Pioneerland libraries will be closed on Monday, July 4, for Independence Day.

Teens, stop in to pick up a craft kit: a paracord bracelet with a built-in compass! While supplies last. One per person, for ages 12-18.

UPDATE: The Meeker County Dairy Princess event on June 17 has been cancelled.

Cosmos Public Library is offering a summer reading program called “Read Beyond the Beaten Path” for ages 3-18.  The program starts June 6 and will run until August 20.

Throughout the summer, the library will host a range of free activities for children and teens to encourage a love of reading.  Participants in the summer reading program can earn prizes for reaching their reading and activity goals.  Research has shown that reading over summer break prevents summer reading loss.

When kids sign up, they will get a book bag with some candy and a Read Beyond the Beaten Path game sheet.  Reading twenty minutes per day and doing other activities will help kids advance on the game sheet to earn prizes.  Kids can complete the game multiple times and keep earning prizes all summer.  A wide variety of fun prize choices will be available to choose from

Teens are also invited to participate in the summer reading program by tracking the hours they spend reading over the summer and earning prizes for reaching goals.

Kids can also sign up for the program beginning June 1 or stop into the library to sign up anytime all summer long.

Special events this summer begin  on July 7^th  with a program about owls. A presenter from the DNR will be in the park at 9 a.m. to teach about owls and give kids the opportunity to dissect an owl pellet.

On August 18^th, the DNR will return to the park with a program called Canoeing with the Cree, based on the classic book by Eric Sevareid. The presenter will talk about the Minnesota River portion of Sevareid’s trip in 1930 and about some of the people who have done the trip in the last 15 years, including the first two women. This program may appeal most to adults but is open to all ages.

Bring a chair or a blanket to sit on in the park. In the event of bad weather, these three programs will be held in the city hall community room.

Fun activities for kids of all ages will be available to pick up at the library throughout the summer. There will also be prize drawings in addition to the prizes earned from turning in reading logs. Bring the kids in for lots of fun and reading, and stop to take a picture in front of our “campsite.”

Library hours are Mondays 10-5, Tuesdays, 2-5, Thursdays 2-6, Fridays 2-5, and Saturdays 10-1.

To learn more about the library and the summer reading program, visit the library, call (320) 440-1012, visit the library’s website at www.cosmos.lib.mn.us, or follow the library’s Facebook page.

The Cosmos Library’s summer reading program begins June 6th!

Cosmos Library is not currently putting the curbside chair outside the back door, but curbside service will be available indefinitely. Call the library at the number on the sign, 320-440-1012, if you’d like your materials brought outside. Have your library card number ready.

Library staff can hand your bag of library materials to you on the sidewalk or bring it to your vehicle parked in the parking lot behind the library. Let us know where you’d like us to bring it when you call.

Curbside service may be useful if you have mobility issues or a sleeping child in the car, or because of illness.

by Beth Cronk, Meeker County Librarian

Here are some useful facts about the library in a Frequently Asked Questions format. I hope you learn a little something you didn’t know before!

How much does it cost to get a library card?
A library card is free! It’s part of the public services available to you as a resident of Minnesota. Once you have a library card, it’s also free to check out anything in the library collection, both ebooks and physical items. If you had a library card and it’s lost, there is a $3 charge for a replacement card.

How many books are in the Cosmos Public Library?
The Cosmos Library has about 10,000 books. It also has about 1,500 DVDs and about 400 CDs.

What if I want to check out something that the Cosmos Library doesn’t have?
You can request things from other libraries in the Pioneerland Library System, which has a collection of about 620,000 physical items. If Pioneerland doesn’t have something, you can often request it from another library in Minnesota, using the MNLINK catalog. You can search both the Pioneerland and MNLINK catalogs online and request things yourself, or library staff can help you and place those requests.

Does it cost money to order things from other libraries?
No, the service is free to you as part of the interlibrary loan network in place in Minnesota. Our state is outstanding at providing access to library materials! Cosmos Library gets two deliveries of those interlibrary loan materials each week.

How long can I keep a book?
Most books are loaned for four weeks. Some bestsellers are limited to just two weeks while they’re new; you’ll recognize these by the sticker on the spine that says “14 day loan.”

How long can I keep a DVD I’ve checked out?
DVDs are now loaned for two weeks.

Can I check out magazines?

Yes, magazines can be checked out for two weeks.

A book I checked out had a due date coming up soon, but now I found out that it’s not really due for a few more weeks. What happened?

Automatic renewals! This is a brand-new service our library system is offering. If no one has a hold on an item that you have checked out, and you haven’t renewed it before, the library’s computer system will automatically renew it for you once, three days before its due date. If you are signed up for email updates about your account, you’ll be notified by email when those renewals happen and when you have items that will be due soon.

I’m late returning a library item. How much will I be charged?

There is a charge of ten cents per day for late items, although there is a three-day grace period before those start being charged. Materials for children and teens no longer have late fees. If your item is a month overdue, you’ll get a bill for the replacement of that item. If that happens, once you return the item the charge will drop to a $3 late fee (or to $0 for materials from the kids’ section). If an item is damaged or lost, talk to library staff about how you can resolve that charge.

Can I use my library card in other libraries?

Yes, you can. Your Pioneerland library card will work in all libraries in the system. Our system stretches from Graceville to Glencoe and from Canby to Dassel. If you want to use a different library system in Minnesota, you can do that, too. Bring your card to them, and they will help you register as a reciprocal borrower in their system.

If you have more questions, stop in or call the library, and we’ll be happy to answer them.

by Beth Cronk, Meeker County Librarian

Many exciting new things are happening at the Cosmos Public Library these days. From fine-free youth materials to laptops to bring home, there’s a lot to check out!

As of early January, Pioneerland Library System has eliminated late fees on all juvenile and teen materials. This includes books, CDs, and DVDs with call numbers beginning with E, J, B, and YA. The new policy applies to library materials for children and teens, regardless of the age of the library cardholder. Youth materials that are a month late will continue to be billed for replacement, as will damaged materials. Have old fines on kids’ materials? Talk to a library staff member about clearing those.

Cosmos Library is now offering laptops for checkout. With a valid library card, anyone can check out a Chromebook for four weeks and take it home. Need internet with that? Mobile internet hotspots are now available to check out at Cosmos Library for four weeks; they provide wi-fi at home for computers, tablets, and smartphones. Signal strength varies in the area, so you’ll have to try the hotspots to see how well they work at your house. One laptop is still available for in-library use, as are desktop computers.

The adult winter reading program is underway at the Cosmos Library, running until March 15. Participants in Winter Reads 2022 get a book bag for signing up, while supplies last. After reading and rating three books, participants can choose a prize, and after three more they can choose an additional prize. Prizes this year include coffee mugs, travel tumblers, carabiner key chains, bag clips, lip balm, extra-large candy bars, and book lights. The program can be completed entirely via curbside pickup if desired.

Cosmos Library offers Take-Home Tuesday once a month. Each month a different craft kit for kids is available to pick up and complete at home. Watch the library’s website at cosmos.lib.mn.us or the Facebook page to see when each month’s craft is available.

The Star Tribune is now available to read in the library or to check out for three days. It comes by mail, so there is sometimes a slight delay in receiving it.

Pioneerland Library System has a new subscription to Tumble Books, a collection of animated, interactive, and read-along picture books for children. These fun, high-quality e-books can be accessed through the library’s website or through the Tumble Book Library app. Visit www.pioneerland.lib.mn.us and look for the tumbling book image on the left.

Cosmos Library is open Mondays 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Tuesdays 2-5 p.m., Thursdays 2-6 p.m., Fridays 2-5 p.m., and Saturdays 10 a.m.-1 p.m.