by April Scheinoha
Reporter
The Thief River Falls Public Library offers more than just books.
Audiobooks, DVDs, CDs and some magazines are also available to be checked out. Those items may be checked out physically at the Thief River Falls Library or through interlibrary loan if the wanted item isn’t available here but is available through other libraries in the region and state.
Patrons can also check out other items at the library, including Chromebooks and hotspots. Branch librarian Bethany Hait noted that oftentimes she checks in a hotspot that someone has returned, only to immediately check it out to someone else.
Besides Chromebooks and hotspots, the library also offers state park passes for checkout. Patrons may check out state park passes for a week.
Patrons may also spend some time at the library, especially amateur genealogists and historians. They can research their family trees or local historical events at the library. Many current and bygone local newspapers are available on microfiche for viewing.
Patrons may also take advantage of their library card from home. Several databases are available free to library patrons at home via the library website (https://nwrlib.org/thief-river-falls). Patrons only need to input their library card number to access the databases offered through the Northwest Regional Library System.
Hait highlighted two of those databases. Creativebug enables patrons to take classes like Introduction to Quilting or 24 Christmas Ornaments to Make for Your Tree. HelpNow is another database available to patrons. It provides personalized homework help Sunday through Thursday.
For those wanting to get out and about, the library offers a variety of programs each month. It hosts a book club for adults, a writers club for adults, a STEM program for school-age kids, an art program for school-age kids, and Storytime with Dads and Donuts. The last Saturday of each month, the library also hosts a movie. This month, it will show “Coco” on Saturday, Oct. 28 at 2 p.m.
In addition to those events, each Monday, the library is the site of Storytime hosted by Thief River Falls Early Childhood Family Education. After Storytime, the library hosts Messy Mondays for the kids. For those adults looking for craft activities, the library hosts a weekly craft group. A group of chess aficionados holds weekly chess games at the library as well.
Programs are also held at the library. The library periodically hosts authors either on its own or in conjunction with the Northwest Regional Library System.