March 2025

LIBRARY NEWS

Introducing Kanopy

We’ve now added the streaming service Kanopy to our digital library! With a library card from Stillwater, Bayport, or Washington County libraries, you can access a wide selection of films, TV shows, documentaries, and educational content—available anytime, anywhere!

Each month, Kanopy users have access to 30 "tickets" that can be used to stream content. Most movies require between two and four tickets per title, while TV series typically require five tickets per season. The checkout period is 3 days for movies and 3-5 days for a TV series.

Kanopy is available exclusively to Washington County, Bayport, and Stillwater library cardholders. To use the service, users create an account with their email, name, and a password. Accounts are for library card holders 18 and older and must comply with Kanopy’s terms and conditions.

Getting started with Kanopy is easy.

• Computer: To stream videos on your computer, visit the Kanopy website.

• Phone: To stream on your phone or tablet, download the Kanopy app for iOS or Android devices.

• TV: To stream on your smart TV, use the Kanopy app on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire Stick, and more.

Once you select “Washington County Library – Minnesota,” log in with your library card number and PIN. Then, create a Kanopy account using your name, email, and password, allowing you to log in across multiple devices.

Streaming with Kanopy is another way your library card saves you money and enhances your life. Thanks to the generosity of our donors, we’re able to offer services like Kanopy that wouldn’t be possible without the strong support of our community.

GET CREATIVE ... WITH THESE BOOKS

“Every artist was first an amateur.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

March is National Craft Month. Try a new craft or start a project with our collection of books on arts and crafts of all types.  

UPCOMING EVENTS

COMMUNITY READ - APRIL 2025

Nothing to See Here

Get ready for April's Big Read! The NEA Big Read in the St. Croix Valley is a one book, one community program that brings together residents from throughout the St. Croix Valley around a common book. 

This year’s pick is Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson. This is the story of 28-year-old Lillian Breaker who accepts a job to look after ten-year-old twins who burst into flames when angry or upset. Everything Lillian knows about love, family, and empathy is upended.

“It’s a giddily lunatic premise, one that author Kevin Wilson grounds with humor and deadpan matter-of-factness…But what dazzles most are the warmly rendered dynamics of an ad hoc, dysfunctional family that desperately wants to work” (USA Today).

Wilson “distracts you with these weirdo characters and mesmerizing and funny sentences and then hits you in a way you didn’t see coming” (New York Times Book Review).

This “big-hearted” and “bizarre” novel (Chicago Review of Books) is a “funny and touching fable about love for kids, even the ones on fire” (Kirkus).

Borrow Nothing to See Here from the library or pick up a free copy at ArtReach, located directly across from the library's 4th Street entrance. 

NEA Big Read Events at Stillwater Public Library

March 17-23: Reveal the Art of Cover Design, an interactive traveling exhibit

April 22, May 8, May 22: Three-part book study of The Anxious Generation

April 25: Book Discussion of Nothing to See Here

April 29: Narrative Healing with The Loft Literary Center

Learn about other events centered around the themes in the book, including an evening with author Kevin Wilson.

 FROM OUR ARCHIVES

Minnesota Digital Library:

Contributor’s Choice 2025

Twenty years ago, Stillwater Public Library became one of the founding contributors to the Minnesota Digital Library (MDL) online collection of historical images. To celebrate this milestone, the library was invited to choose a favorite image for the MDL’s Contributor’s Choice exhibit. After reviewing nearly 4,000 images submitted from our St. Croix Collection, the library selected a photograph by Frederick Holcombe from 1901, depicting a lively street fair.

Holcombe's photograph offers a fascinating glimpse into Stillwater’s past, capturing the vibrancy of the event, which attracted thousands of attendees. The fair featured musical performances, street dances, trapeze artists, tent shows, animal exhibits, and more. One of the most exciting spectacles was a daily balloon ascension, during which a lady balloonist soared into the sky before parachuting back to the ground. On one ascension, the performer landed in the water unable to swim but was quickly rescued by nearby boats. The fair concluded with a grand masked carnival, a fancy-dress parade, and a lively confetti battle, inviting everyone to join in the festivities.

Holcombe’s photograph not only captures the lively crowd but also provides a fascinating glimpse into the fashion and daily life of the time. The men are dressed in suits, women in dresses, and everyone is sporting hats and gloves, providing a stark contrast to modern attire at similar events. Many of the buildings visible in the photograph remain standing today, although they have since been remodeled and repurposed. The photograph also highlights the electric power and streetcar lines that were introduced in Stillwater in the late 1880s.

The significance of this image extends beyond its historical value. In 2023, inspired by the photograph, Cory Buettner, owner of Leo’s Grill and Malt Shop, recreated the 1901 street fair during Main Street's construction closure, bringing the community together. The event’s success led to the continuation of the street fair in 2024, further highlighting how historical photos like Holcombe’s can inspire modern community-building and cultural preservation. Holcombe’s collection, now digitized and available through MDL, continues to preserve Stillwater’s rich history for future generations, helping the community stay connected to its past while shaping its future.