Stop by the library to pick up this month’s kit for Maker Space. Kids will love getting creative with these cut-and-color robot masks. Use ribbon, string, or elastic for an adjustable fit, or attach masks to wooden dowels for handheld photo props. The kits contain multiple sheets, so one kit may be enough for your family. Call the library at (320) 693-2483 if you’d like your kit delivered to the curbside table. They will be in the lobby this time.
by Beth Cronk
The Academy Awards happened with a delayed and COVID-adapted ceremony recently. It’s an understatement to say it has been an unusual year for movies. It’s also true that access to movies has had something of a shift in the past few years, as some are available only through streaming services and not on DVD, making them unavailable for library purchase. Some of the Oscar-winning and nominated movies are available now to borrow from the library, some will be soon, and others may never be.
Promising Young Woman is available in Pioneerland libraries now, including at Litchfield Library. The film won the Academy Award for best original screenplay, and it was nominated for best picture, best actress, best director, and best film editing. Described as a revenge movie mixed with dark comedy, the movie stars Carey Mulligan as a brilliant, grieving woman leading a double life.
Soul is the new Disney/Pixar movie directed by former Minnesotan Pete Docter. This children’s film appeals to all ages, with gorgeous animation and a storyline about finding your passion and the beauty in life. It won the awards for best animated feature film and best score., and it was nominated for best sound. “Soul” is currently available in many Pioneerland libraries, including Litchfield.
Judas and the Black Messiah is newly available on DVD at Litchfield Library and others in the system. Based on a true story, the movie tells the story of William O’Neal, who infiltrated a chapter of the Black Panther Party as part of a plea deal with the FBI in order to gather intelligence on Chairman Fred Hampton. Daniel Kaluuya won the best actor Oscar for his portrayal of Hampton. The movie’s song “Fight for You” by H.E.R. won the award for best song. The film was also nominated for best picture, best original screenplay, best cinematography, and best supporting actor, LaKeith Stanfield playing O’Neal.
The best international feature film honor went to Another Round, which is currently available through the libraries. This Danish tragicomedy stars Mads Mikkelsen as a high school teacher who begins an experiment with four other teachers: they decide to drink daily and maintain a constant blood alcohol level to see if it improves their lives. The movie’s director was nominated for an Oscar, as well.
The visual effects category at the Academy Awards is normally full of action, fantasy, and sci fi movies. This is usually the group of movies I’m most familiar with! On the NPR podcast “Pop Culture Happy Hour,” the hosts mentioned that this year there weren’t many of the big action blockbusters to fill that category, so they believed the winner, Tenet, was lucky to get such an honor. In any case, this Christopher Nolan sci-fi thriller about a man fighting for the survival of the world was also nominated for best production design. It’s available through the libraries now.
Minari will be available for checkout later this month. This drama about a Korean-American family starting a farm in 1980s Arkansas was nominated for best picture, best actor (Steven Yeun), best director, best original screenplay, and best score. Yuh-Jung Joun won the Oscar for best supporting actress for her performance as the family’s grandmother.
The family drama The Father will also be available in Pioneerland libraries in the second half of May. Anthony Hopkins won the best actor Oscar for his portrayal of a man with dementia, and the movie won the award for adapted screenplay.
Many of the nominated movies are also available through the library now or will be soon. Stop into the library to browse the DVD collection, search the online catalog from home, or give the library a call to request the movie you’d like to watch. You can pick them up through curbside, or you can walk in to check them out; the library doors are unlocked for drop-in visitors.
by Rachelle Golde, Litchfield Children’s Librarian
Hello! Hola! Did you know that the Litchfield Public Library has a wonderful collection of bilingual books in Spanish and English? The bilingual books in the children’s collections are getting a new look with an added spine label sticker. The purpose of the new bilingual spine label is to help patrons to easily find children’s books that are in both English and Spanish. Bilingual books are great for teaching and learning multiple languages or for children who are growing up with multiple languages in their homes. These books are also great for readers of only English or Spanish, as the books can be enjoyed by children in both languages.
Bilingual books are great to read aloud to your children, as well as, for independent reading. For children who do not know Spanish, reading bilingual books allows children the opportunity to see, compare, and relate the Spanish words with the English words. The Litchfield Library has several bilingual first words and beginner picture dictionaries; this type of book is wonderful for all readers who are learning a new language. These books show a picture along with the word for the picture in both languages. This can help readers gain vocabulary in both languages. For those who already know or are learning Spanish or English reading bilingual books helps the reader to focus on both languages within the text, as well as, helps them to gain vocabulary and comprehension of both languages. Bilingual children’s books are a great resource for teens and adults who are learning Spanish or English and want to practice reading. The shorter length of children’s books makes the task of reading in a language other than your own first language seem less daunting.
Bilingual books are also a great way to read stories about cultures, people, and places that are different from you and your own experiences. Reading diverse books inspire empathy and can help children to look at the world with multiple points of view. The Litchfield library has a variety of children’s fiction and nonfiction bilingual books. Some suggested titles that can be found in the Litchfield children’s collection include:
“Pio Peep! Traditional Spanish Nursery Rhymes” selected by Alma Flor Ada
“My First Spanish Word Book: mi primer libro de palabras: a bilingual word book” by Angela Wilkes
“Calor: A Story of Warmth for All Ages” by Junita Alba illustrated by Amado Peña
We also have a nonfiction children’s series that is trilingual. It features English, Spanish, and American Sign Language. Some titles in this series written by Kathleen Petelinsek include: “Family and Friends/ Familia y Amigos”, “Clothes/Ropa”, and “At Play/Jugando”.
Whether you are looking for books in Spanish, English and even American Sign Language the Litchfield Public Library has a unique collection of bilingual books for children of all ages. As always, the staff at the Litchfield library are happy to help if you need assistance locating a title.
Until next time, happy reading!
Litchfield Library’s small study room is available for one person or two people from one household to reserve for 1 hour per day. This can be used for a video call or phone call, a place to use a personal laptop, or a place to study. The room doesn’t have enough room to distance, so it cannot be reserved for meetings between people from different households. Masks are required at all times in the library.
Pioneerland Library System has online magazines available for your use through the Overdrive e-book service. Access them here: https://pioneerland.overdrive.com/library/magazines
The Litchfield Library has the following publications available for checkout (2 weeks for magazines, 3 days for newspapers):
American Patchwork & Quilting
Atlantic Monthly
Car and Driver
Consumer Reports
Country Living
Eating Well
Family Handyman
Food Network Magazine
Forbes
Health
HGTV Magazine
Horse Illustrated
House Beautiful
Looney Tunes comics
Martha Stewart Living
Men’s Health
Midwest Living
National Geographic
National Geographic Kids
Northern Gardener
People
People en Espanol
Popular Mechanics
Prevention
Readers Digest
Scientific American
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated Kids
Taste of Home
Time Magazine
St. Cloud Times
Pioneer Press
Star Tribune
West Central Tribune
Hutchinson Leader
Dassel-Cokato Enterprise Dispatch
Eden Valley Voice
Contact the library to request the issues you would like or pick them out at your Library Express appointment. All of these these publications can be checked out to you and delivered curbside.
Do you love the Litchfield Library and have some time to give back to it? The local library board is looking for a couple of new members. This group is an advisory board to the city of Litchfield on facilities matters for the library: building, grounds, maintenance, furnishings. They meet four times per year at 5:30 p.m. Since the pandemic began, meetings have been virtual and probably will be for a little longer. Most of the members need to live within the city limits of Litchfield, but some can be from elsewhere in Meeker County. If you’d like more information, contact County Librarian Beth at the library. If you’d like to apply, contact city hall.
