Stillwater Public Library Newsletter
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October 2021
Sunday Hours
 

 
The library now is open on Sundays from 1:00 PM until 5:00 PM. Drop in for a visit! Can't make it on Sunday? We are also open on Mondays - Thursdays from 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM and on Fridays and Saturdays from 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM. 
 
Fall Reading
 

 
Discover a new read for the fall. Check out our science and nature nonfiction picks. Would you like to see more titles? View full list.
 
The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race
by Walter Isaacson

A portrait of the Nobel Prize-winning scientist explores the impact of James Watson’s The Double Helix on her career and how her team’s invention of CRISPR technology enabled revolutionary DNA-editing approaches to fighting disease. 
Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants
by Robin Wall Kimmerer

"As a botanist, Robin Wall Kimmerer has been trained to ask questions of nature with the tools of science. As a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, she embraces the notion that plants and animals are our oldest teachers. In Braiding Sweetgrass, Kimmerer brings these two lenses of knowledge together to take us on "a journey that is every bit as mythic as it is scientific, as sacred as it is historical, as clever as it is wise.""
Great Adaptations: Star-nosed Moles, Electric Eels, and Other Tales of Evolution's Mysteries Solved
by Kenneth Catania

Looks at some of nature's most remarkable creatures, while shedding a light on the mysteries behind the behaviors of tentacled snakes, tiny shrews, zombie-making wasps, and more.
Beyond Books


 
Looking for more than a book? Check out our "library of things" - all available to borrow for free!
  • Telescopes: Explore the universe with a library telescope kit. Each kit contains an Orion StarBlast 4.5 reflector scope, EZ finder sight, celestial maps, and more. 
  • Nature Backpacks: Embark on an outdoor adventure with a Nature Backpack, complete with hands-on tools for kids to use in the field like true scientists. 
  • Laptops: Use a computer at home. The library lends Dell Latitude laptops with Windows 10.
  • Wi-Fi Hotspots: Borrow a wireless internet connection for your devices.
  • Book Club Kits: Start your own book discussion group with our instant book club kit. Just add readers! Each kit contains 10 copies of a title along with a discussion guide.
  • Memory Minder Kits: Spark memories and conversations with one of 39 unique kits available for those with Alzheimer's, dementia, or memory loss.
 
 Art Cart 
 
 
Visit our new space in the storytime room for families to spend time together coloring and creating. We'll provide monthly project suggestions and supplies; let your children provide the imagination. No registration is needed. Drop in and create during library hours.
 
From Our St. Croix Collection
 
 
In 1992, the Stillwater Commercial Historic District was listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The district encompasses most of the older portion of the downtown commercial area and includes 11 blocks, stretching from Nelson Street on the south to Commercial Street on the north along Main Street. The district contains more than 60 buildings and sites. Architecturally, the properties in the district represent several prominent styles, including Italianate, Queen Anne, Richardson, and Classical Revival, and reflect the economic underpinnings of the local economy.
 
As part of the historic designation process, the Stillwater Heritage Preservation Commission and the city’s planning department took photos of the downtown and surrounding areas. This year, the library worked with the Minnesota Digital Library to digitize nearly 200 of these photos dating from the late 1980 and early 1990s. Now available online, virtually wander through downtown Stillwater’s past via these vintage photos. Browse the full collection of the Minnesota Digital Library.
 

 
October Programs
 
Outdoor Storytimes
Wednesdays in Oct. | 10:30 AM
 Website Design Series
October & November
 
Take & Make: Rocket Ship
Oct. 5 (limited kits available)
Writer's Workshop
Oct. 2 | 10:30 AM
Take & Make: Paper Helicopter
Oct. 9 (limited kits available)
Connect Through Books
Oct. 4 | 7:00 PM (virtual)
Second Saturday Storytime
Oct. 9 | 10:30 AM
Stillwater Walking Tour
Oct. 9 | 10:00 AM
 
Art for Kids: Fall Leaves
Oct. 9 | 1:00 PM
 
Genealogy 101
Oct. 12 | 7:00 PM
Telescopes on Terrace
Oct. 12 | 7:00 PM (All Ages)
Movie "Fargo" Talk
Oct. 27 | 6:00 PM (virtual)
Take & Make: Horsing Around
Oct. 21 (limited kits available)
Friends Used Book Drive
Oct. 30 & Nov. 6 | 10:30 AM - 3:00 PM

In the Gallery: A Tale of Art & Music
 
Michael DeMeglio
Reception: October 5 | 5:30 - 7:30 PM
In the Gallery: October & November
 
Artist Michael DeMeglio invites us on a journey of exploration - "A picture, like the written word, tells a story. Just as the mind's eye fills in a picture when you read a book, my works ask the story to come to you as you view them. What do you hear? Who was there?"  
 
Experience DeMeglio's acclaimed Beethoven works and his storytelling pieces in the gallery. The exhibit opens on October 5, with an artist reception from 5:30 to 7:30 PM.

Connect With Us
 
 
Stillwater Public Library
224 Third St N | Stillwater, Minnesota 55082 | 651-275-4338
https://stillwaterlibrary.org/ | splinfo@ci.stillwater.mn.us
 
Connecting members of our community with the power of knowledge, the possibility of new ideas, and the opportunity to engage with one another