Libraries: So much more than books

By Anna Jauhola
For the second year in a row, the summer reading program at Hallock Public Library has broken a record. Each Tuesday morning in the summer, in conjunction with the year-round story time, between 40 and 50 kids bike, walk or ride to the library for games, stories and presentations. The program at Karlstad’s LINK site has also grown to have a consistent 30 to 40 kids during the summer program.
“I think it makes kids lifetime patrons of the library,” said Peggy Pearson, librarian, told the county commissioners during a recent meeting. “I’ve been around so long that I’ve seen kids at story time graduate high school, become parents and bring their kids to story time too. It’s been quite an experience.”
When Pearson began her 22-year career at Hallock Public Library, she couldn’t imagine the successful venture it would become. When she started, the Hallock Library didn’t look like it does today. In fact, her proudest accomplishment – with the community’s help – has been the remodel of the library. In 2003 and 2004, Pearson, the library board, the community and many others worked hard to raise enough money to get the project done. It was completed not long afterward.
Also in 2004, Pearson was a part of opening the LINK site at Karlstad. Before the site opened, located in Karlstad’s City Hall building, the community “was a huge user of the Bookmobile. They were very unhappy when we ended the Bookmobile. It was just an expense we couldn’t afford anymore.”
A group of women gathered and approached the Northwest Regional Library director about funding a site in Karlstad. The city was willing to help fund it and provide space, Pearson said.
The site opened in March 2004 with a huge crowd and the patronage has been steady ever since. Pearson is librarian there, too, every Wednesday afternoon.
“For one thing, they don’t have to go out of town,” Pearson said. “I think with getting the word out they got so many people involved and got lots of people coming in. They didn’t have to drive to Thief River or Hallock or Greenbush. They had it right there.”
Both libraries’ biggest group of patrons are parents and small children. While there are many other demographics that contribute, this group seems to contribute the most to the libraries’ circulation, Pearson said.
For Karlstad too, having a library gives them some bragging rights.
“I feel like they have a pride to say, ‘We have a library in our town too,’” Pearson said.
When Pearson and NWRL’s Interim Director Megan Lysford met with Kittson County commissioners in August, they noted how the entire system’s ebook and audiobook use has increased 20% over 2023. Specific to Hallock and Karlstad libraries, the walk-in counts were up, circulation increased 42% in Karlstad and programming was up 15% in Hallock.
“Both libraries mean so much to me I could talk about it for hours,” Pearson told the commissioners. “And I often do.”
In that meeting and speaking with the Enterprise, Pearson said COVID negatively impacted the library, but as it dwindled patron traffic began to climb. One thought is once people experienced the pandemic lockdown, they realized the value of simply being outside their home – and the library once again became one of the places to go.
“You just go through different times when your circulation is down, and walk-in count is down,” Pearson said. “And then it comes back up again. It’s like a rediscovery.”
Ebooks and audiobooks are popular and have added to the patron count. Pearson said many people get a library card from Hallock or Karlstad just to check out ebooks or audiobooks. Those patrons don’t likely ever enter the library, however, they add to the circulation numbers and that’s important.
“Monthly, for a few years now, we’ve had 350 to 400 checkouts of ebooks,” she said.
The ebook circulation is also important for educators when schools can’t necessarily afford 25 copies of the same book.
The Hallock and Karlstad libraries are supported through levied funds from Kittson County, and each city contributes a certain amount to its own library. This year, NWRL requested a 3% increase to cover cost of living adjustments for wages, and increases in materials costs, among other reasons. Pearson said the city of Hallock and the county have always supported the library, with very little opposition.
This positive support from local governments, coupled with excellent volunteers and community support and patronage is a big part of why Pearson loves her job. As it has been for generations of children and adults, the library is seen as a safe place to be. Parents trust kids to ride their bikes there for the afternoon and it’s a quiet place to spend some time before heading to work.
“I had a little girl this morning just waiting at the door when I got here,” Pearson said on Aug. 30. “One day this summer I came to work, on a Wednesday, and there were a couple of little boys just hanging around until I got here. I just thought, ‘They know they can come here.’ I think because it’s a safe place and parents are OK with them being here.”
Children continue to patronize the library throughout the year because Pearson and her volunteers do a good job spreading the word for the summer reading program. At the end of the school year, Pearson gets flyers to each county school about the program to send home with children. Prizes are a big reason many kids participate, she said, but she can’t fully account for the big increase over the last two years.
“I think part of it is we push it really hard and we do a lot of publicity,” she said. “We also schedule a lot of programming, not just the story hour stuff. We had four programs this summer.”
One such program was Northern Tropics, a group that presented live reptiles for children to learn about and hold. Many held different types of snakes and lizards.
The local library board is responsible for managing donations the library receives, and that money contributes heavily to providing the summer reading program prizes.
The best part of being librarian for Pearson is the people – and getting to read all the books she wants.
“I’ve gotten to know so many people,” she said. “People who come in are fun and smart, and you learn so much from them. That’s a personal thing, and maybe shouldn’t be a part of your job, but I think it’s the best part of this job.”
Over the years, as Pearson has watched repeat patrons check out books, she knows what her patrons like. She will often recommend books to people and they are surprised she knows their tastes. She said it’s easy to remember people’s likes and dislikes in literature, and what they’ve checked out, because she’s at the library every day.
The thought of a community losing its library is a disturbing one.
“I’ve had people say if there wasn’t a library here, they would move away,” she said. “But honestly, I’ve had people say, ‘I can’t live in a town that doesn’t have a library.’”
It’s one of the first places visitors think of when they need information, directions or help.
“It would leave a real hole in the community because I think it adds that one little extra thing that doesn’t cost you any money and it’s comfortable and safe,” she said.
Plus the library offers so much more than books, even though books are a library’s primary commodity. At the Hallock Library, patrons can use computers for internet access or to print things, check out audiobooks on CD or DVDs, kids can use iPads for games. Patrons can also check out laptop computers and a wifi hotspot, if they don’t have internet at home. Several people have a weekly routine of reading weekly and daily newspapers at the library each week. The library also offers many major magazines, and often receives donated magazines from the community.
Libraries naturally present an opportunity for community. Pearson said people who move to town often come to the library to find information on jobs or daycare. Campers find a haven from the heat in the library, and discover the wonderful extras offered there. Random hellos can lead to deep conversations and budding friendships.
While NWRL needs to keep track of circulation, walk-in numbers and other official avenues to have valid reasons to ask for funding each year, numbers do not determine the importance of libraries to their communities.
Those wishing to donate or give memorials honoring a loved one can send to Hallock Public Library, P.O. Box 537, Hallock, MN 56728.
Anyone wanting to volunteer or learn more about how they can volunteer can call Pearson at the library – 218-843-2401.