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| Explore the ShelfLife Summer Catalog |
So Much to Do—In One Easy Place! Summer at Stillwater Public Library is packed with possibilities—and we’ve gathered it all into one convenient spot: our online summer catalog. From author talks and summer concerts to movie nights and hands-on learning ... and even time on the library lawn with a llama, it’s your go-to guide for everything happening in June, July, and August. Browse ahead, plan your schedule, and register for events with just a click.
What’s Inside?
For Adults: Visits with authors Laurie Frankel (Enormous Wings), Kao Kalia Yang (Where Rivers Part
and The Late Homecomer), Julie Swenson (The Land of Everlasting Sky), and Dr. Paul Spilseth (Electronic Medical Records Pioneer); book clubs; one-on-one help; a Fix-It Clinic; and unique learning experiences—from the state of the St. Croix River and community pollinator monitoring to poetry and music appreciation.
For Kids & Families: Summer Wednesdays on the lawn, a pollinator-themed Discovery Room, T(w)een Craft Camps, a "Who Would Win?" battle, outdoor survival skills, and more.
Take a look, sign up for your favorites, and share the link with a friend.
P.S. Bookmark the catalog for easy access—and quick registration anytime!
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| Browse Catalog
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Buzz in for Summer Reading | Summer Reading programs for kids, teens, and adults begin on June 6! Get ready for a summer of reading and exploration with free books, fun prizes, and activities for all ages.
For Kids
This summer, kids are invited to dig into reading and discovery with Summer Garden Explorers at Stillwater and Bayport Public Libraries. Children can sign up at either library to receive a free book to keep, plus a Garden Guide and reading tracker featuring Owliver the Head Gardener and his team of owlie pollinators. Throughout the summer, readers can track their reading and complete fun activities inspired by gardens, pollinators, and outdoor exploration.
Kids who complete their reading tracker and return it to the library will be recognized as Gold Star Readers and receive a second free book to keep. Families can also participate online through Beanstack to log books and activities all summer long. Along with reading challenges, Stillwater Public Library offers weekly performances, hands-on programs, and a pollinator-themed Discovery Room full of imaginative play and discovery.
For Teens
Teens can join the summer reading fun, too! Sign up for Summer Explorers in the teen library or through Beanstack to choose a free book to keep. Teens can also submit book reviews for chances to win $50 gift cards to Candyland and Valley Bookseller, plus tickets to the Minnesota State Fair.
The library will also offer special programs for teens and tweens throughout the summer. Make a mini-beach terrarium, craft a dragon egg, try needle felting, or stop by Chess Club. See the summer catalog for more details.
For Adults Summer reading isn’t only for kids! Adults can participate by submitting short book reviews or ratings at the library or online through Beanstack between June 6 and August 8. Each entry will be included in weekly prize drawings for gift cards to local businesses.
Summer Explorers is made possible through the generous support of the Stillwater Public Library Foundation. To learn more or give, visit stillwaterlibraryfoundation.org.
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| Learn More
| | BOOK PICKS |
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Upcoming Summer Releases |
In the ShelfLife Summer Catalog, our librarians have curated a list of new titles expected to hit our shelves between June and August. From beach reads to inspiring biographies and can't-miss book club picks, there’s something for every reader.
Want to be among the first to read them? By placing a hold early, you’ll get a better spot in line—books are checked out in the order holds are placed. Just click on a book cover in the catalog to reserve a copy, or contact us at 651-275-4338 or visit the Information Desk.
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| Place a Hold on a Summer Release
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| Summer Concerts on the Terrace | Spend a summer evening enjoying live music on the library terrace overlooking the beautiful St. Croix River. This free outdoor concert series features performances from talented community ensembles. Concerts take place on Thursdays at 6:30 PM, with seating provided. No registration needed.
Special thanks to the Stillwater Public Library Foundation for sponsoring the library’s Summer Explorers reading programs and this special series of concerts on the terrace. Their generous support helps bring the community together through music, learning, and shared experiences all summer long.
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| Decoration Day (1907) | A photograph from 1907 in the John Runk Historic Photo Collection captures one of the largest Decoration Day celebrations in Stillwater’s history. Crowds gathered on the west lawn of the Washington County Courthouse, now known as the Historic Courthouse, for an event that reportedly drew more than 10,000 people.
The celebration included a 15-block parade, speeches, and 273 schoolgirls forming a “living flag” on the courthouse grounds. Schoolchildren traveled from across Washington County to take part in the observance, which honored military veterans through what was then called Decoration Day, now known as Memorial Day.
One detail in the background of the photograph continues to connect past and present. The home at 518 South Fourth Street, with its large front porch, still stands today just west of the courthouse. According to local historian Don Empson, the Italianate-style house, built around 1877, was first owned by Nicholas Hefti, a Stillwater builder and businessman. Over the years, the home was expanded and remodeled, including the addition of the distinctive front turret in the early 1900s.
The John Runk Historic Photo Collection can be viewed in the St. Croix Collection Room whenever the library is open. | |
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| The First Garden Was Hers Explore storytelling through a contemporary lens with the gallery exhibit “The First Garden Was Hers: Stories of Women Retold” by Surelle Strike, on display through June.
Strike, a painter and printmaker, explores the feminine experience by reimagining folklore, fairy tales, and myth through a modern lens. Her work weaves symbolic elements—plants, animals, needlework, and everyday objects—into narratives that reflect motherhood, loss, identity, spirituality, and personal growth. Rooted in storytelling traditions long carried by women, her pieces position their subjects as active storytellers, emphasizing complexity, resilience, and agency while inviting viewers to see their own experiences reflected in the work.
Strike works primarily in oil paint and also explores acrylic, gouache, watercolor, and block printing. She began painting seriously in 2018 and has since developed a practice centered on rich color and intuitive, narrative-driven imagery. She studied at Minneapolis College of Art and Design and Columbus College of Art and Design in Ohio. In addition to her studio work, Strike is active in community arts education, serving as an education director and teaching artist at a local community art center. She lives and works in Forest Lake, Minnesota.
The exhibit is open to the public during regular library hours.
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