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author Sarah Stonich  will visit in may

Sarah Stonich, author of internationally acclaimed novels These Granite Islands, The Ice Chorus, and the memoir Shelter will be at GMPL on Monday, May 20 at 3:00 p.m. Her much-anticipated Vacationland is now out from The Univeristy of Minnesota Press.
This event is funded in part or whole with money from Minnesota's Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.

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The Museum Passes have been distributed.  If you are on the waiting list we will contact you if we get more.

 

 

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                           WELCOME TO OUR NEW WEBSITE!

We hope you like the new look and find the new features helpful. Please contact us if you find things that need to be changed. Many thanks to Kathy Hellner at Looner Graphics and Sandy at Boreal.org. for their help and guidance.

 

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5-Star Library for the Fifth Year
 

A Five Star rating has been achieved by the Grand Marais Public Library for the fifth consecutive year.

Library Journal released its 2012 Index of Star Libraries in November. Statistics are based on the latest available Institute of Museum and Library Services data from 2010. The Index uses statistics in four areas to compare libraries with other libraries in the same budget category. This comparison benefits the GM Library because we can see how well we are supplying services in comparison to services other libraries are supplying with the same budget dollars. Grand Marais Library's peer group includes libraries with a budget between $200,000 and $399,999. The Ely Public Library is in our peer group and earned three stars.

Grand Marais Library's yearly circulation amount was 45 items per person, 39.3 visits to the library per person, 0.60 program attendance per person, and 9.6 internet terminal uses per person in 2010, based on a population total of 1,424. Director Linda Chappell commented, “It will be interesting to see what happens in 2013 when the Star Index will be based on 2011 statistics. The Library was temporarily housed at Cook County High School that year for six months during our remodeling project. Business was down about 5% that summer.”

The Star Rating Index also shows that the national recession has driven an increase in circulation and visits to public libraries. Grand Marais Library attendance was 53,482 in 2006 and has risen to 62,000 based on our samplings days in 2012. Circulation has risen in the last five years from 48,757 to 68,020 and program attendance has blossomed from 513 to 1138. Internet use has declined from 14,194 in 2006 to 11,881 in 2012 as more people connect to the library's wireless internet service using their own laptops, tablets, and cell phones.

Thanks to the 1% Sales Tax, residents and visitors are using and enjoying the larger new building. The Grand Marais Library Board and staff invite everyone in the community to stop by and do their own rating of the library. They are always looking for ways to improve service and keep up their five star rating.
 

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Grand Marais Public Library to host Winning or Finalist Minnesota Book Award Recipient in 2013

GMPL has been awarded up to $500.00 for funding reimbursement to host a program in 2013 with one or more Minnesota Book Awards winning or finalist authors. This program is supported by the Minnesota Book Awards through a grant from the Minnesota Department of Education -- State Library Services and the Minnesota Library Foundation. The Minnesota Book Awards is a project of the Friends of Saint Paul Public Library and the City of Saint Paul.