Washington County Library

We had two special guests at today's storytime at Oakdale Library - firefighters Tom and Mike from the Oakdale MN Fire Department! After reading a book about fire trucks, Tim and Mike showed us how firefighters dress and the different equipment they have on their fire truck! 🚒

⚠️ Unfortunately, the book drop at Newport Library Express (located at the Newport Transit Station) is out of order for the immediate future. If you use this location, please return your library materials to a nearby library branch instead. Thank you for your understanding!

We had a great time at the Washington County Fair last weekend! In addition to many awesome conversations with folks who stopped by our booth, we invited people to share what they love about their library, which included everything from "taking books home" to "reading to the puppies!" Yay, libraries! 😀

We're excited to partner with the Metropolitan Mosquito Control District for a program all about Minnesota's mosquitos! Kids learned about mosquitos, how to tell the difference between them and other flying insects, and got to view live larvae under a microscope. After, everyone headed outside to dip for mosquito larvae. The grown-ups also got in on the action learning more about mosquito prevention and things they can do at home.

We'll be hosting this program at three other branches this month:

➡️ Thursday, Aug. 8 at 1 p.m. | Wildwood Library (Mahtomedi)
➡️ Wednesday, Aug. 21 at 10 a.m. | Hardwood Creek Library (Forest Lake)
➡️ Friday, Aug. 30 at 10:30 a.m. | Lake Elmo Library

Find all the details in our calendar: https://bit.ly/3Agr1dq

Have you ever requested a book through interlibrary loan (ILL)? If so, you’ve seen the work that’s done by Meg, WashCoLib’s ILL specialist!

With interlibrary loan, you can request copies of books and other materials that we don’t carry here in Washington County through a system called MNLINK. These requests are then filled by other libraries across the state.

Each month Meg processes around 1,600 items that come from other libraries for Washington County users. Washington County sends out around 800 ILL materials each month.

In her time working with ILL, Meg has seen items like original Books on Tape on cassette tapes, older formats like VHS or LPs, and historical items published in the 1930s or earlier.

“It’s cool to see a piece of history and think about how long it’s been in use for students and the public to gain knowledge from,” Meg said. “It’s also fun to see when someone is doing a project and requests a lot of ILL items on the same topic."

In addition to MNLINK, which connects to other Minnesota libraries, we also have access to materials from libraries across the United States.

“Most things are available enough that we can try to get them – don't be afraid to ask us, even if it seems really niche,” she said. “MNLINK isn’t just what’s in that catalog, there are other ways to look for materials across the United States. We’ve even gotten things from the Library of Congress!”

Meg started working on our Tech Services team in February 2020. While her primary responsibility is managing the books that come in and out of the library through ILL, she also has a role in other parts of building and improving our library collection.

“I love the idea of collections and making sure what we have is what our community wants, and what our community wants is what we have,” she said.

We're almost at the end of our Summer at Your Library programs, but that doesn't mean we're slowing down! It's a full week of events for kids and families:

🎵 Roe Family Singers - Wednesday, Aug. 7 at 6:30 p.m., Ojibway Park (Woodbury)
🐝 Minnesota Mosquitos - Thursday, Aug. 8 at 1 p.m., Wildwood Library (Mahtomedi)
🐇 STEM Lab: Animal Tracks - Thursday, Aug. 8 at 2 p.m., R.H. Stafford Library (Woodbury)
🐸 Frog and Toad - Saturday, Aug. 10 at 2 p.m., Park Grove Library (Cottage Grove)
⚙️ Engineering Day - Saturday, Aug. 10 at 11:30 a.m., Valley Library (Lakeland)

You can find all upcoming events in our calendar: https://bit.ly/2GYgyrI

There are many great reasons to do a scavenger hunt at the library, including this one!

When asked “What was your favorite part of this activity?” one Oakdale Library scavenger hunter replied, "I liked walking around the library with everyone looking at me thinking 'what is he doing?'" 😆

The rain couldn't stop us from hosting storytime at the Washington County Fair today! Olivia and Katelyn from Park Grove Library brought scarves, shakers, kazoos, original songs, and stories to excited fans at the fair. Library staff will be tabling at the fair on Friday and Saturday, so stop by Building A to say hello!

We have several upcoming crafts and gaming programs for tweens and teens. Registration is required for these programs, so visit our calendar to learn more: https://bit.ly/3Su9nZL

📿 Native American Beadwork - Tuesday, Aug. 6 at 3 p.m., Park Grove Library (Cottage Grove)
🍓 Needle Felted Pins - Tuesday, Aug. 6 at 3 p.m., Wildwood Library (Mahtomedi)
🍕 Sew a Pizza Pillow - Thursday, Aug. 8 at 4 p.m., Valley Library (Lakeland)
🕵️ Live Action CLUE Murder Mystery - Friday, Aug. 16 at 6 p.m., R.H. Stafford Library (Woodbury)

Curious about fashion sustainability? Learn about fast fashion, its potential long-term impacts, sustainable fashion, and actions you can take to make a difference this Saturday, Aug. 3 at 2 p.m. at R.H. Stafford Library in Woodbury. Nayomi, 16-year-old from Woodbury, will share what she's learned about fast fashion and facilitate a discussion about how to make changes in your own life.

"Fast fashion is unsustainable in every sense of the word. It exploits our environment, contributing significantly to climate change, and often involves minors working in hazardous conditions," Nayomi said. "I firmly believe that now, more than ever, it is crucial to raise awareness about these harsh realities and work towards creating a world that prioritizes the well-being of our planet and its inhabitants"

This event is open to everyone but is aimed at elementary through adult-aged individuals. Learn more in our calendar: https://bit.ly/4fnhFfX

This week librarians are getting out in the community for three storytimes at local parents and events. Plus, we have plenty happening in local branches too! Check out these upcoming events:

📚 Storytime at the Oakdale Discovery Center - Wednesday, July 31 at 10:30 a.m.
📚 Storytime at the Washington County Fair - Thursday, Aug. 1 at 11 and 11:45 a.m.
🎨 Art Lab: Printmaking - Thursday, Aug. 1 at 2 p.m., R.H. Stafford Library (Woodbury)
📚 Storytime at Ojibway Park - Friday, Aug. 2 at 10:30 a.m.
🐝 Minnesota Mosquitoes! - Friday, Aug. 2 at 1 p.m., Oakdale Library
🏙️ Now Make Art: Clay City - Saturday, Aug. 3 at 1 p.m., Hardwood Creek Library (Forest Lake)
🌎 Introduction to Fashion Sustainability and Individual Action - Saturday, Aug. 3 at 2 p.m., R.H. Stafford Library (Woodbury)

Visit our online calendar to learn more: https://bit.ly/2GYgyrI

UPDATE: The Internet is back! All branches with Sunday hours will be open and operating as normal today. Thank you for your patience!

ORIGINAL POST: All Washington County Library branches are experiencing an Internet outage. Public computers and printing are not available at this time. Public wi-fi is still available, and you can still return and check out materials. Thanks for understanding while we work to resolve this issue!

Wildwood Library community members helped brighten the sidewalk in front of the library during last week's "Chalk the Walk" program. These beautiful drawings and messages were a delight to see!

UPDATE: All Washington County Library branches are back up and running, with internet, phone service, and checkouts operating normally. Thank you for your patience while we resolved this problem!

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Hardwood Creek Library (Forest Lake), Wildwood Library (Mahtomedi), and Lake Elmo Library are currently experiencing a total network outage. There is no internet or phone service and these locations, and we cannot check out materials.

We are working to diagnose and address the problem, but we don't have an estimate on when these service will be restored. If you need any of those services, please visit another WashCoLib branch. Thank you for understanding!

Responses on our Summer at Your Library game cards are so much fun! This teen at Park Grove Library sounds like they've had quite a good summer so far.

What did you read? "I started 'The Last Musketeer' series and LOVED it!"

What creative activity did you do? "I built a water gun that can fire at yourself if you turn a k**b to prank people." 😆

Our Summer at Your Library programs for kids, teens, and adults continue through August 17, so there's still plenty of time to grab a game card and join us! Learn more on our website.

We can't wait to see what these clay Pokémon look like when they return from being fired and glazed! These projects were created by teens at Park Grove Library during a recent class. We're impressed with their work!

With the start of the 2024 Summer Games in Paris this week, explore the history of the Olympic Games, stories of amazing athletes, and more on our staff recommendations page! We have Olympics reading lists for kids, teens, and adults: https://bit.ly/49hy1Tn

This week we have snakes, music, clay communities, and more! Check out some of these exciting upcoming events for kids and families:

🐍 Snake Discovery - July 23 at 4 p.m., Valley Library (Lakeland)
🎶 Ticket to Brazil - July 24 at 6:30 p.m., Ojibway Park (Woodbury)
🏙️ Clay City - July 24 from 2 to 5 p.m., Wildwood Library (Mahtomedi)
💻 Algorithms and Codes - July 25 from 2 to 4 p.m., R.H. Stafford Library (Woodbury)
🎭 Martina the Cockroach and Perez the Mouse - July 26 at 10:30 a.m., Lake Elmo Library
💃 Latin Dance for Kids - July 26 at 2 p.m, Park Grove Library (Cottage Grove)

Visit our online calendar for even more events! https://bit.ly/3y4SXjy

Last Thursday, R.H. Stafford Library in Woodbury hosted an Aeronautics Extravaganza with Tartan High School science teacher Colin Kilbane! Visitors got to experiment with wind tubes, air rockets, and paper airplanes during this drop-in program.

R.H. Stafford Library is hosting drop-in events every Thursday from 2 to 4 p.m. through the end of our Summer at Your Library programs in August. Upcoming topics include algorithms and codes, printmaking, and animal tracks. Visit our calendar to learn more!

It's time for Wildwood Library's fourth annual Tiny Art Show! Stop by the library through July 30 to check out some of these amazing little pieces created by community members of all ages. You can even vote for your favorites!

It looks like the kids at Park Grove Library are learning a lot this summer! Here are just a few of the great responses we're getting on our Summer at Your Library game card:

"I learned that going to the library is so fun because the library is my happy place."
"About poisonous mushrooms."
"Breaking a leg is not fun."
"How to split wood with axe."
"How to make mac and cheese."
"I learned that tadpoles become frogs."
"We learned where the Spanish books are at your library."

You have plenty of time to participate in our summer learning programs. Stop by your local branch or visit our website to get a game card!

It's another busy week at the library! Here are just a few of this week's exciting events for kids and families:

📚 Storytime at the Park - July 16 at 10:30 a.m. at Woodridge Park (Cottage Grove)
🔷 Big Blue Blocks Drop-In - July 18 at Wildwood Library (Mahtomedi)
⚔️ Percy Jackson Party - July 18 at 2 p.m., R.H. Stafford Library (Woodbury)
🐑 From Sheep to Scarf: A Hands-On Fiber Experience - July 18 at 3 p.m., Valley Library (Lakeland)

Visit our online calendar for even more events! https://bit.ly/3y4SXjy

If you can't make it to storytime in person, we have a few cool virtual options to explore!

Our YouTube channel has playlists of storytime songs and rhymes organized by different age groups and children's librarians. We've just added a playlist of songs and rhymes from one of our newer children's librarians, Kirsten at Hardwood Creek Library! On the first Tuesday of every month, we post a new online storytime to our page. It's fun to see familiar faces in a new format!

We also have a cool online tool called BookFlix! Log in with your library card number and PIN to read and watch video storybooks and nonfiction books for young readers. This cool database also includes streaming video, games, and resources for parents.

UPDATE: R.H. Stafford Library is back open as of 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 10. We are still experiencing some issues, but the building is open. Thank you!

ORIGINAL POST: R.H. Stafford Library is currently closed due to an unexplained fire alarm. The fire department is on-site and investigating, but we don't have an estimate for when we will be allowed back in the building. Thanks for your patience!

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Summer reading never looked so good - there are so many great titles coming out this month! Many of these titles are highly-anticipated, so talk to your favorite librarian or visit our catalog to place a hold.

You can also use the catalog to see more new titles coming soon! In the left sidebar, you'll see links to lists of new items and items on order. Or, you can use the dropdown menu to see a slideshow of books, audiobooks, or DVDs.

Welcome back from a holiday week! Join us for airplanes, juggling, and live music at branches across Washington County:

✈️ Aeronautics Extravaganza - Thursday, July 11 at 2 p.m., R.H. Stafford Library (Woodbury) and Friday, July 12 at 2 p.m., Lake Elmo Library
⚾ Bill the Juggler - Friday, July 12 at 6:30 p.m., Lions Park in Hugo
🎶 Siama's Congo Roots - Saturday, July 13 at 2 p.m., Hardwood Creek Library (Forest Lake)
🎸 Ticket to Brasil - Saturday, July 13 at 3 p.m., Hardwood Creek Library (Forest Lake)

Visit our calendar for even more events! https://bit.ly/3DibzdD

All Washington County Library branches will be closed on Thursday, July 4 for Independence Day. Associate libraries in Stillwater and Bayport will also be closed. Library branches will be open normal hours over the weekend, so stop by to check out books or just hang out if you are in town!

Despite the grey skies, Storytime at Arbor Ridge Park in Woodbury is on! Join us at 10:30 a.m. to read, sing, and learn together. The ground is wet, so please bring a chair or tarp to sit on. See you there!