Your community's doorway to knowledge and stories
Behind the circulation desk sits a plastic bin that doubles as an accidental museum of small-town life. We asked our staff about the strangest, sweetest, and saddest things patrons have left behind — and what came back for them.
For thirty days, staff and patrons chose their reads based on nothing but cover art — no blurbs, no back covers, no Goodreads cheating. The results included two five-star surprises, one regrettable western, and a renewed appreciation for the art of the wrapper.
Every building has a voice, and ours hums, beeps, groans, and occasionally sings the alphabet. We spent a week listening closely to the Luverne Public Library and asked staff and regulars which sounds feel like home — and which one they'd happily mute forever.
Old photographs, grocery lists, a single baby shoe — the things Luverne readers leave inside returned books have quietly become our strangest collection. We dug into the lost-and-found bin and the stories of the staff who keep trying to send these treasures home.
The window seat gets all the glory, but is it really the best seat in the house? We spent two weeks with a laptop, a thermometer, and strong opinions to rank every study nook in the building — outlets, noise, and people-watching included.
The old oak card catalog didn't go quietly — but what replaced it opened doors no paper file ever could. A look back at our digitization journey, plus the digital resources most Luverne cardholders still don't know they have.
Every weekday, before most of Luverne finishes its first cup of coffee, a familiar group claims their tables at the library. We spent a week with the retirees, parents, and remote workers who make 9 a.m. feel like a family reunion.
Twelve readers, one bestseller, and a debate about marsh fires and plot choices that lasted well past the coffee refill. A look at why our monthly book club works — and how you can start one of your own.
In the summer of 1987, a Luverne family dropped off a cardboard box of books that became part of the library's great modernization purge. We traced where those 214 volumes ended up — and what they taught us about how a small town keeps its memory.
For decades, the library's summer reading program has turned long Minnesota afternoons into reading adventures. We dug into the archives and talked with longtime participants about the stickers, the prizes, and the readers it created.
Think the library is just for novels and quiet corners? Think again. From genealogy databases to streaming perks and a growing tool lending program, here's what your free library card actually unlocks.