Feelin' the love at the TH Library

• Library

Celebrate Love your Library month at the Two Harbors Library on Saturday, Feb. 16 from 6:30-9 p.m.

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It’s that time of year. Yes, of course Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, but all the really cool folk know it’s also Love your Library Month. And to ensure that everyone can celebrate both, planning is under way for an evening of music, poetry, delicious desserts and a silent auction with treats and treasures worthy of anyone’s beloved — all to benefit the Two Harbors Public Library.

The event, dubbed “Love your Library” (lest we forget) will take place Saturday, Feb.16, from 6:30-9 p.m. at the Two Harbors Library and is sponsored by Friends of the Library. The proceeds are earmarked for renovation projects, new seating, windows and window treatments and the ancillary costs related to the installation of new carpet, said Jan O’Donnell and Micky McGilligan of Friends of the Library. Some of the projects have been on the library’s wish-list for some time, but raising the funds has been daunting.

“Friends of the Library is known for the book sale we have every year,” said O’Donnell, “but this is a new adventure to do a focused, bigger campaign.”

Some of the improvements will be made by the end of summer, she said, and others, like replacement of the windows will take place in the future, as funds permit.

The older part of the library, the Carnegie building, was constructed in 1908. The newer addition was built in 1983. Few major changes have been made to the interior since that time, said library director Michele Monson, including the purchase if furnishings.

“A lot of the furniture is 40 years old,” said McGilligan, and the windows, which are original, will have to be custom-made to match the architecture of the century-old building — which means they’ll be more expensive. Improvements will also be made to the electrical service in the building so visitors can plug in lap tops.

McGilligan and O’Donnell emphasize that the improvements aren’t just for the sake of appearances. They’re part of an ongoing effort to keep up with the world in which we live. Libraries are much more than a building where books are neatly arranged on shelves.

“(Libraries are) hubs of the community,” said O’Donnell, “especially in Two Harbors where we don’t have a community center that’s open all the time, the library serves that purpose.”

The numbers tell the story. Each week, hundreds of people come through the doors of the Two Harbors Public Library on their way to the workshops, meetings and programs in the building. In fact, in 2011 community members made 48,804 visits to the library over the course 2,856 open hours, according to library statistics. The public meeting room was used by 88 groups, 45 library-sponsored programs were presented, 91,641 items were checked out and visitors logged 23,627 hours of use on the library’s public computers.

The event will include cellist Kathy McTavish and Duluth’s former poet laureate, Sheila Packa, who will present “Origin of Red,” a performance that combines music, spoken word and visual components. Louise’s is providing “elegant desserts,” said O’Donnell, and the silent auction promises something for everyone — wine, massages, creations by local artists and craftspeople, and $200 worth of body work at Larry’s Auto Body and craft items, just to name a few.

Anyone interested in donating a silent auction item may call McGilligan at 834-4891. Donations can be accepted until Feb. 14. Tickets for the event are $10.

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