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Lifestyle Columns

Summer reading and beyond

This year’s summer reading program theme was Adventure Begins at Your Library. I want to take a moment to thank all of the parents, caregivers, children, and teens who participated this year. I would also like to thank the library staff. They did an excellent job helping to make the program ...

‘Have A Good One It’s Union Made’

“Have A Good One -- It’s Union Made” is the slogan on this cigar store advertising sign. It could also work as a Labor Day salutation. The first Labor Day celebration, held in New York City on Tuesday, Sept. 5, 1882, was planned by the Central Labor Union. Labor activists in other states ...

Science literacy

One part of my daily routine is searching for the latest scientific discoveries. Biology, medicine, mathematics, space, new materials or inventions, archaeological sites, and many more keep my mind inquisitive and curious. It can be easy to learn about things that motivate us. Whether it is the ...

Re-created pottery keeps history alive

Keeping the past alive is part of the appeal of antiques. The most valuable, most desirable collectibles are original antiques, but reproductions can have their own interesting stories. This figural vase by Henriot Quimper sold for $42 at Richard Opfer Auctioneering, a low price compared to ...

When charcoal was used for more than grilling

By Terry and Kim Kovel Every obsolete device was once the latest technology. A clothes iron heated by charcoal might sound laughably old-fashioned today, but it was an improvement on the earlier sadirons. “Sad” was an old word for “heavy,” and sadirons got their name from the solid ...

Minnesota Digital Library

Minitex services offer a variety of resources including scholarly databases from high school to graduate level, item requests from libraries across the state, historical archives, job and licensure exam preparation, over 9,000 e-books for all ages, and a robust online module for writing, ...