Join us for some creative crafting. We provide a variety of fun and colorful supplies, and kids can create whatever they are inspired to make. Kids Kindergarten through 6th grade are welcome, along with siblings. Children under 8 need to have a parent/teen with them.  Free to attend, no need to sign up. We gather in the library’s meeting room.

The Minnesota State Arts Board is holding an art grant application workshop in the Litchfield Library meeting room on Saturday, February 1, 1:00-2:30 p.m.

Kids, come build with LEGOs at the library! Litchfield Library will hold LEGO Night on the 2nd Tuesday of the month from January through May, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the meeting room. For ages 4-14; children under age 8 should be accompanied by a teen or adult caregiver. No need to sign up. Free to attend. The library provides the LEGOs.

Minnesota Author Mindy Mejia is rescheduled for an event at the Litchfield Library! She will be speaking on Wednesday, February 19, at 6:30 p.m. Free to attend; no need to sign up.

Learn about Mindy’s novels at MindyMejia.com.

Are you interested in being of service to your community on behalf of the library? The Litchfield Library Board is in need of one new member.

The Litchfield Library Board is an advisory board to the city of Litchfield regarding the library building and grounds. Board members also serve on the board of the Litchfield Library Foundation, a 501(c)(3) that manages and invests donations and uses them to improve the library.

Meetings are held quarterly at 5:30 p.m. on the 4th Thursday of January, April, July, and October. Special meetings are occasionally held as needed, typically including one in the spring to inspect the building.

All members of the board must reside in Meeker County, and a majority of people on the board must reside in the city of Litchfield. Terms are 3 years.

To apply, visit city hall and ask for an application.

By Jennifer Barnes, Litchfield Children’s Librarian

I would like to introduce myself, Jennifer Barnes, as the new children’s librarian here at the Litchfield Public Library. I have been working in the Pioneerland Library System for twenty plus years, in addition to an elementary school library before taking this position. I am excited to be serving our local community in this new capacity.

 Ushering in the New Year means a return to regularly scheduled programming here at the public library. We have our January to May calendar prepared with plenty for the youth to participate in.

Story Times are a time for caregivers and children to enjoy themselves together. They are designed with a focus on early literacy skills. Our Baby/Toddler Story Times begin on January 8^th and run through April 30^th, 2025. These are held every Wednesday morning from 10:15-10:45 a.m. Miss Jennifer invites our youngest learners and their caregivers to participate in songs, stories, activities, and action rhymes. We gather in the children’s area for a fun half hour, no need to sign up. Caregivers should plan to stay with their children during the program.

 Preschool Story Times are held on Friday mornings from 10-11 a.m. Story times run January 10^th-May 2^nd. These are geared towards preschool age children; however, siblings are always welcome. Stories, dancing, activities, and crafts are highlighted during these story times. Caregiver participation is encouraged because it is beneficial for both children and their adults.

LEGO Nights are held on the second Tuesday of each month, January 14-May 13, from 6:30-7:30 pm. LEGO Night is a time for children to build and create with LEGOs as they choose. This program is for ages 4-14; those 7 and under will need to have an adult or teen with them.

Kids’ Craft Club is held on the third Tuesdays of each month, January 21-May 20, from 4-5 p.m. Designed for kids in kindergarten-sixth grade. We provide a variety of fun and colorful supplies, space, and opportunities for kids to get creative.

On the second and fifth Saturday of each month at 1:30 pm we have a Teen Program. These programs feature different activities curated specifically for teens/preteens ages 11-18. It is best to check our website/social media to know what is happening for a particular program. January’s Teen Program, on Saturday, Jan 11, will feature collaborative console gaming.

As always, there is lots to do at the Litchfield Public Library. Find more information on all that the library has to offer on our website, www.litchfield.lib.mn.us. Follow us on Facebook/Instagram for the latest happenings and interesting articles, in addition to seeing what is new here at the library.

I look forward to meeting you in person at the Litchfield Public Library!

Drop in for Litchfield Library’s Knitting Club on the 3rd Thursday of the month, January through May. The program is held in the meeting room from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. No formal instruction is provided; it’s a time for people of all ages to sit together while they knit or crochet, and to share ideas and get advice from an expert knitter on the library staff. No need to sign up.

Dates are January 16, February 20, March 20, April 17, and May 15.

Take a look at Pioneerland Library System’s top checkouts of 2024:

Top adult fiction

• The women / Kristin Hannah.
• The river we remember : a novel / William Kent Krueger.
• Three-inch teeth : a Joe Pickett novel / C. J. Box
• Toxic prey / John Sandford.
• Spirit crossing : a novel / William Kent Krueger.
• The housemaid / Freida McFadden.
• The teacher / Freida McFadden.
• A calamity of souls / David Baldacci.
• Mind games / Nora Roberts.
• The truth about the Devlins / Lisa Scottoline.

Top adult nonfiction

• Dear Jacob : a mother’s journey of hope / Patty Wetterling with Joy Baker.
• Hillbilly elegy : a memoir of a family and culture in crisis / J.D. Vance.
• The boys in the boat : nine Americans and their epic quest for gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics / Daniel James Brown.
• House of Kahmanns : a memoir : a story about family love and shattered bonds, about finding each other in the aftermath / P. G. Kahmann.
• Killers of the Flower Moon : the Osage murders and the birth of the FBI / David Grann.
• The demon of unrest / Erik Larson.
• Oath and honor : a memoir and a warning / Liz Cheney.
• Gunflint falling : blowdown in the Boundary Waters / Cary J. Griffith.
• The anxious generation : how the great rewiring of childhood is causing an epidemic of mental illness / Jonathan Haidt.
• Atomic habits : tiny changes, remarkable results : an easy & proven way to build good habits & break bad ones / James Clear.

Top young adult fiction

• One-Punch Man / story by One ; art by Yusuke Murata ; translation, John Werry.
• A court of thorns and roses / Sarah J. Maas.
• A good girl’s guide to murder / Holly Jackson.
• One piece / story and art by Eiichiro Oda.
• The seven deadly sins / Nakaba Suzuki ; [translator, Christine Dashiell ; lettering, James Dashiell].
• The ballad of songbirds and snakes / Suzanne Collins.
• Powerless / Lauren Roberts.
• One of us is lying / Karen M. McManus.
• If he had been with me / Laura Nowlin.
• Death note / story by Tsugumi Ōba ; art by Takeshi Obata ; translation & adaptation, Pookie Rolf.

Top easy fiction

• The Big Cheese / written by Jory John ; illustrated by Pete Oswald.
• The teeny-weeny unicorn / by Shawn Harris.
• Love from Bluey / text by Suzy Brumm.
• Bluey : daddy putdown.
• The pigeon has to go to school! / words and pictures by Mo Willems.
• Buffalo Fluffalo / written by Bess Kalb ; illustrated by Erin Kraan.
• If you give a dog a donut / written by Laura Numeroff ; illustrated by Felicia Bond.
• Creepy crayon! / Aaron Reynolds ; illustrated by Peter Brown.
• No cats in the library / Lauren Emmons.
• Penelope Rex and the problem with pets / Ryan T. Higgins.

Top juvenile fiction

• Dog Man. Vol. 12 : The scarlet shedder / written and illustrated by Dav Pilkey.
• Cat kid comic club. Vol. 5 : Influencers / words, illustrations, and artwork by Dav Pilkey .
• Dog Man. Twenty thousand fleas under the sea / written and illustrated by Dav Pilkey.
• Dog man. Mothering heights / written and illustrated by Dav Pilkey.
• Dog man. Lord of the fleas / written and illustrated by Dav Pilkey.
• Dog Man. Brawl of the wild / written and illustrated by Dav Pilkey.
• Dog man. Grime and punishment / written and illustrated by Dav Pilkey.
• Baby-sitters club. Vol. 15 : Claudia and the bad joke / a graphic novel by Arley Nopra.
• Baby-sitters Club. Vol. 7 : Boy-crazy Stacey / a graphic novel by Gale Galligan.