Linking Our Libraries

For our final episode on this topic, we admire the Jeffers Petroglyphs. It is home to about 5,000 sacred rock carvings, also called petroglyphs, made by the ancestors of today’s Native Americans. Celebrate this ancient site with a book about art.   In our show notes for this episode, we link each book to one of our state’s great independent bookstores: Drury Lane Bookstore in Grand Marais. It gives you a description, so you can get more information about the book to help you make a decision about your reading or recommendations.   Thanks for joining us for the last two seasons, as we journeyed across the state of Minnesota to see our historical sites. This is our final podcast of this series, and it has been so great to talk about books with you!  All of these episodes are available on our website: cmle.org. You can also download them on your favorite podcast app.   We have a series of past seasons where we talked about every county in Minnesota, and suggested books to go along with each of them.

Visit the Sibley Historic Site, home to the oldest structures still standing in Minnesota. From the center of the fur trade to the center of government, this site witnessed some of the key people and events at play in the tumultuous history of the early days of Minnesota statehood. Celebrate this history and read a book about buildings.   In our show notes for this episode, we link each book to one of our state’s great independent bookstores: Drury Lane Bookstore in Grand Marais. It gives you a description, so you can get more information about the book to help you make a decision about your reading or recommendations.

This hand-built house held Dr. W. W. Mayo’s first medical practice, witnessed events of the US-Dakota War of 1862, and eventually served as the family home for another giant of Minnesota history — the Cosgrove family of the Green Giant Company. Celebrate this history and read a book with a medical storyline. In our show notes for this episode, we link each book to a couple of our state’s great independent bookstores: Drury Lane Bookstore in Grand Marais. It gives you a description, so you can get more information about the book to help you make a decision about your reading or recommendations.  

Historic Forestville was once the center of a thriving rural community until it fell into decline after the railroad passed it by in 1868. The historic town includes a fully-stocked general store, farm and homestead with original artifacts. Celebrate this history by reading a book about a small town.   In our show notes for this episode, we link each book to a couple of our state’s great independent bookstores: Drury Lane Bookstore in Grand Marais. It gives you a description, so you can get more information about the book to help you make a decision about your reading or recommendations.

Experience the story of farming, food and agriculture — past and present! Explore the original 1860s working farm, and get an up close view of the animals and gardens. Celebrate this farm by reading a book about farming plants or animals. In our show notes for this episode, we link each book to a couple of our state’s great independent bookstores: Drury Lane Bookstore in Grand Marais. It gives you a description, so you can get more information about the book to help you make a decision about your reading or recommendations.

For thousands of years, the Dakota lived and worked at Traverse des Sioux, located on the lower Minnesota River. By the early 19th century, European American fur traders, missionaries, and adventurers were frequent visitors. Then in 1851, this site witnessed the signing of the Treaty of Traverse des Sioux between the US government and the Dakota. Read a book about rivers or river travel. In our show notes for this episode, we link each book to a couple of our state’s great independent bookstores: Drury Lane Bookstore in Grand Marais. It gives you a description, so you can get more information about the book to help you make a decision about your reading aor recommendations.

Step into the Harkin Store, once the social center of the community where townsfolk and farmers gathered to buy groceries, barter for supplies, and exchange news. Many of the store’s original goods remain on the shelves. Get in touch with this history and read a book about a store or selling things. In our show notes for this episode, we link each book to a couple of our state’s great independent bookstores: Zenith Bookstore in Duluth and Drury Lane Bookstore in Grand Marais. It gives you a description, so you can get more information about the book to help you make a decision about your reading or recommendations.

Behold 1000 watts of ship-stopping power! Experience the sights, the history, and the technology behind this signature Minnesota landmark anchored on the rocky coast of Lake Superior. We encourage you to celebrate this and read a book about being on a ship. In our show notes for this episode, we link each book to one of our state’s great independent bookstores: Drury Lane Books in Grand Marais, MN. It gives you a description, so you can get more information about the book to help you make a decision about your reading or recommendations.

“From police station to Civil War training grounds to site of a siege during the US-Dakota War, Fort Ridgely witnessed the tumultuous history of 1800s Minnesota.” We suggest that you read a book about Native Americans. In our show notes for this episode, we link each book to one of our state’s great independent bookstores: Drury Lane Books in Grand Marais, MN. It gives you a description, so you can get more information about the book to help you make a decision about your reading or recommendations.

“Through inspiring exhibits, thought-provoking programs, live performances, and action-packed discovery, the History Center feeds your curiosity about Minnesota’s stories, people, and places.” To celebrate this center, we suggest that you read a book set in a museum. In our show notes for this episode, we link each book to one of our state’s great independent bookstores: Zenith Books in Duluth, MN. It gives you a description, so you can get more information about the book to help you make a decision about your reading or recommendations.  

"We tell the wider history of Native Americans, French voyageurs, and British fur traders in the early 19th century on the Ginebig-ziibi (Snake River)." Celebrate this history and read a book with furry animals. In our show notes for this episode, we link each book to one of our state’s great independent bookstores: Drury Lane Bookstore in Grand Marais. It gives you a description, so you can get more information about the book to help you make a decision about your reading or recommendations.

“People have long relied on the forests for food, shelter, and building materials. Today we also include recreation and enjoying the beauty of forests in that description. The Forest History Center tells the story of this changing relationship with the land.” To celebrate this relationship, read a book about trees. In our show notes for this episode, we link each book to one of our state’s great independent bookstores: the Red Balloon in Minneapolis, MN. It gives you a description, so you can get more information about the book to help you make a decision about your reading or recommendations.

Minnehaha Depot, famous for its intricate “gingerbread” canopy, was an integral part of the first rail line out of Minneapolis. Known as the “Princess” by rail workers of the time, it served both local Minneapolis residents as well as visitors from “out east.” Read a book with a princess.   In our show notes for this episode, we link each book to one of our state’s great independent bookstores: Magers and Quinn in Minneapolis, MN. It gives you a description, so you can get more information about the book to help you make a decision about your reading or recommendations.   Find all of our information and links on our show notes page!

This week we remember the Birch Coulee historic site. This location was the site of one of the deadliest battles of the US-Dakota War, over 150 years ago. To commemorate this tragedy, we suggest that you read a book about a tragedy.   In our show notes for this episode, we link each book to one of our state’s great independent bookstores: Drury Lane Books in Grand Marais, MN. It gives you a description, so you can get more information about the book to help you make a decision about your reading or recommendations.   Check out our show notes page here, for all our links and information!  

We will share six book suggestions to meet that prompt, to get you started on reading new books. You can also take that prompt and find any other book to meet the challenge!   This week we admire the Alexander Ramsey House. Alexander Ramsey held many offices in Minnesota, and he helped to found the MN Historical Society. To celebrate this, we suggest that you read a historical fiction book.   In our show notes for this episode, we link each book to the local Red Balloon bookstore description, so you can get more information about the book to help you make a decision about your reading or recommendations!

Check out this week's show notes right here! This week, to wrap up the series, we are looking at a potpourri of different kinds of programs. As has been true all season, there probably isn’t anything too wild and radical here - just suggestions for things to try. Once you see that other people have tried some different kinds of programs, you may be more inspired to do the same! Your library needs programs - they can be a great way to fulfill your main mission: connecting your community with information, ideas, and entertainment.

This week we are feeling a little mushy from the effects of Valentine’s Day! Of course, we do not limit ourselves to some forced idea of romance - how dull. Instead we take the expansive definition of relationships and love and happiness! We love libraries and books so much; but other readers and library people are also pretty great. So this week, let’s look at some programs you may want to try in your library to build some relationships in the library. Check out our show notes page here, to get all the material we discussed today and links to everything.

This week we are discussing the tasty program of cooking in the library! This is another set of programs that you can easily do either in person or virtually. (It is, of course, best to make all of your programs available virtually; this week just lends itself to that pretty well.) Check out our show notes page here, with links to all the programs. We will insert a blanket disclaimer here that food sensitivities, allergies, and religious restrictions are important to people. So be sure you are sharing ingredients and preparation methods with people as freely as possible; and to the extent possible, offer some flexibility in the program to accommodate these issues.

Check out our show notes page here, with links to libraries and programs! This week we are looking at physical programs - those programs that make you get up and dance and move and do some fun things while in the library. Our usual programs involve people sitting still. Sure, those are fun too. But these programs do not speak out to everyone; and it’s important to host programs that other people will enjoy. Plus, getting up and zooming around the library, or outside, will always be fun! 

This week we are looking at Technology programs! You might incorporate some of these into the programs we talked about a couple of weeks ago, with crafting and making. There are a variety of different kinds of technology you might want to use or to create here; and your budget can be either pretty small or extravagantly large. These tend to be programs that need some advance planning, but can be really popular when they work out! Check out our show notes page here, with links to all the libraries and ideas we are sharing.