Author Visits

Ryan Gale, Elk River, 1/12/2010, 25+ attendees
Jill Elizabeth Nelson, Big Lake, 2/1/2010, 17 attendees
Author Nancy Carlson, Elk River, 2/4/2010, 25+ attendees
WonderWeavers storytellers, Waite Park, 2/6/2010, 15 attendees
William Kent Krueger, Albany, 2/9/2010, 32 attendees
Jess Lourey, Annandale, 2/16/2010, 6 attendees
Gary Waller, Belgrade, 2/19/2010, 45 attendees
Nancy Carlson, Monticello, 2/20/2010, 24 attendees
Nancy Carlson, Kimball, 2/23/2010, 380 attendees
Peter Bundy, Long Prairie, 2/25/2010, 20+ attendees
Steve Barthel, author/genealogist, Staples, 2/26/2010, 35 attendees
Elaine Davis author, Royalton, 3/3/2010, 13 attendees
Kao Kalia Yang, Kimball, 3/4/2010, 11 attendees
Kao Kalia Yang, Annandale, 3/6/2010, 27 attendees
Lise Lunge-Larsen, Foley, 3/6/2010, 35 attendees
Doug Wood, Melrose, 3/8/2010, 85 attendees
Jonathan Friesen, Cokato, 3/9/2010, 28 attendees
William Kent Krueger, Delano, 3/11/2010, 39 attendees
Nancy Carlson shared event, Waite Park and St. Cloud, 3/13/2010, 25 attendees at St. Cloud, 8 at Waite Park
Kao Kalia Yang, Cold Spring, 3/15/2010, 48 attendees
Julie Kramer, Monticello, 3/18/2010, 2 attendees
Chad Lewis, Paynesville, 3/20/2010, 41 attendees
Mike Wohnoutka, Upsala, 3/22/2010, 250 attendees
Faith Sullivan, Cold Spring, 3/23/2010, 25 attendees
WonderWeavers storytellers, Waite Park (Discovery School), 3/23/2010, 75 attendees
Jonathan Friesen, Belgrade, 3/25/2010, 25 attendees at library event, 600+ at school event
MN Crime Wave authors (Carl Brookins, Ellen Hart, William Kent Krueger), Big Lake, 3/29/2010, 20 attendees
Jonathan Friesen, Elk River, 4/1/2010, 25+ attendees
Kao Kalia Yang, Buffalo (High School), 4/5/10, 400 attendees
Gary Harbo, St. Michael, 4/5/10, 16 attendees
Ann Zemke, Long Prairie, 4/6/2010, 43 attendees
Candace Simar, Clearwater, 4/14/10, 16 attendees
Elaine Davis, Kimball, 4/14/10, 15 attendees
Monica Ferris, Belgrade, 4/16/10, 16 attendees
Lorna Landvik, Albany, 4/17/10, 23 attendees
David Oppegaard, Waite Park, 4/17/10, 3 attendees
Julie Kramer, Sauk Centre (Jitters Java Cafe), 4/17/10, 9 attendees
Nancy Carlson, Swanville (Elementary School), 4/19/10, 195 attendees
Jess Lourey, Big Lake, 4/19/10, 15 attendees
Tim Kehoe, Becker, 4/19/10, 50 attendees
Elaine Davis, Clearwater, 4/21/10, 19 attendees
Christine Husom, Delano, 4/22/10, 19 attendees
Steve Thayer, Annandale, 4/24/10, 31 attendees
Dia de los Ninos/Dia de los Libros, Monticello, 4/24/10, 65 attendees
Lorna Landvik, Long Prairie, 4/27/10, 25 attendees
Jill Elizabeth Nelson, Royalton, 4/28/10, 10 attendees
Daniel Eller, Waite Park, 4/29/10, 13 attendees
Gerald Morris, Little Falls (one event for children; one for adults), 4/30/10, 19 at children's event; 25 attendees at adult event
Patrick Mader, Albany, 5/1/10, 13 attendees
William Kent Krueger, Sauk Centre (Jitters Java Cafe), 5/1/10, 20 attendees
Lise Lunge-Larsen, Upsala, 5/3/2010 (school and library events, total 242)
Chad Lewis, Annandale, 5/5/10, 41 attendees
Joyce Sutphen, Royalton, 5/5/10, 20 attendees
Pam Flowers, St. Cloud, 5/5/10, 20 attendees
David Housewright, Elk River, 5/6/2010, 17 attendees
Lorna Landvik, Monticello, 5/6/10, 30 attendees
Chad Lewis, Kimball, 5/6/10, 42 attendees
Alison McGhee, Swanville, 5/6/10, 11 attendees
Charles Gilbert Kapsner, Pierz, 5/6/10, 30 attendees
Debra Frasier, St. Cloud, 5/8/10, 24 attendees
Doug Wood, Albany, 5/11/10, 43 attendees
Lorna Landvik, Belgrade, 5/11/10, 38 attendees
Jess Lourey, Waite Park, 5/12/10, 11 attendees
Bob Zahler, St. Michael, 5/12/10, 8 attendees
Chad Lewis, Cokato, 5/13/10, 20 attendees
Doug Wood, Cold Spring, 5/20/10, 48 attendees
Jan Jenkins, Monticello, 5/20/10, 39 attendees
Lorna Landvik, Swanville, 5/20/10, 15 attendees
Will Weaver, Sauk Centre, 5/22/10, 1 attendee (Mr. Weaver said he would come back in the fall at no cost)
Lorna Landvik, Delano, 5/25/10, 45 attendees
Eric Dregni, Belgrade, 5/25/10, 36 attendees
Chad Lewis, Foley, 5/26/10, 19 attendees
Lorna Landvik, Royalton, 6/2/10, 6 attendees
Linda Larson, Howard Lake, 6/5/10, 6 attendees
Dean Urdahl, Foley, 6/7/10, 8 attendees
150 Years of Minnesota: Stories and Storytelling, Foley, 6/8/10, 12 attendees
Kevin Strauss, Long Prairie, 6/10/10, 45 attendees
Jill Elizabeth Nelson, Cokato, 6/10/10, 6 attendees
Nancy Carlson, Cokato, 6/15/10, 74 attendees
Gary Harbo, Big Lake, 6/16/10, 49 attendees and 6/23/10, 15 attendees (2 separate workshops)
Roxanne Henke, Delano, 6/16/10, 24 attendees
William Kent Krueger, Cokato, 6/17/10, 14 attendees
Jill Elizabeth Nelson, Delano, 6/19/10, 8 attendeees
Peter Rennebohm, Big Lake, 6/21/10, 5 attendees
Wonder Weavers, Monticello, 6/22/10, 37 attendees
Dale Stenseth, Annandale, 6/23/10, 12 attendees
Bob Showers, Grey Eagle, 6/24/10, 4 attendees
Steve Thayer, Big Lake, 6/28/10, 9 attendees
Gary Harbo, Paynesville, 7/1/10, 45 attendees

Feedback on local partnerships for author events from branch staff:

Buffalo: We coordinated the author part of the Legacy program with District 877 and the Community Read event.

Cokato: We had a wonderful partnering for our author visit, William Durbin. Because he writes much about Finnish history, we paired up with the Cokato Finnish-American Historical Society and the Cokato Historical Society. It was very successful. We paid for the visit and they contributed advertising and "goodies."

Paynesville: The Local Community Education director included all Legacy programs in their catalog (mailed to all homes in the school district 3 times a year), promoted the programs through Community Education e-mails to their 'concert goers' email list, the Comm. Ed. director promoted our programs in his visits to the Senior Center and other community groups, and they absorbed most of the costs, including light/sound personnel for the events at no cost to the library. The local Senior Center coordinator has promoted our events in her informational talks during the dinners there. The Paynesville Schools staff distributed stuffers to their students and to the parents during Parent/Teacher conferences. The school posts our posters, as well. A local church preschool distributed flyers for kids programs to all parents.

Sauk Centre: Jitters Java Cafe has worked out great as a place to hold our author events. I have heard only positive comments from everyone, from the authors to the patrons attending the events. It has been a very cozy and intimate place to hold the events.

Waite Park: Waite Park had a successful collaboration with Discovery Elementary. We brought in the WonderWeavers storytellers for their Family Reading Night in March at the school. They were very excited about this opportunity and sent us a nice card afterwards thanking us for making their event even better.

Monticello: I've been working with the Diversity Committee of Monticello, which is comprised of Wright County sheriffs, probation officers, Cargill, Middle, Elementary, and High School educators and ESL people. They have really helped me get the word out to the schools and the community about our programs.