Staff Blog

Summer Reading: Good for Your Health

Did you know that there are proven physical, mental, and emotional health benefits to having a reading routine as an adult? Reading regularly as an adult can reduce stress, improve sleep, prevent cognitive decline (such as memory loss), alleviate depressive symptoms, increase empathy, lower blood pressure, build immunity to mind control*, attract good luck*, and […]

Goodbye, Farewell…but Not Gone

I would like to dedicate this blog, if there is such a thing, to long-time library employee Greg Goetz, who recently passed away after working here for 41 years! The staff here have no doubts that he is up there somewhere telling jokes and listening to the Stones. He was a kind soul, and will […]

Mental Health Month – The Importance of Human Connection

May is Mental Health Month! Mental health is one of my favorite topics to explore. I went around and around on what I should share this month as there is so much I want to share. After recent events, I finally knew what I needed to talk about – human connection. Research widely shows that […]

Microhistories: A Short Introduction

I was recently searching our catalog for something that included the word ‘rain,’ and stumbled upon this book with that single-word title, which “tells the story of rain – elemental, mysterious, precious, and destructive.” Huh, well color me nerdily intrigued. Following my curiosity further, I noticed the book is included in several recommendation lists of […]

The Garden of Digital Music Delights

Spring has arrived! And in spite of the occasional frigid flurry, legions of green have renewed their tenacious attempts to reach the sun, while birds and bugs weave their consonant croons into warming winds. All this bustle stirs the soul to song! But where? Where to find a melody to match the burgeoning furor of […]

Image of a Nintendo Switch controller held in front of the game Zelda: Breath of the Wild' on a TV screen.

We Got Game(s)

The year is 1997. It’s Friday night, you’ve just finished your homework, and mom is ordering pizza for dinner. But first it’s time to take a trip to your local video store to rent some entertainment for the weekend! As a child this was always my favorite time of the week. The exciting prospect of […]

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

Finally, baseball season has arrived. As a boy growing up in Minnesota, I was 8 years old when the Twins moved to town. And I was thrilled! One of my fondest memory as a child was my first time at a major league game, and how the grass was greener, the hot dogs were better, […]

A white bowl is depicted containing borsch, a beet based soup that is reddish in color.

A Taste of Russia: Four Movies and a Cookbook (and a Little More)

It seems to me that Russia has always been a “hot topic” in the news, regardless of the year, or decade. The country has seen political turmoil, numerous cultural and scientific achievements, repression and freedom at different times, for different people, though it is no wonder, as Russia is by far the world’s largest country […]

Sleeping to the Beat of My Own Drummer

A figure sits by a campfire outside the entrance to a cave, huddled in layers of warm furs. The wind carries the chill of the glaciers that loom across the northern horizon as far as the eye can see. The sun is starting to sink toward the west, and the sentry’s eyelids are getting heavy. […]

Happy (Chippewa River State) Trails to You

With the temperatures getting warmer and the days getting longer I’m getting that itch to get out on my bike. We are fortunate to live in a city that has so many great bike trails to utilize whether it’s riding a bike or walking, running, or rollerblading. I personally find the Chippewa River State Trail […]