JOB OPENING: LIBRARY ASSISTANT I or II
LITCHFIELD PUBLIC LIBRARY

Job description: Provides clerical functions by performing various circulation responsibilities and tasks.  Provides circulation services to library patrons. Fills interlibrary loan requests. May provide reference and research services to patrons and assistance with utilizing library materials and services.

Knowledge, skills, & abilities needed:  Knowledge or ability to learn alphabetical and numerical classification systems. Skill in the use of computers and other technology used in the library.  Ability to work effectively with the general public.  Ability to maintain cooperative working relationships with coworkers.  Good communication skills.  Attention to detail and able to follow written and oral instructions.  Preferred: Knowledge of library operations and procedures, ability to work independently, and strong verbal and written communication skills.

Minimum qualifications: Requires some high school and an understanding of library organization and services. For Library Assistant II level: High school diploma or equivalency, plus six months of directly-related experience, or a combination of education, experience, and training necessary to perform the essential requirements of the work.

Physical Requirements:  Must be able to walk, stoop, crouch, reach, lift, feel, grasp, talk, hear and see.  Some light lifting and carrying may be required up to 25 pounds.

Hours:  Mondays 4-8 p.m. and the 1^st Saturday of the month 9:45 a.m.-5 p.m. Additional subbing as needed.

Starting pay: $11.64 per hour for Library Assistant I or $12.95 per hour for Library Assistant II

Official Pioneerland application must be turned in to be considered. These can be picked up at the library or found at https://www.pioneerland.lib.mn.us/files/2022/05/Job-Application-05_2022.pdf

Submit applications by August 2, 2024 to:

Beth Cronk
Litchfield Public Library
PO Box 220
Litchfield MN 55355

Questions: (320) 593-9447 or elizabeth.cronk@pioneerland.lib.mn.us

The Litchfield Library Board and the Litchfield Library staff had a great time handing out kids’ books at this year’s Watercade parade! Thank you to the Friends of the Litchfield Library for the funding for most of it, and to the Litchfield Library Foundation for contributing!

Drop by the library on Saturday, July 27, between 2:00 and 3:30 for a book signing with local author Karen Zoller. Karen will be in the meeting room with copies of her book for sale: The Winds of Change: Changing Through the Ages.

by Beth Cronk, Meeker County Librarian

The library is hopping now that summer has started. Families are looking for ways to keep the kids entertained, both at library programs and at home with stacks of books. Some school employees have more time to catch up on reading in the summer. Some community clubs and activities take a break in the summer months, giving their members more free time for a few months. Plus it’s easier to get to the library when we have so many hours of daylight and we’re not dealing with winter roads. We’ll see how the summer roads are once the local road construction projects get going.

So what’s new for adults at the library? There’s always something new, so I’ll highlight a handful of the latest additions to the fiction collection at the Litchfield Library to give you some ideas.

The Murder Wheel by Tom Mead is an old-fashioned locked-room mystery. In 1938 London, a man is shot and killed at the top of a Ferris wheel. His wife was the only other person in his carriage, and she insists that she’s innocent. As the wife’s lawyer investigates, he finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time during two other crimes that are impossible to explain. The lawyer turns to retired stage magician Joseph Spector for help in solving the illusions of the three cases. This is the second book in the Joseph Spector Locked-Room Mysteries series. Reviewers say that the clues are there for the reader to solve the case, but the novel is likely to outwit you.

City in Ruins is Don Winslow’s third and final book in the Danny Ryan series. This crime thriller is likely to appeal to fans of The Godfather, Scarface, and Goodfellas. Danny Ryan has risen from humble beginnings as a dock worker and low-level Irish mobster to respectability and immense wealth as a Las Vegas casino and hotel mogul. But when he tries to buy some prime real estate to build his dream resort, the FBI, Las Vegas business rivals, and old enemies go after him. Danny reluctantly becomes the kind of fighter he used to be, to save his son and his own life. Litchfield’s copy of this novel is in large print.

Lost Birds by Anne Hillerman is the 27^th book in the Leaphorn, Chee, & Manuelito mystery series. Joe Leaphorn retired long ago from the Navajo Tribal Police but still works as a private detective. He is hired to find the birth parents of a woman who believes she may be Diné (Navajo) although her adoptive parents are white. Leaphorn finds evidence of a questionable adoption and parents who are keeping secrets. Meanwhile, Leaphorn receives a call from someone he knew decades ago, a call that suddenly ends with the sound of an explosion. Anne Hillerman is continuing the series started by her father Tony Hillerman.

Embers in the London Sky by Sarah Sundin is Christian fiction, with a blend of historical fiction, mystery, and romance. Aleida, a young widow, flees to London from the Netherlands when Germany invades in 1940, and she is separated from her three-year-old son. She goes to work for an agency evacuating children to the countryside as she searches for him. In the midst of the Blitz, a series of unsolved murders also endangers Londoners, and BBC Radio correspondent Hugh Collingwood is affected by both perils. Aleida and Hugh grow close as they seek answers to their mysteries.

Chasing the Horizon by Mary Connealy is another Christian historical romance, and it’s also a Western. Beth Rutledge discovers that her tyrannical father plots to have her committed to an asylum, where he has already sent her mother. Beth rescues her mother, and the two set out on a wagon train to Idaho, posing as sisters. A wagon-train scout suspects that Beth is a wanted criminal until she tells him the truth. This is the first book in the planned Western Light series. Litchfield’s copy is in large print.

The Friends of the Litchfield Public Library will hold their quarterly meeting on Monday, June 17, at 4:00 p.m. in the library’s meeting room. New members are always welcome.

Litchfield Library’s Knitting Club will meet on the third Thursday of each month this summer. This month it will be on June 20. Adults and children are welcome to bring a knitting or crochet project to the meeting room between 12:30 and 1:30 p.m. The program is informal, with an opportunity to ask questions of an expert knitter from the library staff, or just share ideas and enthusiasm for fiber arts with others who share the hobby.

Pioneerland libraries will be closed on Wednesday, June 19, for the Juneteenth holiday. Hours will be normal the rest of the week.

Whether you come to the library for an event, or to stock up on your reading material, the library is the place to be this summer.

We are excited to announce the winners of the Litchfield Library Foundation bookmark contest! Out of the 75 entries, these got the highest number of votes by the foundation board members:

1st place: Eva Sohl

2nd place: Madelyn Beecroft

3rd place: Mesa Sohl

Eva’s design will be used for the 2024-25 Litchfield Library bookmark, which will be handed out at the Watercade parade.

All of the entries will soon be put on display at the Litchfield Library. Thank you to all of the students who submitted their designs!

by Rachel Clark, Litchfield Children’s Librarian

The school days are done, the sun is out, and it is time for the Summer Reading Program here at the library! The library offers tons of great presentations, activities, and challenges for any kid who wants to participate. This year’s theme of the Summer Reading Program is Read, Renew, Repeat! Maybe you have the same question that I had when I initially read this theme: what does that mean? If your mind went to the age-old saying “reduce, reuse, recycle,” you are not alone. This year’s theme is very much a reflection of that familiar phrase – just with a literary spin!

Who can participate? Any kid who wants a chance to earn some cool prizes! Any young reader (Pre-K through 18) can register, grab some reading challenges, and earn some Library Loot. Last summer, we started using a money system to help introduce kids to financial literacy. This year, we are bringing it back. Kids complete reading challenges, earn dollars of Library Loot, and then they can choose to spend their money on different kinds of prizes. A little independence at the library goes a long way!

Kid Craft Club is a new program we are doing every Tuesday from 4:00-5:00pm. Kids can bring their creativity to make something awesome. To further promote the idea of our theme, kids are encouraged to use upcycled materials, such as paper towel rolls, toilet paper rolls, paper scraps, and more.

We will continue host our monthly LEGO nights on the second Tuesday of each month from 6:30-7:30pm. Children and parents can come to the library’s meeting room to put together whatever imaginative creations you can invent.

We have awesome speakers and presentations coming in for our 10:00am Friday storytimes this summer too. Get out your planners to mark down all the fun opportunities at the library.

On June 14^th, CLIMB Theatre is coming to perform the play “Country Mouse & City Mouse: Adventures in the Suburbs.” The story starts with the mice cousins taking a new adventure to the suburbs. But while Country Mouse wants to explore, City Mouse wants to relax. The CLIMB group manages to incorporate the Read, Renew, Repeat theme into their production alongside demonstrating empathy skills for the young audience.

The library is very excited to welcome authors David LaRochelle and Mike Wohnoutka on June 21^st. While we can all appreciate the wonderful story that is Moo!, these two have come out with a much more recent book titled Go and Get With Rex that you can check out here at the library. They also have a new story coming out in September that they might talk about, so don’t miss this visit.

For a little local fame, join us on June 28^th for our Watercade Royalty. After reading some stories together and talking about their jobs as the royalty of the community, our crowned guests will join the kids in some creative crafts.

Join us this summer in our endeavors to read, renew, and repeat! We have so much more planned for the month of July, so stay tuned!

This summer, bring your knitting or crochet project to the Litchfield Library on the 3rd Thursday of the month and work on it alongside others from 1:30-2:30 p.m. in the meeting room. Get advice and inspiration from an expert knitter on the library staff or from others who share your interest in fiber arts.

For all ages. No need to sign up.

Note the change of week. Dates are:

June 20

July 18

August 15

Litchfield Library’s LEGO Nights will be held on the 2nd Tuesday of each month this summer from 6:30-7:30 p.m. in the library’s meeting room.