because we do not have a name for the child who did not receive a souvenir gift from Lapland,” says Library Director Mary Lukkarila, “we are hoping the child, a friend of the child’s, or the parents will see this article and contact us. It will make for a lovely holiday surprise for the child and bring joy to Asfrid’s holiday season by knowing her small friend finally received a gift from her.”

Anyone who may have information regarding the identity of this child can call the Library at 879-1531. Thank you for your help in providing this special holiday request from the Cloquet Public Library’s Sámi friend Asfrid Karlsen.

Help us celebrate our new look!

We are having an open house on Thursday, December 4 at 6:30 p.m. with music by Robi Meyerson and refreshments. Come and see our new circulation desk and shelving.

Family Fun at the Cloquet Public Library

The First Annual Gaming Day at the Library was enjoyed by several families who dropped by to play the new boardgame PICTUREKA! The library hosted the event in conjunction with the American Library Association's first annual Gaming Day @ Your Library. All interested families and individuals can drop by during library hours and play this game, along with other games. It's just for fun and free of charge at the Cloquet Public Library!

Garfield wins!

The ballots have been counted, and Garfield wins as the Cloquet Public Library's favorite storybook character. Second place went to Captain Underpants; third place, Batman; fourth place, Junie B. Jones; and fifth place, Scooby-Doo.

Complet election results are available at the Reference Desk.

New circulation desk

The library is closed on Monday, November 10 and Tuesday, November 11. We are building a new circulation desk to better serve our customers. Here is the first phase.

Play PICTUREKA! at the library

The American Library Association’s first annual National Gaming Day @ Your Library is Sat., Nov. 15. Joining the fun, the Cloquet Public Library will host a PICTUREKA! Tournament from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., on the 15th of November.

The event is free of charge and open to the public.

PICTUREKA! is a popular, easy-to-learn family game for ages 6-106. Each game takes just 30 minutes to play. The goal is to have the most number of people playing the game at the library on this day. For more information, call 879-1531.

Library will close for construction

The library will be closed on November 10 and 11 for the installation of the new circulation desk and shelving. We will not charge fines for the days we are closed. Reminder: the library is open on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Normal hours will resume on Wednesday, November 12. Please help us celebrate our new look at our open house on December 4 at 6:30 p.m.

Things that go Boo-mp in the Night

Extend your halloween spirit this year by attending the Cloquet Public Library's Fall Ghostival at 7 p.m., Thurs., Nov. 6.

Enjoy a fun-filled, reading-inspired program featuring the magic and illusions of Robert and Lynn Halbrook. The program is free of charge and open to the public.

"Things that go Boo-mp in the Night," a Bedtime Stories' event, is sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Cloquet.

Library hosts auction Saturday, Oct. 25

The Cloquet Public Library and Carlton County Historical Society are holding an auction on Saturday, October 25 at the Cloquet Public Library. Preview of items will be at 10 a.m. and auction begins at 11 a.m. Library tables, wooden chairs, shelving, and many other items will be auctioned. Proceeds will benefit the foundations of the two organizations.

Play and win during Teen Read Week

Area teens will be reading for the fun of it as the Cloquet Public Library celebrates the eleventh annual Teen Read Week(TM), October 12 – 18, 2008. They join thousands of other libraries, schools and bookstores across the country who are encouraging teens to celebrate this year’s theme, "Books with Bite @ your library®." Teen Read Week(TM) is the national adolescent literacy initiative of the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), the fastest-growing division of the American Library Association. This year’s theme encourages teens to read a wide variety of books and graphic novels, from animals to vampires to cooking, just "for the fun of it."

Teens only are eligible to play Teen Bingo at the Library then enter their names to win free books. Five chances to win. Drop by the library starting Mon., Oct. 13, for details.

Take our Picturing America tour

The Cloquet Public Library recently received an official award letter and 40 laminated reproductions of American artworks from Picturing America, an exciting new initiative of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Picturing America brings masterpieces of American art into classrooms and libraries nationwide.

The reproductions are now on display throughout the library. A Picturing America Scavenger Hunt brochure is available so families can take a tour of the collection as they track down details from the paintings. Later this fall a special program and reception will be held featuring the collection. Look for details in a future blog.

Vote for your favorite storybook character

Patrons at the Cloquet Public Library can vote today through November 6, 2008, for their favorite storybook characters. Everyone has a favorite character from a favorite book. Now's your chance to vote for your literary hero. Both young and old can vote. On election day ALL the results will be tabulated and posted at the Library.

And after you vote, remember to ask for an "I VOTED" sticker designed especially for the Library's election--available at the checkout desk. Get in the spirit of this presidential election year by voting in our election first! Then look over our new collection of books on US presidents and other intriguing US government and election books on the Children's New Book Shelf.

Fall Story Times

Preschool Story Times (ages 3-5) will be at 10 a.m. Wednesdays,
Sept. 17 through Dec. 3.

LapSit Story Times (ages 0-2) will be at 10 a.m., Thursdays,
Sept. 18 through Dec. 4.

Bedtime Stories (all ages) will be at 7 p.m., Oct. 2 through Nov. 20.

The public is welcome free of charge to all children’s programs
at the Cloquet Public Library. For more information, call 879-1531.

Bring your mommy to see our mummy!

The relationship between animals and humans in Ancient Egypt extended beyond death. Pets were buried in the tombs of their owners, and sacred animals were buried with the reverence due to gods, in their own sepulchers, leaving a legacy of millions of animal mummies.

Come see the library's very own cat mummy on display along with other intriguing items from Ancient Egypt, including pieces from actual mummy casings.

Bring your mommy to see our mummy then "unwind" with a good book at the Cloquet Public Library.

Cloquet Public Library Fall Book Sale

The Cloquet Friends of the Library will hold their fall book sale on Saturday, September 27 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Get in line early for some great books.

Ally's Mission: Help Darfur Now

Help Darfur Now is a non-profit organization founded by three high school students whose mission is to raise awareness of and funds for the victims of the genocide in Darfur, Sudan. Since its inception in 2005, HDN has grown to include more than 250 nationwide chapters involving thousands of students. Ally Dahl, a senior at Cloquet High School and an employee of the Cloquet Public Library, has become one of these students. She recently hosted a program at the library and showed the film, Darfur Now. Dahl plans to continue showing the film, increasing public knowledge and raising funds to help the refugees of Darfur. Cloquet Public Library is proud to have Ally Dahl on board, enthusiastically supporting her efforts to think globally and act locally. For more information on her project, contact Ally.

Have your cake and eat it too!

Elliana was the winner in the "Where's the Cake?" competition at the library. Her name was drawn among the many others who weekly had tracked down the cake in the library this summer. For her efforts, she received the make-believe cake (pictured here) as well as a 10-inch ice cream cake compliments of Cloquet Dairy Queen. Elliana was also one of the top readers in the library's reading challenge. Congratulations, girl!

Minnesota’s Most Haunted Locations

Join Chad Lewis, a paranormal researcher and author for Unexplained Research L.L.C, on Monday, August 25 at 7 p.m. as he takes us on a ghostly journey to some of the most haunted places in Minnesota. He covers the entire state of MN from Wandering Ghosts in the North Woods to the Haunted B&B in Wabasha. From phantom creatures prowling the woods to graveyard apparitions located in your own backyard, no place in MN is without its own haunting. Complete with photos, case history, eyewitness accounts, ghost lore, and directions, this unique presentation encourages you to visit these places for your own ghost story. Sponsored by the Friends of the Cloquet Public Library.

Darfur Now

Join us on Monday, August 11 at 7 p.m. Ally Dahl will be showing a recent film, “Darfur Now”, about the genocide in Darfur and the plight of refugees; followed by Q&A session.

Sparky ignites laughter at library

Sparky the Clown's prankish stunts and childlike demeanor captivated a crowd of more than 100 youngsters and their parents, capping off the library's summer program of fun and entertainment for children. Sparky invited audience members to share the stage, participating in feats of magic and comic sketches. At the close, he gave away personalized coloring pages and sold clown noses, magic wands, and other magical props.

Top Readers attend Pizza Party

Fifty-one children achieved top reader status, reading 100+ books and qualifying for an invitation to the Reader Recognition Party. Pizza Hut of Cloquet continued its generous tradition of catering the party. Afterward, kids played games and received free books for participating. It was a grand time for all, as you can see by these photos.

Carol Beckstrom makes story time magic

Local storyteller Carol Beckstrom performed for a group of children and adults. Drawing on the summer reading theme of Look What's Cookin' at the Library, Carol chose tales of vegetables, a fat hungry cat, chewing gum, and many more.

Sámi visitor teaches and learns

Sámi performer Asfrid Karlsen of Norway spoke with both adults and children on her culture at the Library. In these pictures she presents small gifts from her country to children and introduces her audience to the cloudberry, a popular Lapland berry. Karlsen also had the opportunity to visit Fond du Lac Reservation and meet Todd Defoe who showed her the reservation's Heritage and Tribal centers. Defoe, an artist, is pictured above with Karlsen. In the center of the picture is a one-of-a-kind art sculpture by Defoe, a violin made from pipestone. During the tour, Defoe and Karlsen exchanged insights and comparisons regarding the Sámi and Native American cultures.

Hunting for agates at the Cloquet Library

Carol Risdon and Terry Anderson of the Carlton County Rock and Mineral Club will host "Hunting for Agates" at 7 p.m., Tues., July 29, at the Cloquet Public Library. Carol and Terry will have some of their collections on display and give tips on how and where to find agates in the County.

The program is free of charge and open to the public.

Library hosts Cupcake Olympics

Library children competed in a fun-filled arena of flavorful feats including the Food Flight, Cookie Toss, and the Chocolate Kiss Opener. Out of 45 children, four winners emerged, earning free ice cream sundaes compliments of Gordy's Warming House in Cloquet.

All kids received chocolates and free reading posters featuring the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Minnesota Gophers. Posters are still available free of charge to the public. Pictured above are three of the top winners (L-R) Alyssa, Crystal, and Aubrey. Aubrey also received a special reader recognition honor for reading above and beyond the Summer Reading Challenge of 125+ books. In the second photo, children collect their prizes for the Reading Challenge. Many are also submitting their "Where's the Cake?" red card, having reached the qualifying limit of five. The drawing for the cake will take place on Aug. 1.

The burgers are better at the library

Kids got to have it their way at the library, creating a variety of paper burger options. The final result was a burger book--from sesame seed bun to everything in the middle. Adventurous children composed clever stories like, "The Runaway Tomato," from their inspiring compilations.

Sámi performer comes to library

Sámi performer Asfrid Karlsen of Norway will give a special performance at the Cloquet Public Library at 2 p.m. Wed., July 23, 2008. The program is free of charge and open to the public.

Karlsen is in the area to participate in FinnFest ’08 activities in Duluth. Experience the Sámi culture through music, storytelling and “joik,” the Sámi people’s traditional form of song.

The Sámi are an indigenous people of northern Europe inhabiting Sápmi, which today encompasses parts of northern Sweden, Norway, Finland and the Kola Peninsula of Russia. Their ancestral lands span across an area the size of Sweden in the Nordic countries. The Sami people are among the largest indigenous groups in Europe.

For more information, call 879-1531.

The Art of Ice Cream

Kids learned fun details about the history of ice cream then got to create their own ice cream favorites with scratch-art paper. The cherry on the top was an ice cream bar for everyone compliments of Schwann's. How great is that!

Author/illustrator entertains families

Deb Frasier gave an entertaining program at the library this week on creating picturebooks. She is the author of nearly a dozen, including, On the Day You Were Born, A Birthday Cake is No Ordinary Cake, and Miss Alaineus. Frasier's pictures are collages. "I am still putting bits of things together, just as I did as a young girl," says Frasier. "I usually write the text first, and then create the pictures. I carry a small journal with me everywhere I go, and it acts as my 'butterfly net,' helping me to capture ideas that fly through my brain." After her talk, Deb answered questions, visited with children, and sold some of her books.

The fun begins south of the border

Kids celebrated a Mexican birthday party as part of Look What's Cookin' at your Library programming. Children were challenged to build the highest cake with a stack of decorated boxes. The winner was Jordan (pictured above) whose cake stretched 266 cm. For his effort, Jordan received a gift certificate compliments of Mexico Lindo Restaurant in Cloquet. Other activities included pinata bashing, a Mexican Hat Dance, Mexican trivia, and birthday cake for everybody. Special thanks to Morgan, Angie, and Ally (pictured above) who volunteer their time to make these programs successful.