Book fair at mall

Posted on May.11.2013 by Jimmy Bellamy

Who doesn’t love a book fair? It was one of the highlights of this Eh? desker’s elementary school years.

Barnes & Noble at the Miller Hill Mall in Duluth is hosting its own book fair today, and this one will benefit North Country R.I.D.E., which provides therapeutic horseback riding to at-risk youth and people of all ages with special needs in Carlton, Douglas and St. Louis counties.

The book store will donate 10 percent of its sales from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. to when customers present a book-fair voucher to a sales associate. Online purchases from Saturday to Wednesday are eligible. Go to northcountryride.org to download the voucher. Volunteers will be onsite to hand out vouchers, too. They’ll also have information about North Country R.I.D.E., supplies for making Mother’s Day cards, and face painting for kids.

Books that deliver

Posted on May.2.2013 by Jimmy Bellamy

Attention homebound lit lovers: The Duluth Public Library is offering Home Library Service, a free program that delivers up to 15 books or other library materials to Duluth residents.

People interested in receiving Home Library Service should call the library’s fiction/media desk at (218) 730-4200, option 6. An application and reading interest form will be mailed.

Water is art in Superior

Posted on May.1.2013 by Jimmy Bellamy

Chloe Anderson of Lake Superior Elementary had the winning artwork.

Some fifth- and sixth-graders in Superior participated in an Earth Day-related art contest held by the city’s Environmental Services Division of Public Works.

The kids’ inspiration? Why they think local waters should be clean and healthy.

The winner and runners-up had their work displayed in the children’s section of the Superior Public Library. They are Chloe Anderson of Lake Superior Elementary School and runners-up Natalie Burkhart, Lake Superior; Tabitha Moore, Northern Lights; Izabel Swanson, Cooper; Ethan Wearing, Northern Lights; and Evan Wearing, Northern Lights.

The six works can be seen on the city’s website and the Superior Stormwater blog.

‘Lincoln’ at library

Posted on April.25.2013 by Jimmy Bellamy

The Duluth Public Library will be offering free matinees in the Green Room, 520 W. Superior St., starting Friday.

The series opens with “Lincoln” on Friday, “Here Comes the Boom” on May 3, “The Guilt Trip” on May 10 and “Jack Reacher” on May 24.

Still spinning vinyl?

Posted on April.16.2013 by Jimmy Bellamy

If you have a turntable and are a collector of the black, round version of polychlorinated biphenyl, the Duluth Public Library has something for you: records.

They still have lots of 33s and 78s leftover from last year’s book sale including classical, pop, world music and other genres.

You can pick the records up today from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the main downtown library, 520 W. Superior St.

They are free to a good home, but the library wouldn’t mind a free-will offering.

Spring (book) break

Posted on April.3.2013 by Jimmy Bellamy

Just because it’s spring break doesn’t mean you have to step away from the books. The Duluth Public Library is offering a week’s worth of activities for kids and teens:

There is a brainstorming session about images to paint on the library’s windows as part of the One Book, One Community project led by Ann Gumpper from 2-3:30 p.m. Saturday in the Main Library’s Youth Services area.
Create colorful stained-glass style candle jars at 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Monday at the Main Library Green Room. Call (218) 730-4200, option 4, to sign up.
Preschool Storytime includes stories and songs at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at Mount Royal. Movie “The Rise of the Guardians,” rated PG, plays at 2 p.m. Tuesday in the Main Library Green Room.
Baby & Toddler Time is at 10:15 a.m. April 10.
The Duluth Playhouse presents Ellie the Elephant, an original adaptation of the fable of the elephant and the blind man, at 10:30 a.m. April 12 at the West Duluth Branch Library.
Mural painting on the teen-area windows led by Gumpper as part of the One Book, One Community project is from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 13.

Paint library mural

Posted on March.28.2013 by Jimmy Bellamy

Bored without school? Students in grades 6-12 are invited to create and paint a stained-glass mural on the teen-area windows of the Duluth Public Library on the Saturdays at the beginning and end of spring break.

Set designer and decorative painter Ann Gumpper will lead the project, the library tells us. It’s tied into the 2013 One Book One Community reading project on the novel “Clara and Mr. Tiffany” by Susan Vreeland, about little-known stained-glass artist Clara Driscoll.
This is how students can participate:

From 2-3:30 p.m. April 6, you’re invited to the library’s youth services areas to brainstorm ideas for mural images, discussing how you use the library, its books and materials.
The painting will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 13. Participants should wear appropriate clothes for painting. Paint, brushes and instruction will be provided. You can come for all or part of the time.

Anyone in the age group is welcome, and there’s no charge.

Art and politics

Posted on March.21.2013 by Jimmy Bellamy

How arty are the teens in Minnesota’s 8th Congressional District? Let’s find out.

The annual Congressional Art Competition is open to high school-aged artists from around the country. A winner from each district will get to show their work at the U.S. Capitol.

Interested artists should submit an entry to U.S. Rep. Rick Nolan’s office, where a panel of artists will select the 10 Best in District. One of the 10 will be named Best in Show and displayed in the U.S. Capitol for a year. The artist will be flown to Washington for an unveiling.

For more information, go to nolan.house.gov or call Nolan’s Duluth office at (218) 464-5095 or the Duluth Art Institute at (218) 733-7560.

Big, bad media wolf

Posted on March.5.2013 by Jimmy Bellamy

Less than a week after the Academy Awards, the International Wolf Center weighed in and Facebook fans voted: the 2013 Scat Award goes to “The Grey.” Also nominated was Jodi Picoult’s book, “Lone Wolf.”

The award calls attention to the worst portrayal of wolves in the media, according to the organization’s executive director Rob Schultz.

“The Grey,” for instance, demonizes wolves, and Picoult’s book romanticizes and anthropomorphizes wolves to an absurd level.

The award will be on display in the trophy case at the International Wolf Center in Ely.

Books on wheels

Posted on February.26.2013 by Jimmy Bellamy

The Duluth Public Library hopes to bring back the literary equivalent of Meals on Wheels, but it will take volunteers to make it happen.

The library’s home-delivery service is a way to bring books to and from residents who can’t get to a library because of physical limitations. Budget and staffing cuts forced it to drop home delivery in 2008, when it had nearly 100 participants. The library now is at the point where it can consider restoring the service, said Renee Zurn, digital and outreach library supervisor.

This is where you might come in. Volunteers are needed to select and deliver books and can expect to serve from four to six hours per month. Training will be provided.

Contact volunteer coordinator Cheryl Skafte at (218) 730-4334 or cskafte@duluthmn.gov to request an application.

The service is expected to start in late spring.

Eh? Plus

Offbeat tidbits and news you can use from the Duluth (Minn.) News Tribune

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