Lake Agassiz Regional Library is thrilled to unveil its new logo!

“The future is bright for Lake Agassiz Regional Library. This new identity reflects the optimism we feel about what’s ahead and supports our mission of enriching lives and strengthening communities. As we developed this logo, we selected a design that reflects the communities we serve and the helpful and inspiring environments we provide – a place where everybody is welcome.” – Liz Lynch, Executive Director

The new logo, which goes live on Friday, August 15, 2025, replaces the library’ system’s former logo and brand, which has not changed in over two decades. Over the next weeks and months, library visitors will gradually begin to notice the change to the new logo in libraries and LINK Sites around our seven-county service area. Download the new logo here.

Summary:

This position requires independent judgement and supports the mission of Lake Agassiz Regional Library to enrich lives and strengthen communities; position requires contact with library customers, the handling of materials, reference and information services, programming and outreach, and general daily library operations.

• Works within a team environment to provide library services and ensure the success of the library.
• Acts as Librarian-in-Charge in the absence of a supervisor.
• May specialize or assist in a particular area such as youth services.
• Provides support to Hub locations as needed.
• May act as LINK Site Liaison

Essential Duties:

• Create excellent customer experiences – making customers feel welcome and providing positive and memorable interactions.
• Mediate and resolve customers complaints and concerns.
• Provide reader’s advisory, reference, interlibrary loan services, information and referral services and answers directional questions, fostering information literacy.
• Explore and meet the information needs of various audiences in the community.
• Assist and instruct customers with the downloading of eBooks and eAudiobooks, and other downloadable resources.
• Troubleshooting and instructing in the use of computer/technology and device issues.
• Cultivate relationships and partnerships with leaders from the community, agencies, organizations, and schools to promote the library and its resources and meet community needs.
• Support community needs by planning and executing meaningful and purposeful library programs or workshops in both the library and through outreach in the community.
• Work in conjunction with Supervisor and the Marketing Coordinator to plan, develop and implement public relations and marketing initiatives, including the use of social networking sites, or other emerging technologies, to promote the branch, LARL and its services.
• Provide library tours, orientation and instruction to community members.
• Develop, implement and promote year-round programming for youth of all ages.
• Keep abreast of and promote current library services and programs to customers.
• Participate in collection selection and deselection in conjunction with the Collection Development Librarian.
• Arrange and display materials to promote collection and increase circulation.
• Perform all circulation related functions.
• Assist customers with the location and use of library materials.
• Assist customers with printing, photocopying, faxing and scanning.
• Collect and accurately record fines, fees, service charges and prepare monthly bank deposits.
• Responsible for keeping the library looking clean and attractive.
• Keep abreast of policy, procedural and instructional changes.
• Assist with the training and direct the work of staff and volunteers under the direction of the appropriate supervisor.
• Watch for and recognize security risks and thefts to ensure a safe and secure environment.
• Attend meetings and trainings.
• Perform related duties as assigned.

Other:

• Pick up and sort mail.
• Perform minor housekeeping duties, such as dusting.
• Prepare and deliver items to homebound customers.
• Compile statistical data for reports.
• Assist in opening and closing procedures.
• May substitute in other LARL locations as needed.
• Participate in regional teams and committees
• Prepare book and bulletin board displays.
• Balance the cash drawer and make deposits as needed.
• Other duties consisting of similar and related tasks or assignments relating to the location or the Hub.
• This job description is not intended as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, skills, efforts, or working conditions associated with this job.

Competencies:

• Able to communicate effectively and interact in a friendly, tactful and diplomatic way.
• Professional in attitude and behavior.
• Willing to initiate communication and engage with customers.
• Commitment to providing excellent customer service and a welcoming atmosphere.
• Must possess good judgment and decision making skills.
• Able to work in a busy public service atmosphere with frequent interruptions.
• Able to maintain confidentiality and use discretion in customer relations.
• Able to work independently or as part of a team.
• Able to be flexible and continuously learn, unlearn and relearn.
• Knowledge of common computer software and keyboarding proficiency.
• Able to effectively use the internet, email, social media and other emerging technologies.
• Able to learn and operate the online library catalog with a high degree of efficiency.
• Able to organize work and set priorities to meet deadlines.
• Able to adapt readily to change.
• Accuracy in clerical skills and attention to detail.
• Continually expanding knowledge of authors and books in a wide range of reader levels and subject areas.
• Able to interpret and enforce library policy and procedures.
• Able to exhibit enthusiasm for library services and library related tasks.
• A commitment to diversity, equality and inclusion.

Qualifications:

To perform this job successfully an individual must be able to perform each duty satisfactorily.  The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education/Experience/License:

• Graduation from a four-year college or university is preferred, but may consider an equivalent combination of library experience, training, and relevant work experience.
• Effective customer service experience preferred.
• A valid driver’s license.

Language Ability:

Able to communicate clearly using English, both written and oral.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

None

Work Environment:

• The noise level is usually quiet with exceptions during programs or events.
• The work schedule includes days, evenings and weekend hours.
• Must be willing to work a flexible schedule.

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Able to stand, walk, crouch, stoop, squat, twist, climb, push/pull, up to 40 lbs.
• Able to use hands to grasp a barcode scanner and keyboard for extended periods of time.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job are close vision and the ability to adjust focus.
• Ability to drive to other locations as needed.

Working Conditions:

This position is 40 hours per week including evening and some Saturdays. Benefits include: paid holiday, vacation & sick leave; paid single health insurance coverage; paid $20,000 term life insurance coverage; Public Employees Retirement Associate (PERA); Social Security (FICA); optional flexible spending plan; optional dental insurance; optional vision insurance; optional deferred compensation plan; optional AFLAC insurance policies; six month orientation period.  Position represented by employees’ union (AFSCME).  Place of employment is the Crookston Branch of Lake Agassiz Regional Library with occasional travel to other branch libraries and LINK sites required.

Salary:   $17.81/hr.

Application forms and cover letters are required  and should be submitted to:
Human Resources, Lake Agassiz Regional Library
118 5^th St S, Moorhead, MN  56560
E-mail: larlhr@larl.org  Fax:  218-233-7556.

Applications accepted until the position is filled.

Those interested in improving their financial know-how will have several opportunities to attend Financial Workshops at LARL locations this month. These programs are offered free-of-charge with no registration required.

Financial Credit Workshop
Monday, August 18 from 5:30pm – 6:30pm
Location: Breckenridge Public Library

Join your library for a financial credit workshop facilitated by BMO Bank N.A. employees, including Carissa Medhaug, Bank Manager, and Bailey Meier, Retail Relationship Banker.

This financial workshop is designed to teach you about credit. Whether you are just getting started or looking to rebuild, we will discuss the essentials of what credit is and why it is important, how to build strong credit from scratch, and the different types of loans and how they work.

Budgeting Basics
Tuesday, August 19 from 6:30pm – 7:30pm
Location: Ada Public Library

Join the Ada Public Library for a financial budgeting workshop featuring Barbara Kesselberg, Bank Manager & Vice President at BMO Bank N.A in Ada.

Join us for a free and empowering community event with Similoluwa (Simi) Kasakwe-Welsch, a licensed insurance agent based out of Starbuck, MN. Simi is passionate about helping individuals and families feel more confident about their financial future.

This session will cover practical and personalized topics like:

• Budgeting for real life.
• Protecting your income.
• Legacy planning.
• Understanding life insurance basics.

Expect about an hour of engaging presentation and interactive Q&A—with an extra 30 minutes afterward for one-on-one conversations or additional questions. Whether you’re just getting started or looking to fine-tune your financial strategy, this is a safe and supportive space to learn.

Minnesota, let’s read together!
August 4 – September 28, 2024

Join Lake Agassiz Regional Library and libraries across the state to participate in the fourteenth chapter of One Book | One Minnesota, a statewide book club that invites Minnesotans of all ages to read a common title and come together virtually to enjoy, reflect, and discuss. This year’s title for the program is “Evidence of V: a Novel in Fragments, Facts, and Fictions” by Sheila O’Conner.

Virtual Author Conversation
Conversation with Sheila O’Connor and Mubanga Kalimamukwento
Wednesday, September 17 | 7:00 p.m.
Register for free here.

Read digitally for free with Ebooks of Minnesota here!

About the Book
In a blend of fact and fiction, including family secrets, documents from the era, and a thin, fragmentary
case file unsealed by the court, Sheila O’Connor tells the riveting story of V, a talented fifteen-year-old
singer in 1930s Minneapolis who aspires to be a star. Drawing on the little-known American practice of
incarcerating adolescent girls for “immorality” in the first half of the twentieth century, O’Connor
follows young V from her early work as a nightclub entertainer to her subsequent six-year state school
sentence for an unplanned pregnancy. As V struggles to survive within a system only nominally
committed to rescue and reform, she endures injustices that will change the course of her life and the
lives of her descendants

About the Author
Sheila O’Connor is the award-winning author of six novels. Her work has been widely anthologized and
published in many magazines and journals. She is a graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and has
been awarded two Bush Fellowships, Minnesota State Arts Board Artist Initiative Grants, and a McKnight
Fellowship.  She has been a residency fellow at Yaddo, The Studios of Key West, Anderson Center for
Interdisciplinary Studies, Tyrone Guthrie Center, and elsewhere. She is a professor of Creative Writing at
Hamline University.

One Book | One Minnesota is presented by The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library, as the Minnesota Center for the Book, in partnership with State Library Services and sponsored by Blaze Credit Union. Program partners also include Council of Regional Public Library System Administrators; Mackin VIA; Minitex; the Minnesota Department of Education; Macmillan Publishers; and Recorded Books. This program is made possible in part through an appropriation from the Minnesota State Legislature to The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library as the Minnesota Center for the Book. See more details and a list of previous titles here.

I have never read a book so fast! Filled with chaotic magic and silliness, kids are bound to fall in love with characters like Eric, a troll housekeeper with his pink feather duster, or Nine, a street smart pickpocket. Full of loud magic and found family, this book is great for those who have enjoyed Howl’s Moving Castle or other Studio Ghibli films.

-Eliza, Detroit Lakes Public Library

Request The House at the Edge of Magic

Lake Agassiz Regional Library’s (LARL) has released its latest Donor Report acknowledging those who donated to LARL during the year 2024. A very special thank you to those who have donated to their library and are helping us achieve our mission of enriching lives and strengthening communities.

View the 2024 Donor Report Here!

Help chart the future of Lake Agassiz Regional Library! As part of our Strategic Planning process we are seeking your feedback on your library’s services, resources and more. 

Take the Survey Here 

Lake Agassiz Regional Library has partnered with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources to offer free access to the state’s parks and recreation areas. 

We’ve collaborated with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources to provide free state park passes for you to check out through the Minnesota State Park Library Program. This pass covers the vehicle entry fee to any state park or recreation area, making it easier to visit a new destination or an old favorite. The pass provides access to parks around the state for seven days. Passes may be reserved up to seven days in advance by calling the library.

When you get to the state park, make sure the pass is clearly displayed on your vehicle dashboard so park staff can check for the expiration date. Passes only cover the vehicle entrance fee, so if you’d like to camp, reservations will need to be made and paid for separately. Finally, when you are finished, just recycle the pass!

Passes are available at all branch locations:, Ada Public Library, Bagley Public Library, Barnesville Public Library, Breckenridge Public Library, Climax Public Library. Crookston Public Library, Detroit Lakes Public Library, Fertile Public Library, Fosston Public Library, Hawley Public Library,  Mahnomen Public Library, McIntosh Public Library, and Moorhead Public Library.

A list of state parks and recreation areas can be found at dnr.state.mn.us.

When the Tides Held the Moon has been described as The Shape of Water meets The Greatest Showman. It is by far one of the most beautiful romances I’ve read in awhile. The prose is gorgeous and the characters come to life. I already know this will be one of my top books of the year!

-Chelsi, Detroit Lakes Public Library

Request When the Tides Held the Moon.

When: Thursday, August 28 from 6-9 p.m.
Where: Rustica Eatery and Tavern
Limited tickets are available at $125/ticket and can be purchased at friendsofthemoorheadlibrary.org.

This fundraising event will benefit the new Moorhead Public Library, which will open Spring 2026 in a new facility named The Loop (450 Center Ave. in downtown Moorhead). The Loop will house the library’s collection, resources and services alongside additional amenities such as an indoor walking track, playground and resource center for entrepreneurs called the Spark Center.