352. Margaret Welch Memorial Library, Longville, MN

According to Wikipedia, the population of Longville was 156 at the 2010 census. And according to the library staff, that makes it the smallest town in Minnesota with an official library. For a small library, it has a lot of interesting features. How about a life-sized statue of Gandalf, carved by a local craftsman, watching over a corner of the children's area? How about two old-fashioned platform rockers flanking a cabin-type heating stove? A carved fish-mobile hanging in a corner of the adult area? Or a few albums on the top of the bookshelves; I didn't take them down, but I could see that one is titled "Petal Pushers Garden Club 1997 - 2005." I bet that holds some memories!

A rack holds child-sized life vests that can be checked out. (I think I saw something similar in my last stop, in Pine City, but this is the first place it made it into my notes.) A nice feature for families visiting this resort area: no excuse for the little ones to be unsafe.

The children's area has brightly painted shelves, a couple of cookie sheets with magnetic words, and a nice glider/bench seat with a loon and tree design, very inviting. And books and media too, of course.

A set of small plaques honor the Hero of the Year from 2009 to 2014.

For more about this library, visit Kitchigami Regional Library System at http://www.krls.org/branches/branch_lg.html.

7/21/2015, car

Hero of the Year plaques on the left; periodicals on the right;
and kiddie life vests in the center.

Gandalf presides over the bright children's area.

A corner of the cabin...at the library