By Anne Hennen Barber

 Morris Public Library Director 

It’s hard to believe summer is winding down already. We have had a busy few months at the library, with lots of reading, activities, and programs. Our Summer Reading Challenge was a huge success. 178 kids turned in a total of 673 reading logs. That is an amazing amount of reading, and we are so proud of all of our young readers. Twenty-four kids were awarded prizes, including Fair Ride tickets, Movie Theatre tickets, RFC day passes, and John’s Total Entertainment gift certificates.

I will not leave the teens and adults out of the celebration. 41 Adult/Teen participants turned in 71 reading logs. Five Adult/Teen readers were awarded $25 Chamber Cash prizes. All of the prizes for both groups were either donated or purchased by the Friends of the Morris Public Library. We are so grateful for their continued support of our library and our readers.

Of course, the Summer Reading Challenge wasn’t the only fun happening at the library. We had a wonderful turnout for our summer programs and activities. During June and July, people joined us for a Flower Press Class, Seed Art Workshop, Trees Are Terrific Workshop, Printmaking Workshops, a Schiffelly Puppet Show, Todd & Tina music, and a visit from Sustainable Safari. Our story times were especially popular, with some drawing more than 50 children. Thank you to everyone who came out and made our summer programs so much fun.

Something else I like to look at is how much our library is being used. During our annual Count Week, July 20–25, 722 people came through our doors, and we answered 144 reference questions. Thursday was our busiest day, with 170 people visiting the library.

These numbers represent just a small snapshot of everything that happens here each week. People come in to check out books, attend programs, use computers, ask questions, study, visit with friends, and simply enjoy having a welcoming place in our community.

We are already looking ahead to fall and winter. We are excited to welcome Minnesota historian Doug Ohman back to the library in September for a special program. We don’t have a date set yet, but keep an eye out for more information. On Oct. 29, we are excited to participate in Moving Words Authors, featuring Deborah Jiang-Stein, Hampton Smith, and Jason Walz. Deborah Jiang-Stein writes fiction, Hampton Smith writes Minnesota nonfiction and his newest book focuses on the Civil War, and Jason Walz writes YA graphic novels.

Finally, we have begun work on an exciting new Civic Hub Project that will run from September 2026 through February 2027. Each month, the Civic Hub will highlight a different civic topic; some possible topics include voting, housing, health, civic involvement, and more. The goal of the Civic Hub is to create opportunities for organic, in-person conversations among library patrons while helping people learn more about civic structures and resources in their communities. We are excited to see how this project develops and hope it will encourage curiosity, conversation, and an informed community. If you have a topic suggestion or a contact for a speaker, please reach out to me at abarber@morrispublib.org or 320-589-1634.

There is always something happening at the Morris Public Library, and we are so thankful to be a part of this community. As summer comes to a close and school begins again, keep reading, keep learning, and we hope to see you at the library soon!