Each year we encourage readers across the region to read the same book and come together as a community around that book. We are happy to announce that this year’s selection is The Twenty-Ninth Day by Alex Messenger.
Join us for small group book discussions at each ECRL branch, 6 in-person and 1 virtual author visits with Alex Messenger himself, and fun special events between September 18 and November 18, 2023.
Join us for author visits with Alex Messenger as he discusses The Twenty-Ninth Day:
Tuesday, November 7 at 6 p.m. – Aitkin Public Library
Thursday, November 9 at 6 p.m. – Sandstone Public Library
Monday, November 13 at 6 p.m. – Cambridge Public Library
Tuesday, November 14 at 6 p.m. – North Branch Area Library
Wednesday, November 15 at 6 p.m. – Virtual via Zoom
Thursday, November 16 at 6 p.m. – Mille Lacs Lake Community Library
Saturday, November 18 at 6 p.m. – Mora Public Library
Books, Large Print Books, eBooks, eAudiobooks, and CD Audiobooks will be available starting on Friday, September 1, 2023.
Join us as we discuss the Twenty-Ninth Day in small groups at all of our branch locations:
Thursday, October 12 at 1 p.m. – Princeton Area Library
Monday, October 16 at 11 a.m. – North Branch Area Library
Tuesday, October 17 at 6 p.m. – Mora Public Library
Wednesday, October 18 at 11 a.m. – Rush City Public Library
Thursday, October 19 at 10 a.m. – Pine City Public Library
Thursday, October 19 at 5 p.m. – Chisago Lakes Area Library
Wednesday, October 25 at 1 p.m. – Aitkin Public Library
Thursday, October 26 at 11 a.m. – McGregor Public Library
Thursday, October 26 at 6:30 p.m. – Wyoming Area Library
Tuesday, November 7 at 10:30 a.m. – Hinckley Public Library
Thursday, November 9 at 10:30 a.m. – Sandstone Public Library
Thursday, November 9 at 6 p.m. – Mille Lacs Lake Community Library
Tuesday, November 14 at 2 p.m. – Milaca Community Library
Saturday, November 18 at 10:30 a.m. – Cambridge Public Library
We’ll also have some special programming happening across the region during our 6th annual ECRL Reads. We hope you’ll join us for these fun events:
Brian Miller and Danny Diamond, musicians
Program description: Minnesotan singer and researcher Brian Miller teams up with fiddler Danny Diamond from Dublin, Ireland for this unique program exploring connections between Minnesota history and the music of Ireland. Beautiful old photos and history from logging era Minnesota blend with songs and fiddle tunes with stories that span the Atlantic played by two musicians who have performed internationally themselves.
Tuesday, September 19- 6:00 pm – Princeton Area Library
Tuesday, October 10- 6:00 pm – Chisago Lakes Area Library
Marge Barrett, writing instructor
Program Description: A Way with Words, A Wordplay Workshop
Did your Aunt Myrtle always say that you have “a way with words?” Are you the storyteller in your family? Do your friends ask you to help them write that important letter? In this workshop, you will learn how to develop your gift. You will learn how writers use words the way painters use paint. Plan for fun: we’ll play with words to see where they lead as we tap into the word tank stored in all of us. We’ll practice using creative jump-starts and interactive writing, as well as observation, imagination, and storytelling, to help our words find their way to the page. With examples from artists and writers as inspiration for writing topics and exercises, we will discover how our love of words can lead to stories, poems, and essays. By the end of the workshop, we will have a notebook filled with our words.
*Registration Required. Workshop is approx. 3 hours.
Tuesday, September 26- 5:00 pm – Milaca Community Library
Saturday, September 30- 10:30am – McGregor Public Library
Monday, October 2- 5:00 pm – Pine City Public Library
Steve Maanum, Wildlife Photographer
Program Description: So you want to be a Wildlife Photographer
We have all seen the award winning wildlife photos in magazines and we have probably wondered what lengths those photographers went to in order to get those shots. Wildlife photography is fun and exciting, but it comes with a responsibility and that responsibility includes photographing wildlife in safe and ethical ways. This presentation will include tips and techniques for getting your own great photos close to home while staying within your budget.
*Registration Required
Tuesday, September 19- 6:00 pm – Wyoming Area Library
Saturday, September 23- 10:30 am – Hinckley Public Library
Tuesday, September 26- 6:00 pm – Rush City Public Library
ECRL Reads and the associated programming are paid for with funds from Minnesota’s Arts and Cultural Heritage fund.