Local News

Library cards open doors

A library card provides local residents and non-residents with access to books, technology, education and entertainment materials. Libraries also offer programs and spaces for community members to connect.

Valerie Huseth, instruction and outreach for Minot Public Library, and Kerrianne Boetcher, library administrator for the Ward Public Library, said libraries serve as a community resource for everyone, regardless of age or background.

"Having a library card gives a person access to many resources, whether that be books, computers, help and programming, but it can help with socialization," Huseth said. "It also shows support for the community. It shows that you're invested here by having a library card."

Huseth said the library’s role in the community extends beyond the materials available. A library’s role is to serve the community and the people’s needs.

"We’re here for you," Huseth said. "We’re here for the community. We’re here to help make connections and we’re for everybody, not for just one group of people. We are a community resource for everybody, for all walks of life and we're here to serve you in the best way we can."

The libraries have a wide range of activities throughout the year, with options available for children, teens and adults. Community members can find their next hobby with the libraries’ adventure backpacks without having to purchase different materials.

"All of our programming is free," Huseth said. "You don't need a library card to go to a program, but if you do have a card, you can check out materials that include books, movies, board games and video games. We have a tool library, anything from a screwdriver up to a miter saw if you need one. We have story times, crafting, 3-D printing and we also have D&D (Dungeons & Dragons)."

For those around the Minot area, The Ward County Public Library offers a collection of books, magazines, videos, audio books and technology through its Bookmobile. The program is available 30 hours a week and is open to the general public. Boetcher said they visit schools, local communities and churches.

Libraries serve as points of access for residents who may not have access to a printer, computer, free books or other resources throughout the year. With new people and families moving to the city every year, Huseth said, visiting and partaking in the programs is a good way people can take care of their health.

"I think it's the connection. It is getting resources to people who need them, whether that is resources for housing, food or just being a place to cool down in the summer or warm up in the winter," Huseth said. "Computers help people fill out job applications. Some people might be lonely. Maybe they don’t have family or friends here, but if you're able to go to a library and meet people, if you're able to go to a program, that's really good for your mental and physical health. Reading knowledge, too. If you don't have anywhere to go or have money to buy a book, we've got them for you. If we don't have it, it's our job to help you find it."

"Libraries throughout history have been seen as a community stronghold," Boetcher said. "It’s a place for the community to come forever, where everyone is welcome and where everybody can find something for them."

For families, reading programs through the library are an opportunity to incorporate everyday reading into their children’s routine. Both Huseth and Boetcher said discovering books early on and encouraging reading can expand their world.

"We actually do a couple of different reading programs every year," Huseth said. "Maybe you can't come here all the time, but you can still participate in our reading programs. We have summer reading and then we have what we call sweater weather coming up. It will start in November and it's done through an app called Beanstack. You don't have to have a library card. If you're reading for 20 minutes, you put it on the Beanstack app and then you have a chance for prizes. In the summer we have different programs and you can see friends from school or you can meet new friends and do the programs and crafts. I think that's a good way to get that excitement in there."

"It expands your world," Boetcher said. "It expands what you can experience. It helps you learn about new things and experience things. People say, 'Why read?' Why not?"

Introducing books to children can aid in developing interests and perspectives beyond the classroom. Huseth and Boetcher said literacy can have an impact on how children learn and interact with the world around them.

"Reading is an essential part of life. Everything requires reading," Huseth said. "Having that knowledge brought in early is important, but it also helps the child. It really gives the child a head start in life to help them form opinions and navigate what they like and enjoy and giving them an opportunity to find themselves in books. Reading is essential and will help them in life and in school."

"Literacy helps you with anything," Boetcher said. "It helps you do math, history and English. It helps you become a better person, especially in the age of AI, learning what’s real and what’s not."

As technology and access to information continue to evolve, libraries remain a place where people can expand their knowledge and learn different perspectives. With national debates over books, librarians say access to a variety of information remains important.

"The library is a place for everybody and it takes all kinds of people to make the world go around," Huseth said. "We don't cater to any one mindset or any one thought process. We have things that others aren't going to agree with. We have things people don't personally like, but it isn't our role as a library to censor those materials because somebody else might find them beneficial. Somebody else might find that helpful, or even if you don't agree with it, you might learn something from it and that's the point of a library. It's learning and having something for everyone."

Anyone can apply for a library card from either library with a valid ID showing a current address. At Minot Public Library, if the ID does not show a Minot address, applicants can provide a piece of mail from the past 60 days as proof of address and non-residents can obtain a card for a $25 fee. Children as young as 4 are eligible for a library card and those younger than 18 must have parental approval.

As libraries continue to add new technology, programs and services, Huseth said, their role continues to evolve alongside the needs of the communities they serve.

"We're more than just books," Huseth said. "We're not a dying source. We are forever evolving with the world."