Hennepin County Library Offers 10 Children’s Day/Book Day Events

Library staff are partnering with several community organizations to host events centered on the 2013 national theme is 'Many Children, Many Cultures, Many Books.'

Hennepin County Library Offers 10 Children’s Day/Book Day Events

Library staff are partnering with several community organizations to host events centered on the 2013 national theme is “Many Children, Many Cultures, Many Books.”

  Editor’s Note: The following announcement comes from Hennepin County Library.   Families of all cultures are invited to 10 free Children’s Day/Book Day events beginning in April at Hennepin County libraries. Children’s Day/Book Day is an international celebration of books, reading and the importance of literacy for all children. Initially, Children’s Day/Book Day focused on Latino families. “Today, it is for families of all races and ethnicities,” said Gretchen Wronka of Hennepin County Library’s Multicultural Services section. “This aligns with the national initiative and founder Pat Mora’s philosophy and passion, that Children’s Day/Book Day is Mexico’s gift to all children.” This year, Library staff is collaborating with several …

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Hennepin County Libraries to Close for Easter

The system has 19 libraries that are usually open on Sundays.

  Editor’s Note: The following announcement comes from the Hennepin County Library.   Hennepin County libraries that are usually open on Sundays will be closed on Easter Sunday, March 31. Hennepin County operates 41 libraries in the city of Minneapolis and suburban Hennepin County. Nineteen of Hennepin’s 41 libraries are usually open on Sundays. Nationally recognized as one of the top libraries in the United States, Hennepin County Library serves 1.2 million residents in Hennepin County and offers approximately 5 million books, CDs, DVDs, newspapers, magazines and online resources — including data bases and downloadables, plus more than 1,900 public computers. For library hours, locations and phone numbers: http://www.hclib.org/pub/info/…

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Free Seasonal Activities at Hennepin County Libraries

Take part in free holiday events and activities at Hennepin County libraries from Nov. 15 to Dec. 27, 2012.

Editor’s note: Information provided by the Hennepin County Library.  The following winter/holiday-themed programs are scheduled at Hennepin County libraries. All programs are free, some require registration. For Hennepin County Library’s complete program and exhibit schedule Schiffelly Puppets: No Nose for Rudolph Golden Valley Library Saturday, Dec. 15, 11 a.m. For families. The famous reindeer has had his nose taken by Hank the Greedy Hog. Join Slurrpy the Snowman, Santa Claus and a host of other holiday characters as they try to get back Rudolph's nose. Sponsored by Friends of the Golden Valley Library. *** Schiffelly Puppets: No Nose for Rudolph Excelsior Library Saturday, Nov. 24, 10:30 a.m. For families. Preschool-grade 2. The famous…

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Perpich Art Exhibit on Display During Teen Read Month

October is Teen Read Month at Hennepin County Libraries. Find out how Perpich Center for Arts Education students will be involved.

Do you have some “steampunk” books on your coffee table? Chances are, if you have a teen in the house, you do. “’Steampunk’ is a fairly new genre that combines alternate history and low-tech machines that can do very high-tech things,” said Johannah Genett, Hennepin County Library program librarian. Teen Read Month, which begins Oct. 1 at Hennepin County libraries, is a time for teens and parents to learn about this and other recent teen reading trends, check out special activities, and make the most of their library’s teen resources. Every year, the American Library Association’s Young Adult Library Services Association celebrates Teen Read Week Oct. 14–20  “to encourage teens to take advantage of reading in all its forms — books, …

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Banned Books Week: What You Need to Know

Censorship is alive and well, as highlighted by Banned Books Week—and you might be surprised by who the most vocal challengers of books are.

The importance of the First Amendment and the concept of "intellectual freedom" might not always be readily apparent to most kids, but Banned Books Week is a great opportunity to make those lessons come alive for children—and adults. Banned Books Week is held annually during the last week of Sept. (Sept. 30-Oct. 6, 2012). The week is an occasion for libraries and bookstores across the U.S. to help folks realize just how real and ongoing a problem censorship is. The Hennepin County Library website has a section about challenged books. According to the website, "the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom faces many challenges to remove books from shelves. A challenge is defined as a formal, written complaint, filed with a library or school …

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Hennepin County Libraries Provide Back to School Help

In their fall catalog, Hennepin County Libraries offer programs, including free homework help, for children and teens.

The first day of school is fast approaching. For Breck School and Perpich Center for Arts Education students, the big day has already come and gone. But it's not too early to think about ways to help your child succeed. According to the Hennepin County Library's "Autumn at the Library" catalog, Homework Rescue, LearningExpress Library and the Homework Hub can all be valuable resources to students. Note: The following information was provided by Hennepin County Library: Homework Rescue is a daily, online tutoring service that runs from 1 to 11 p.m. and is for students between third and twelfth grade, and adult learners. Qualified tutors help with math, science, social science and writing. There’s a Skills Building section where students can…

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Last Chance: Free Museum Adventure Passes Through Hennepin County Library

The Hennepin County Library, which is part of Metropolitan Library Service Agency, will close the Museum Adventure Pass program Sept. 3, 2012.

For everyone who has spent time gazing at the Museum Adventure Pass kiosks at their local Hennepin County Library, but never followed through on their curiosity, now is your last chance. The program and the opportunity to visit area museums and other Twin Cities destinations for free goes through Sept. 3, 2012.  It is the sixth final year for the Museum Adventure Pass program, which has been a partnership between Metropolitan Library Service Agency (MELSA) and Macy's. During the past five years, the participating cultural organizations have donated 1.3 million worth of free admissions to library patrons in the metro area, according to a MELSA press release when the program started its final year in the fall of 2011. A program, MELSA said, …

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Unexpected Tragedies, Fireworks and Voter ID: Feedback Friday

The most thoughtful, moving, controversial or just plain funny comments from around the west metro between June 29 and July 5.

Each week, Patch users contribute numerous insights, opinions and observations. The following is a collection of the most thoughtful, moving, controversial or just plain funny comments that appeared on Patch sites in Edina, Golden Valley, Hopkins, Lake Minnetonka, Minnetonka,  Plymouth, Richfield, Shakopee, St. Louis Park and St. Michael. Click on the headline to read the full story and join in the conversation. (The comments below are not meant to reflect the opinions of Patch or its staff.) *** St. Michael Girl, 16, Collapses, Dies After Sunday Morning Run First-responders, including the Wright County Sheriff's Department, St. Michael Fire Department and Allina Ambulance, were called to a tragic scene Sunday morning along County Road 119…

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James Warden

6:17 pm on Friday, July 6, 2012

Kitzer has informed Patch that the comment reflected a genuine wish for greater access to creative writing classes. We regret the misinterpretation.   more ›

New Poetry From Prisoners Hits Shelves

The poems were the result of creative writing workshops led by the Hennepin County Library System.

Hennepin County inmates recently attended a series of three creative writing workshops led by the Hennepin County Library at the Hennepin County Adult Corrections Facility (ACF). The inmates' poems have been collected in a published collection called “Poems from the Inside.”  Ninety-five inmates signed up for the workshops led by creative writing instructor Steve Healey, according to a news release from the Hennepin County Library system. "Each workshop included an exercise designed to help the participants write poetry, such as using narrative or storytelling to write a poem, or repetition to emphasize ideas or images, or writing a poem to a specific person," according to the news release. Healey said, “Many of the men and women I’ve …

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