Happy holidays from us to you! May your festive season be filled with family, friends, food and fun. Also, books.
Friday, December 23: open 10-2
Yes, we will have storytime!
Saturday, December 24: closed
Monday, December 26: closed
Saturday, December 31: open
Monday, January 2: closed
In addition to checking out ebooks and eaudiobooks from SELCO and Rochester Public Library, you can now check out from Traverse des Sioux. If you need help setting up, give the library a call!
Declare your freedom from fines! Starting July 5th, we will no longer charge late fees for items from our library that are returned late. Existing late fees on items from our library will be wiped out.
We still expect you to return your items on their due date so that others may check them out. If you lose or damage materials, you will be charged. Items from other libraries may also still incur late fees.
FAQ
Q: Does this mean I can just keep my items as long as I want?
A: No. We still expect you to be responsible and return or renew your materials on time. Don’t deprive your friends and neighbors of the chance to check them out.
Q: Won’t removing late fees mean materials not being returned?
A: There is mounting evidence that libraries that go fine free don’t see a significant increase in items being returned late. In fact, some have seen more returns as people stop being afraid to come back to the library.
Q: I’ve always thought of my late fees as a donation to the library. Can I still donate?
A: Absolutely! We always accept donations that we use for cool things like the summer reading program.
Q: Will this mean the library will have to cut back on services?
A: No. Last year, late fees only accounted for less than 1% of our budget. Plus, we have already received a generous donation to cover the first year.
Q: Why did you decide to make this change?
A: There is a growing consensus that late fees have little efffect on timely returns and create an unnecessary burden, especially on lower income people. We want everyone to feel welcome to use the library, not scared of collecting fees.
Q: Will there still be other fees?
A: We will still charge for lost or damaged items, since we need to replace them. We will also continue to charge fees for printing, copying and faxing, since they help to offset some of the price of those services.
Our book sale was a big hit! We attracted lots of customers and raised over $800! Keep your eye on this space for improvements to our small family fun room as we spend those dollars.
Big thanks to our volunteers who helped make this possible! It was a great event and we couldn’t have done it without you.
It’s been a long time since we could say this, but the library is returning to our regular hours beginning Monday, May 3rd! Since you may have forgotten , here’s a reminder of what those are:
MONDAY 12-6
TUESDAY 12-8
WEDNESDAY 10-6
THURSDAY 12-6
FRIDAY 10-6
SATURDAY 10-2
SUNDAY CLOSED
Masks and social distancing requirements are still in effect. In-person programs are still suspended until further notice.
After a long hiatus, our meeting room will be reopening for meetings beginning Monday, March 29th! In accordance with current regulations, the limit will be 49 people (50% capacity). Masks and social distancing are required. Remember that keys must be picked up while the library is open, so check with the library regarding hours if you are unsure. Please call the library with any questions.
TEMPORARY Meeting Room Application
The story room remains closed until further notice.
The library will be reopening to the public on February 1st! We are looking forward to seeing your faces!
Restrictions will still apply:
For those of you still wanting it, we will add one hour before regular opening just for no-contact pickup. You can order no-contact pickup during open hours as well, but with people coming and going we can’t guarantee you won’t meet someone in the lobby.
_______________NO-CONTACT OPEN
MONDAY 12-1 1-6
TUESDAY 2-3 3-7
WEDNESDAY 12-1 1-5
THURSDAY 12-1 1-5
FRIDAY 12-1 1-6
SATURDAY NONE 10-2
We are saying goodbye to 2020, a tumultuous year to say the least, and welcome 2021. Let’s take a quick look back.
With the COVID-19 epidemic, we were closed for part of the year and did no-contact pickup for part of the year. Like many in the community, several members of the staff contracted the disease, but we all recovered. We greatly appreciate all of you who use the library; you have been great sports. Thanks for hanging in there with us!
We checked out 14,438 physical items in 2020, which is not bad, all things considered.
For comparison we checked out 21,576 in 2010. Final numbers for e-book checkouts are still pending, but are expected to be much, much higher than past years.
Our most checked out books were a little more diverse than in previous years, including a board book, easy readers, a juvenile non-fiction book, a chapter book, and even a grown-up mystery.
Before COVID hit we squeezed in a Harry Potter-themed escape room, which was conquered by kids and adults alike.
Shortly after that everything changed, and the rest of the year was all about connecting in different ways. Summer reading became a take-and-make affair. We put together packets each week for pre-readers, readers and teens/tweens. In the end, we distributed 650 over six weeks. The staff created videos to introduce the contents of each packet and demonstrate the crafts.
Our annual Halloween party also became a take-and-make affair. We gave out 100 or so packets with fun activities, coloring pages, toys and candy. Luckily, many of our friends showed up in costume to pick them up. We love to see those great costumes and big smiles!
The community also played along with our in-person and online favorite candy bracket. After 250 votes, we determined that Lonsdale’s favorite candy is Twix!
We embraced social media more than ever, producing virtual storytimes for kids and book chats for grownups. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, so you don’t miss anything.
Here’s hoping we get to see a lot more of you next year!
Hello, friends. We’re sorry that we had to close the library with no notice, but we had a COVID exposure and were required to quarantine.
We are reopening on Monday, November 30th for no-contact pickup only. That means that you will not be able to come into the library for the time being. However, you can return your materials in the book drop anytime. And don’t worry if you have accrued late fees; we will gladly waive them.
How does no-contact pickup work?
You can order materials online through our website or call the library and we will help you select items. When you’re ready to pick up, call the library and we will set up a time that works for you. We will check out your materials to you and leave them in the lobby at your appointment time.
We appreciate your patience and hope to speak to you soon.
Check out this video for more information on how no-contact pickup works.
In our ongoing quest to provide you the best service possible, we are adding another four hours per week to our COVID-19 limited hours. Beginning September 14th, the new hours will be:
We continue to encourage you to keep your visits short and minimize contact.