Summer is almost here, and so is the summer reading program: Plant a Seed, Read! This year’s program is all about gardening, farming, and plants. The program begins Monday, June 1, and runs through Monday, August 31. Kids ages 3-18 can sign up any time June 1 or after all summer, so families can stop in to get started in June, July, or August — whenever it’s convenient.

The summer reading program is something kids do on their own time, working their way through the reading game sheets by reading or being read to, and doing other fun activities. The reading log for children looks like a board game. The teen reading log is a chart to simply record hours spent reading.

When they sign up, kids get book bag, a reading sheet, a bookmark, a tattoo, and a treat, and they can choose a free book to keep. Each time they turn in a completed reading sheet, they will earn “library loot,” pretend money that they can turn in for a choice of small prizes.

The goal of the summer reading program is to encourage kids to read all summer long, so that they keep up their reading skills and return to school in the fall ready to learn. Kids can do one reading sheet after another all summer until late August and keep earning prizes.

Fun activities are happening at the library in June:

Mondays all summer, beginning June 1, at 10:30 a.m.: Tiny Tykes Storytime. Bring the kids ages 0-5 for a short program with stories and songs. No need to sign up. No storytime June 29.

Mondays all summer, beginning June 1, 3:00-4:30 p.m.: Pokémon Trading Card Game. For kids age 7 and up. No need to sign up. No Pokémon June 29.

Thursday, June 4, 2:00 p.m.: Tote Bag Block Printing class. Open to all ages. Space is limited: sign up by calling the library at 320-440-1012 or by stopping at the front desk. This class will be taught by Meredith Semel.

Tuesday, June 9, 3:00 p.m.: Mosaic Seed Art Treasure Boxes class. Open to all ages. Space is limited: sign up by calling the library at 320-440-1012 or by stopping at the front desk. This class will be taught by Jen Anfinson.

Take-Home Tuesdays every Tuesday in June: Stop in to pick up a kids’ craft kit beginning on Tuesday, while supplies last. On 6/2 the project will be Garden Gang Scratch Art, 6/9 will be a beaded American flag pin, 6/16 will be a Father’s Day card, and 6/23 will be a patriotic Peanuts craft.

Thursday, June 11, 2:00 p.m.: CLIMB Theatre presents Once Upon a Beanstalk, a short, interactive play for children. No need to sign up.

Saturday, June 20, 10:30 a.m.: Saturday Storytime. Bring the kids to the library’s monthly storytime on the 3^rd Saturday of June, July, and August. We’ll have stories and an activity. In June, 4-H will present a special storytime. No need to sign up.

As always, children ages 7 and younger must be accompanied by an adult or teen caregiver who will stay with them. And as always, library programs are free.

The seed library continues to be available for all ages. You can take up to 4 mini packets of seeds per week. If you have seeds to donate, we will gladly take them.

Pioneerland libraries will be closed on Friday, June 19, for the Juneteenth holiday. Cosmos 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. You can also find us on Instagram and Facebook.

Pioneerland libraries will be closed on Monday, May 25, for Memorial Day. Libraries will be open regular hours on Saturday.

May is a month of gardening, Mother’s Day, and looking ahead to summer at the Cosmos Library.

The seed library is available all month for you to get a few free seeds for your garden. The library has a variety of vegetable and flower seeds to choose from. You can take several larger seeds or a pinch of small seeds of each variety you want, and you can take four mini envelopes of these per person each week. Whether you plant them in your yard or in a pot, you’re likely to find something you can grow. Open to all ages. Thank you to the Lake Elizabeth Green Thumb Garden Club and the Hope Blooms Flower Farm for their contributions to this community resource!

The Cosmos Library will have take-home crafts for Mother’s Day available starting Tuesday, May 5^th. One per child, while supplies last.

Pokémon Trading Card Game sessions continue every Thursday this month from 4:00 to 5:30. There’s no need to sign up, and it’s free! This program is for kids and teens ages 7 to 18. Children younger than age 8 must have an adult or teen caregiver with them, and parents and grandparents are always welcome to stay. New players are encouraged to attend and learn how to play the game. The library has all of the cards needed, but kids can bring their own cards if they wish. There are even some small prizes! Experienced and new players are invited to play in a friendly learning environment.

Craft Circle continues one more time for the spring on the fourth Saturday of the month: May 23, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Drop in with your craft project to have some social time while you work. No messy crafts such as paint and dye, please, in order to protect the library’s carpet. No craft of your own? The library has adult coloring sheets and colored pencils. Open to adults and teens age 16 and up. No need to sign up. Craft Circle will not be held this summer.

The summer reading program will start on Monday, June 1^st. This year’s theme is Plant a Seed, Read! Students in the ACGC district will hear about the program at school this month. June 1^st is the first day that kids ages 3-18 can sign up for the self-paced program, but they can stop in anytime after that, all summer, to sign up and get started. Kids can choose a free book to keep when they sign up. They’ll also get a reading log they will use to track reading time and other activities, so they can earn “library loot” they can turn in for small prizes. The program will run until August 31.

Looking for an interesting new book to check out at the Cosmos Library? Maybe one of these will fit your interests or needs:

“99 Ways to Die: And How to Avoid Them” by Ashely Alker

“Awakening the Spirit of America: FDR’s War of Words with Charles Lindbergh – and the Battle to Save Democracy” by Paul M. Sparrow

“Building a Parenting Agreement that Works: Child Custody Agreements Step by Step” by Mimi Lee

“Cracking the Nazi Code: The Untold Story of Agent A12 and the Solving of the Holocaust Code” by Jason Bell

“The Employer’s Legal Handbook: How to Manage Your Employees & Workplace” by Aaron Hotfelder

“Fodor’s New England” by Diane Bair

“A History of the United States” by Philip Jenkins

Pioneerland libraries will be closed on Monday, May 25, for Memorial Day. Cosmos 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. You can also find us on Instagram and Facebook.

Cosmos Library News for April 2026

Spring is here! As you get out of the house more, stop at the library for some social time, some seeds or, as always, some books or DVDs.

Pokémon Trading Card Game time has started again for the spring. Stop at the library to play Pokémon on Thursdays from 4:00 to 5:30 until the end of May. There’s no need to sign up, and it’s free! This program is for kids and teens ages 7 to 18. Children younger than age 8 must have an adult or teen caregiver with them, and parents and grandparents are always welcome to stay. New players are encouraged to attend and learn how to use Pokémon cards to play the game. The library has all of the cards needed, but kids can bring their own cards if they wish. This spring there will be some small prizes! Experienced and new players are invited to play in a friendly learning environment.

Need tax forms? The library has the basic federal 1040 and 1040-SR forms and instructions plus schedule 1-A in print available to pick up. If you need state forms or instructions or different federal forms printed, you can do that with the library computers, or library staff can print them for you, if you know what you need. Staff cannot give any tax advice. Forms printed from the library’s computers cost ten cents per page if they’re in black and white.

The seed library is available again! This is a good time of year to start seeds indoors for plants that have growing seasons that are too long for a Minnesota summer. No library card is needed, and this free resource is open to all ages. You may take four small envelopes of seeds per week. These aren’t full size seed packets, just enough to try growing something new.

Craft Circle continues on the fourth Saturday of the month: April 25, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Drop in with your craft project to have some social time while you work. No messy crafts such as paint and dye, please, in order to protect the library’s carpet. No craft of your own? The library has adult coloring sheets and colored pencils. Open to adults and teens age 16 and up. No need to sign up.

April’s Take-Home Tuesday craft for kids will be a spring bookmark kit. It will be available starting on April 14^th, while supplies last. One per child, please. As always, these are free.

Cosmos Public Library now has an Instagram account! Follow it to get updates on library activities.

National Library Week will be April 19th to 25th this year. The theme is “Find Your Joy.” Perhaps you can find some joy in new novels at the library, including these:

“Evelyn in Transit” by David Guterson

“A Gift Before Dying” by Malcolm Kempt

“The Heir of Whitestone” by Catherine Coulter

“Save Me, Stranger” by Erika Krouse.

Cosmos 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.

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