The Library will be OPEN on Monday July 3rd normal hours: 10am to 6pm.

Thanks to a partnership between the five Houston County public Libraries and a SELCO Legacy grant, 25 Little Free Libraries will be installed throughout Houston County this summer.

The Little Free Libraries will be decorated by local residents and artists in each of the five communities.  In our community, the libraries will be painted by each of our five schools; Crucifixion Grade School, La Crescent-Hokah Elementary School, Middle School, High School and the Montessori Academy.  The completed libraries will be placed in the parks with the help of the City of La Crescent maintenance department.  Each of the structures will be registered with the Little Free Library organization and appear on the national map.

Want to know more about the worldwide Little Free Library project?  Visit https://littlefreelibrary.org

The White House budget that was released today calls for eliminating the Institute of Museum & Library Services (IMLS), the only federal agency charged with providing support to the nation’s hundreds of thousands of libraries and museums.  Libraries need your help to ensure that IMLS is saved.

“Without libraries what have we? We have no past and no future.”

― Ray Bradbury

Here’s what you can do right now:

• Use the sample messages in this document to contact the offices of your members of Congress
• Share your photo or story via this form of how support from IMLS has enabled you and your library to help the teens in your community.  YALSA will use this information to advocate against the elimination of IMLS
• Sign up via this web page to receive updates on the #SaveIMLS effort
• Add your name to this online petition being circulated by EveryLibrary

Don’t know much about IMLS?  Here’s a quick overview: through IMLS, every state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. territories receive funding to support their state’s libraries and museums.  In FY14 the total funding IMLS distributed to states and territories was $154,800,000.  In addition, IMLS offers competitive grant opportunities that individual libraries and museums can apply for.  In FY14 they awarded 594 grants (from 1,299 applications) totaling more than $54,700,000.  Visit the IMLS site to see how much funding your state receives from them.

Halina Lewis will be speaking at the La Crescent public library on Thursday, March 16th at 7:00pm.

Halina Lewis was born in a German Displaced Persons camp in 1946 to parents who were survivors of the Holocaust.  “My parents are not here to share their stories of imprisonment, loss and eventaul freedom.  I can share with you their backgrounds before WWII and immigrating to the U.S.  The difficulties of fitting into a new world, new culture, and the lingering fears.”  Ms. Lewis states.

This event is free and open to the public.  Refreshments will be served.