Spring is hopefully around the corner, but no matter the season the library has great resources to share. Patrons often say “I didn’t know the library had that!” when I share information about our services or digital resources. So if you’re reading this article, you’re already ahead of the curve. Today I would like to share more about the library’s digital media including Creativebug, our virtual author visits, and the library’s YouTube channel.

Each of these great resources can be reached from the library’s website: www.newulmlibrary.org. Creativebug and our virtual author visits can be reached by clicking on the “Digital Library” button and then finding them on the right side of the page. Our YouTube channel can be linked to by scrolling towards the bottom of our homepage to the “Stay Connected” section, clicking YOUTUBE, and then the button that says “Library YouTube” just below. You can always find us directly on YouTube too by searching for “New Ulm Public Library”.

Creativebug has thousands of art and craft classes taught through recorded videos available for free with your library card. From painting to sketching or journaling, paper crafts, fabric crafts, and more, Creativebug lets you go at your own pace, check out all the classes offered by a favorite instructor, and save your favorite topics. You just need your library card number and the same PIN used to login to the online catalog to get started, then you can search by craft or art type, themes like holidays or parties, and even by class structure. Each class is broken down into manageable segments with a complete list of needed materials, extra resources, and a discussion forum for you to see what other people thought of the class or to ask questions to the instructor.

The library also hosts two to three virtual author presentations each month. Authors from a wide variety of genres share about their books, their experiences, and answer questions submitted from the attendees when they register. Each presentation is about an hour and is recorded so you can still view it later if you’re unable to attend the live event. Our upcoming authors include celebrity chef Jenard Wells (coming up on Tuesday!), author Pam Jenoff, cartoonist Kate Beaton, and Minnesota author William Kent Krueger.

Did you know the library has its own YouTube channel? We offer a variety of content for all ages to enjoy. Check out our playlists to see past virtual and in-person visits from authors from across the country, book recommendations from staff members, recordings of our popular seminar series, our Stories for the Season winter collaborations with the State Street Theater, how-to tutorials for using our digital resources, and our popular tabletop game show, “Don’t Forget to Read the Instructions.” In this series, I teach my fellow librarians and other guests how to play a variety of fun games you can find in our Library of Things collection. Just browsing through our channel you’ll also find concerts, historical and informative presentations, craft activities for kids, and much more.

We hope you’ll take advantage of all the informative, inspiring, creative, and entertaining library resources we strive to bring to our community and create with our community.

The library is open Monday through Thursday from 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. and on Friday and Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.