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New Rock County Library item encourages patrons to get outside

Lead Summary
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By
Mavis Fodness

The local library is encouraging patrons to go outside.
Recently the Rock County Library added a telescope to its checkout items, thanks to the support of the local Friends of the Library group.
“It’s a great opportunity for youth and adults in our community to have free access to a telescope, as it normally isn’t something most people are able to purchase on their own,” said Kristi Groth, a Friends of the Library (FOL) member.
Library director Calla Jarvie attended a recent conference where a telescope was available in its lending library and advocated to expand beyond books, DVDs and audiobooks.
The FOL group supported purchasing the telescope.
In addition, the FOL group added a stars/constellation backpack that could pair with the checkout of the telescope.
Inside the backpack are books and other materials for a self-guided lesson about how stars group together to form constellations.
The Orion Starblast reflector telescope is designed for beginning and intermediate astronomy enthusiasts and includes instruction booklets.
With the checkout of the backpack, patrons are able to enter the Blue Mounds State Park north of Luverne free of charge.
Groth indicated the FOL group was interested in partnering with other organizations to showcase the telescope at a future public event.
“Having the telescope and nature-related backpacks available at our library encourages families to spend more time outside exploring nature together,” she said.
Other backpack subjects include ponds, nature trail, trees, flowers and birds.
FOL used proceeds from memberships and the annual book sale. Their goal is to enhance the material collections at the library and support program offerings.
“(It’s) all in an effort to enrich our community,” Groth said.
This spring the library will add a metal detector to its lending library.
As with the checkout of Wi-Fi hotspots, the telescope is free to library patrons for two weeks. However, a $25-per-day late fee is assessed if the telescope is not returned by the due date.
Transportation of the telescope is in a large plastic trashcan, which may not easily fit in a car, said assistant library director Barb Verhey.

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