Pioneerland Library System has released the lists of the top checkouts of 2025:

Top adult fiction

• The quiet librarian / Allen Eskens.
• The women / Kristin Hannah.
• Battle mountain / C.J. Box.
• Lethal prey / John Sandford.
• Hidden nature / Nora Roberts.
• The tenant / Freida McFadden.
• My friends : a novel / Fredrik Backman ; translated by Neil Smith.
• The boyfriend / Freida McFadden.
• Apostle’s Cove : a novel / William Kent Krueger.
• Spirit crossing : a novel / William Kent Krueger.

Top adult nonfiction

• The let them theory : a life-changing tool that millions of people can’t stop talking about / Mel Robbins.
• The anxious generation : how the great rewiring of childhood is causing an epidemic of mental illness / Jonathan Haidt.
• Gunflint falling : blowdown in the Boundary Waters / Cary J. Griffith.
• The ultimate Minnesota cookie book : 100 best recipes from the star Tribune’s Holiday Cookie contest / Lee Svitak Dean.
• The small and the mighty : twelve unsung Americans who changed the course of history, from the founding to the civil rights movement / Sharon McMahon.
• Framed : astonishing true stories of wrongful convictions / John Grisham ; Jim McCloskey.
• House of Kahmanns : a memoir : a story about family love and shattered bonds, about finding each other in the aftermath
• The house of my mother : a daughter’s quest for freedom / Shari Franke.
• Melania / [Melania Trump].
• Everything is tuberculosis : the history and persistence of our deadliest infection / John Green.

Top young adult fiction

• Sunrise on the reaping / Suzanne Collins.
• Tokyo guru:re. English
• Bleach / [story and art by Tite Kubo ; English adaptation, Lance Caselman ; translation, Joe Yamazaki].
• One piece / story and art by Eiichiro Oda.
• Yu yu hakusho. English
• The ballad of songbirds and snakes / Suzanne Collins.
• The summer I turned pretty / Jenny Han.
• The seven deadly sins / Nakaba Suzuki ; [translator, Christine Dashiell ; lettering, James Dashiell].
• Tokyo guru:re. English
• A good girl’s guide to murder / Holly Jackson.
• Powerless / Lauren Roberts.
• Mockingjay / Suzanne Collins.
• Ouran High School host club / [story and art by] Bisco Hatori ; [English adaptation, Gary Leach ; translation, Kenichiro
• The inheritance games / Jennifer Lynn Barnes.
• One of us is lying / Karen M. McManus.
• Catching fire / Suzanne Collins.

Top picture books

• Will the Pigeon graduate? / words and pictures by Mo Willems.
• The pigeon has to go to school! / words and pictures by Mo Willems.
• The wild robot on the island / words and pictures by Peter Brown.
• The duckling gets a cookie!? / words and picture by Mo Willems.
• Creepy crayon! / Aaron Reynolds ; illustrated by Peter Brown.
• Creepy carrots! / words, Aaron Reynolds ; pictures, Peter Brown.
• Creepy pair of underwear! / words, Aaron Reynolds ; pictures, Peter Brown.
• Pete the cat screams for ice cream! / Kimberly & James Dean.
• Little Excavator / by Anna Dewdney.
• Bluey : daddy putdown.

Top juvenile fiction

• Dog Man. Big Jim begins / written and illustrated by Dav Pilkey as George Beard and Harold Hutchins.
• Dog Man. The scarlet shedder / written and illustrated by Dav Pilkey, as George Beard and Harold Hutchins.
• Dog man. Lord of the fleas / written and illustrated by Dav Pilkey, as George Beard and Harold Hutchins.
• Dog Man. For whom the ball rolls / written and illustrated by Dav Pilkey as George Beard and Harold Hutchins.
• Hot mess / by Jeff Kinney.
• Dog Man. Brawl of the wild / written and illustrated by Dav Pilkey as George Beard and Harold Hutchins.
• Dog Man. Twenty thousand fleas under the sea / written and illustrated by Dav Pilkey as George Beard and Harold Hutchins.
• Dog Man. A tale of two kitties / written and illustrated by Dav Pilkey, as George Beard and Harold Hutchins.
• Dog man. Grime and punishment / written and illustrated by Dav Pilkey as George Beard and Harold Hutchins.
• Baby-sitters Club. Vol. 17, Mallory and the trouble with twins / a graphic novel by Arley Nopra.

Top DVDs

• Wicked / Universal Pictures.
• Moana 2 / directed by David G. Derrick Jr., Jason Hand, Dana Ledoux Miller.
• Dog Man / Universal Pictures.
• The wild robot / DreamWorks Animation.
• Twisters / directed by Lee Isaac Chung.
• Despicable me 4 / Universal Pictures.
• Gladiator II / Paramount Pictures.
• Sonic the Hedgehog 3 / directed by Jeff Fowler.
• It ends with us / Columbia Pictures.
• A minecraft movie / director, screenwriter Jared Hess.

Pioneerland Library System protects your privacy according to state law and library system policy.

Per the library system’s Confidentiality of Patron Records policy:

The Library has the responsibility to protect each individual library user’s right to confidentiality and privacy relating to information sought or received and materials consulted, borrowed, or acquired.

All patron records are confidential. No library employee shall reveal the identity of a borrower to any requestor or make known in any manner any information contained in patron records.

The confidential information in these records includes, but is not limited to:

• Subjects researched
• Materials consulted
• Individual titles borrowed
• All information on the patron record
• The presence of a patron in library facilities or space

Check out a free state park pass at the Cosmos Public Library! These seven-day passes cover the vehicle entrance fee to any state park or recreation area in Minnesota, making it easy to spend time outdoors and see nature at any time of year. To check out a pass, visit the Cosmos Library and ask a staff member. If one is available in the library system, you’ll be issued a 7-day vehicle pass, no library card needed. Passes cannot be reserved in advance. A limited number of passes are available each week in Pioneerland Library System.

Your state park pass should be clearly displayed on your vehicle’s dashboard. If you would like to camp, you will need to make and pay for reservations separately. When you are done exploring with your pass, just recycle it!

State park passes are provided through the Minnesota State Parks Library Program, a collaboration between our library and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Learn more about the state parks library program at mndnr.gov/librarypass

Cosmos Library is seeking to hire a Library Assistant II or III for the 1st and 2nd Saturdays of each month, 9:45 a.m to 1:00 p.m. A high school diploma or equivalent is required. For the Library Assistant II level, 6 months of related experience is required (library, customer service, other detail-oriented or computer-based work), and responsibility for planning and leading library programs is not required. For the Library Assistant III level, 1 year of related experience is required, and this person will be responsible for planning and leading at least one library program.

JOB OPENING: LIBRARY ASSISTANT II or III
COSMOS PUBLIC LIBRARY

Job Description: Performs various circulation tasks. Shelves materials and fills interlibrary loan requests. Provides reference and research services to library patrons and assistance in locating and using library materials and services.  Opens and closes library. Depending on experience and hiring level, may plan, implement, and promote programs for all ages.

Qualifications:  Knowledge of library operations and procedures; ability to work effectively with the general public; ability to operate computers and printers; ability to follow written and oral instructions; ability to work independently; willingness to maintain flexibility in schedule.  Preferred: ability to plan, implement, and promote specialized events and programs; strong communication skills.

Education and experience required: Candidate must have a high school diploma or equivalency plus six months related experience; or a combination of education, experience and training necessary to perform the requirements of the job. One year of related experience is preferred.

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

Hours:  1^st and 2^nd Saturdays of each month, 9:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. Additional subbing as needed.

Pay rate: $13.34/hour for Library Assistant II level or $16.21/hour for Library Assistant III level, depending on qualifications

Application deadline: January 23, 2026

Applications available at the library or www.pioneerland.lib.mn.us . Drop off at the Cosmos or Litchfield Library or mail to:

Beth Cronk
Litchfield Public Library
P.O. Box 220
Litchfield, MN 55355

Questions: (320) 221-8253 or elizabeth.cronk@pioneerland.lib.mn.us

Crafters, bring your works in progress for some social time with other creative people! On the 4th Saturday of the month, January through May, drop in to the library between 10:30 am and 12:30 pm. No need to sign up or to stay the entire time. For adults and teens age 16+; teens age 13+ can attend with an adult. No messy crafts that may stain the carpet, please, such as paint. No craft of your own? The library has adult coloring sheets and felt bookmarks for you.

Dates:
January 24
February 28
March 28
April 25
May 23

January means the start of Winter Reads, the adult winter reading program for Pioneerland Library System. The program starts at the Cosmos Library on Friday, January 2, and ends Saturday, March 14.

You can sign up anytime until early March. When you sign up, you’ll get a book bag, while supplies last. You’ll also get a reading log to track and rate the books you read beginning the day you sign up. If you read 3 books by the time the program is done, you can choose a small prize. If you read 3 more, you can pick an additional prize. The program can be completed only once per year.

In the past we’ve limited participation to adults, but this year teens age thirteen and up are welcome to participate if they wish.

The prize choices include mugs, candy bars, book lights, notebooks, and can coolers, while supplies last.

You can read any books you choose: library books or your own, fiction or nonfiction, print or audiobook or ebook.

The Craft Circle program will continue once a month January through May on the 4^th Saturday of the month. The dates are January 24, February 28, March 28, April 25, and May 23. Drop in between 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. and bring your own craft to work on alongside other creative people. No messy crafts such as paint and dye, please, in order to protect the library’s carpet. No craft of your own? The library will provide coloring sheets and felt bookmarks to embroider. Open to adults and teens age 16 and up. No need to sign up.

Pokémon gaming will pause for the rest of the winter and will resume in the spring.

Looking for something new to check out? These new nonfiction books for adults are part of the Cosmos collection, although you may have to get on the waiting list for some of the most popular titles:

“Nobody’s Girl: A Memoir of Surviving Abuse and Fighting for Justice” by Virginia Roberts Giuffre
“The Pioneer Woman Cooks: The Essential Recipes: 120 Greatest Hits, New Twists, and Perfected Classics” by Ree Drummond
“Rick Steves Amsterdam & the Netherlands” by Rick Steves
“The Rough Guide to Greece”
“Separation of Church & Hate: A Sane Person’s Guide to Taking Back the Bible from Fundamentalists, Fascists, and Flock-Fleecing Frauds” by John Fugelsang

Pioneerland libraries will be closed on Thursday, January 1, for New Year’s Day, and on Monday, January 19, for Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

The library’s hours are Mondays 10-5, Tuesdays 2-5, Thursdays 2-6, Fridays 2-5, and Saturdays 10-1. Find us in city hall, at www.cosmos.lib.mn.us, or at 320-440-1012.

It’s the holiday season! Make the library part of your holiday fun this month with craft programs, button making, and good things to check out.

On Saturday, December 6, the Cosmos library is offering a class on stamped metal bracelets. In this free class, participants will learn how to create hand-stamped metal jewelry from instructor Jen Anfinson. All supplies are provided, but space is limited, so call the library at 320-440-1012 to sign up. Open to adults and teens age 15 and up. You could make a unique gift, or have a new bracelet to wear!

The monthly Craft Circle program will be held two weeks early, on Saturday, December 13. This bring-your-own craft program will be held from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the library. Please leave any messy crafts at home that may damage the library’s carpet. For adults and teens age 16 and up. No need to sign up. This could be a good opportunity to work on a gift while you’re out of the house!

During the week of December 8th to 13th, the button maker will be back. This time you can make some stocking stuffers for the people in your life, or just make something fun for yourself. Drop in any time during library hours that week to do this fun activity.

Pokémon Trading Card Game continues every Thursday this month, except for the 25^th when the library will be closed for Christmas. Kids ages 7 to 18 can drop in between 4:00 and 5:30 p.m. to play Pokémon, or learn how in an encouraging environment. The library has cards to play, and players can bring their own cards if they wish. Kids under age 8 must be accompanied by an adult or teen caregiver. Kids can attend every session or just the ones that work for your family’s schedule. No need to sign up. Free to attend.

Looking for something to put you in the holiday spirit? Look for these new Christmas books and movies at the Cosmos library:

Picture books:
“Santa Claws” by Bridget Heos
“Christmas Under Construction” by Frank Tupta
“Dasher and the Polar Bear” by Matt Tavares
“The 13^th Day of Christmas” by Adam Rex

Adult novels:
“Snow Kissed” by RaeAnne Thayne
“Sharp Force” by Patricia Cornwell

DVD:
“The Best Christmas Pageant Ever”

Cosmos Library is always closed on Wednesdays, so hours won’t change for Christmas Eve or New Year’s Eve this year. The library will be closed on Thursday, December 25, for Christmas, and on Thursday, January 1, for New Year’s Day.