New Ulm Public Library News & Notes

View this email in your browser

Library Updates

Did you know that New Ulm Public Library patrons have access to over 13,000 eBooks and audiobooks with the Libby app from Overdrive? From bestsellers to nonfiction to children's titles, you always have something to read when you're on the go!

Libby is easy to use, does not require an Adobe ID, has a powerful search function with customizable settings, and has simplified download features.

Libby users have the option to change their checkout period to 7, 14, or 21 days and can check out up to 5 eBooks or audiobooks at one time. Since items return automatically at the end of the check out period, you'll never have to worry about overdue fees. You can even return items early if you read quickly. You can also have up to 5 items on your Libby hold list at one time.

Need help getting started? Check out this getting started guide, or call the library at 507-359-8331. We can set up a 15-20 minute appointment for you to meet with a library staff member for help with Libby. Don't forget to bring your phone, tablet, laptop, or other device with you!

New Ulm Public Library has life jackets available for check out in infant, youth, and adult sizes! Life jackets may be checked out for one week, with a limit of six per family/household.

The library will open at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, August 18 to allow staff to attend training in the morning.

Ancestry has extended remote access for library patrons. This means you can access the library's Ancestry database from home through December 31, 2021!

Access Ancestry by visiting our online catalog. Log in with your library card number and password, and choose Ancestry from the options at the top of the page. Don't know your password? Call the library at 507-359-8331 and we can help you reset it.

All Ages Programs

Join library staff as we present Don't Forget to Read the Instructions in partnership with NUCAT and Red Dragon Gaming. In each episode you'll learn about a tabletop game and enjoy watching library staff as they figure out how to play it. Episodes 1-10 are available now on our YouTube channel. These board games are also available for check out at the library!

Children's Programs

The children's summer reading program, Tales and Tails, runs Monday, June 14 through Monday, August 16.

We're getting close to reaching our goal of 30,000 checkouts by August 16. Stop by or set up a contactless pickup (call 507-359-8331) and help us reach our goal!

Visit our website for more details on how to get involved in our Summer Reading Program.

Storytime news. The final summer storytime will be on Tuesday, July 27. Break will last throughout August. Stay tuned for future updates about storytime's return. See you again soon!

Storytime will resume after Labor Day. For more information on storytimes and other upcoming library events, visit our online event calendar or call 507-359-8331.

Adult Programs

Are you ready to explore The Grand Library? Do you have an itch in your imagination or an ache for adventure? Then come join one of two groups on the epic search for Books Wanted! One group will be meeting in person weekly on Monday afternoons at 3 p.m. at Red Dragon Gaming (204 N. Minnesota St.). The other group will be meeting online according to player schedules and will use the Discord and Roll20 applications. Never played Pathfinder before? No problem! Our experienced Game Master will be happy to walk you through the game learning process so you can enjoy the roleplaying experience. This first campaign is limited to 6 people per group so be sure to sign up early to help set a schedule that works well for everyone playing. If there is enough interest we can create more groups or run campaigns using other games too! Visit our online event calendar for more information and to register.

Come join other needle-craft workers for time to work on your own project and to socialize! The group, which meets from 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. on the first and third Wednesdays of the month, is open to anyone ages 16 and up. This is not a class, so bring your own materials. All types of needlework are welcome. We are very excited to be meeting again, but please remember to wear a mask and social distance. We hope to see you there!

Are you looking for a fun way to interact with family and friends? Do you like to try new things? Come to the New Ulm Public Library’s new Tabletop Gaming Group! The group will meet every other week during the summer on Thursday starting at 4:00 PM until 6:00 PM in the library’s basement meeting room. At each meeting, a local tabletop gaming expert will introduce a new game and walk the group through a round of gameplay. There will be plenty of table space to try an assortment of additional games available to enjoy as well. Open to all levels of gamers, ages 12+. Participants are welcome to come when they are able and bring their own games to share with the group too. No prior gameplay experience is required.

What do Americans really think about what is going on in the world? What do they find important? Author Chris Register decided to find out. Setting out on his touring bicycle, he is peddling solo, camping along the way, through all 50 states in 10 marathon rides over the regions of our country. Along the way, he interviewed people from all walks of life to find out what is important and meaningful to them. Are we really so divided? What Chris has found may surprise you, inspire you, or at least help you understand other people that call our nation home. Join the New Ulm Public Library on Friday, August 6 at 4:00 PM learn about Chris' first journey he took across the Midwest including the people and places he visited as well as the adventure of riding across America solo by bicycle. This free program is made possible by a grant provided by the Traverse des Sioux Library Cooperative and funded with money from Minnesota's Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.

Poetry group is meeting each month! On each second Monday at 6:30 PM at the library. Everyone is encouraged to bring 2-3 poems to share with the group. This month’s meeting is on Monday, August 9, 2021 in the Fred Johnson room. Registration is not required. You are welcome to come when you can!

Join the History Book Club for their monthly discussion on the third Tuesday of the month at noon. They will meet on Tuesday, August 17, 2021 at 12:00 PM to discuss Yellow Bird: Oil, Murder, and a Woman's Search for Justice by Sierra Crane Murdoch. The group will meet in-person in the library’s Fred Johnson room. Copies of the book are available for checkout at the circulation desk. We hope to see you there!

Author Pamela Nowak will be visiting the New Ulm Public Library on Thursday, August 26, 2021 at 12:00 PM to discuss her book Never Let Go: Survival of the Lake Shetek Women. Based on the real women and events of the 1862 Dakota War conflict as it happened in Lake Shetek, Minnesota, this novel brings to life the stories of five women and their struggles to survive.

Join the Mystery Book Club for their monthly discussion on the last Monday of the month in the evening. They will meet on Monday, August 30, 2021 at 6:30 PM to discuss And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie. The group will meet in-person in the library’s Fred Johnson room. Copies of the book are available for checkout at the circulation desk. We hope to see you there!

Want to request the newest items as soon as they're added to our library's collection? Try Wowbrary!

The Friends of the Library sponsors Wowbrary, which compiles the list of new materials the library has received over the past week, sorts it into categories, adds a synopsis, and sends the newsletter by email. The service even includes a “Borrow” tab so patrons can go immediately to the library’s online catalog system and place a hold. Click on the Wowbrary icon above to get started.

Staff Picks

Daniel has suffered from an incurable, debilitating disease since childhood that confines him to a wheelchair and has left him unable to speak coherently. He leads a rich life with his friends, football tailgate parties, and his work-from-home job for a regional airline. One morning while enjoying his morning coffee, he witnesses a kidnapping. How does he convince everyone of what he witnessed, and worse, how does he save himself when the kidnapper tracks him down to silence him? The characters are lovable, and the plot is suspenseful. - Carole

Carry On: Reflections for a New Generation by John Lewis

A great collection of short essays infused with wisdom from the late John Lewis. His thoughts on love, integrity, and our ’global house’ inspire me! - Ann