Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Sustainable Landscape Plan Underway

The completion of the Sustainable Landscape Plan is underway by the Wyoming Area Library Society using, in part, an awarded $10,000 grant through the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and the Legacy Funds. The landscaping is scheduled to be completed by the end of the summer.

Cody Eggers constructed four benches to beautify the front landscaping of the Wyoming Area Giese Memorial Library as his Eagle Scout badge project. Along with other members of Scout Troop 487 of St. Peter Catholic Church, Forest Lake, Eggers (pictured back row, farthest left), installed the benches last week. 

Vickie Sorn
Youth & Community Services Librarian

Monday, July 25, 2011

New Pine City Branch Librarian Named

“I’m so lucky to be entering a community that is so invested in its library, which cares about its success and its librarian,” says the new Pine City Branch Librarian, Sarah Biro.  She is overwhelmed by the warm welcome she has received and of course, working in the beautiful new library is wonderful.  Sarah received her Bachelor’s degree from the College of St. Benedict and recently completed her Masters of Library and Information Science from Drexel University.

Before coming to Pine City, she worked at several surrounding library systems and university libraries including the Anoka County Library, St. John’s University-Alcuin Library, Great River Regional Library and St. Cloud State University.  Sarah was able to gain a wealth of experience by working in several different library departments including reference, circulation, interlibrary loan and technical services.  It has given her a broad spectrum of library experience that will no doubt serve her well in her new position as Pine City Branch Librarian.

Sarah, as an avid reader, “grew up in public libraries; attending storytime, checking out books, participating in summer reading programs, and maxing out her checkout limit.”  She happened upon a part-time library aide position in high school and never looked back.  Her job titles and responsibilities have changed over the years, but her “love for libraries has only grown.”  One of her favorite quotes is from the book, The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown – “There is no problem a library card can’t solve.”  She feels lucky to have stumbled upon a career which she loves so early in life. 

Sarah is “excited to use the insight” she has gained from all her previous library experience and what she has learned as she finished her Master’s degree.  She hopes to “build on the library’s success, serving the needs of the Pine city library users and operating the library as efficiently as possible.”

Sarah will serve as Grand Marshal of the Pine County Parade on Saturday, August 6 along with retired Pine City branch librarian, Christy Koch.  Wave as she rides by or even better, stop by the Pine City Public Library and take a moment to welcome her.

Vickie Sorn
Youth & Community Services Librarian

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Weather calculators

We're having a really hot summer here in east central Minnesota. But I'll bet that those of us living here already knew that. It's been a year of extremes - just a couple months ago, we thought that summer had been canceled. Six months ago each snowfall broke a new record. Mostly, living in Minnesota, the weather gives us lots to talk about.

Here's a nifty tool from the National Weather Service to calculate heat index (and make you look real smart around the water cooler.)
http://www.hpc.ncep.noaa.gov/html/heatindex.shtml
Also, follow the link for "Heat Index Chart and Explanation." And to be prepared, there's a link to more calculators, where you can calculate the wind chill in just a few months. Uff da!

Barbara Misselt, Director