The Lake Agassiz Regional Library (LARL) system is a public library system in northwestern Minnesota that covers seven counties. The administrative office is located in the Moorhead branch. In total there are 13 branch libraries and 9 LINK site locations. [1]
The Moorhead Public Library opened on July 12, 1906. This became possible when the city of Moorhead secured a Carnegie Grant for $10,000 in 1903. The Clay County Library system was formed in 1949 and three ways of extending their services were established. They opened their services up to all county residents, they extended their library services to rural schools, and established traveling library "stations" that remained in rural towns for a few months. In 1949 they also began the Clay County Bookmobile service, one of the first bookmobiles in Minnesota.
The Lake Agassiz Regional Library system was developed in 1961 to extend library services throughout the counties in northwestern Minnesota. It was the first regional library system created in Minnesota that was formed through already existing rural libraries. [1]
In 2008, LARL won the Highsmith Award for Library Innovation for the development of LINK sites. LARL established 10 Library LINK sites which provide small collections, computer terminals connected to the LARL catalog, regular hours and volunteers trained and supported by library staff. In 2014, the LINK site in Shelly, MN closed due to funding issues. Nine LINK sites remain to support rural communities throughout the region.
Clay County is a county in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 65,318. Its county seat is Moorhead. Clay County is part of the Fargo, ND-MN Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Detroit Lakes is a city and the county seat of Becker County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 9,869 at the 2020 census. Its unofficial population during summer months is much higher, estimated by citizens to peak at 13,000 midsummers, due to seasonal residents and tourists.
Moorhead is a city in and the county seat of Clay County, Minnesota, United States, on the banks of the Red River of the North. Located in the Red River Valley, an extremely fertile and active agricultural region, Moorhead is also home to several corporations and manufacturing industries. Across the river from Fargo, North Dakota, Moorhead helps form the core of the Fargo–Moorhead ND-MN Metropolitan Area. The population was 44,505 at the 2020 census. Moorhead is notably a hub of higher education in Minnesota, home to Minnesota State University Moorhead, Concordia College, and a campus of Minnesota State Community and Technical College.
Ulen is a city in Clay County, Minnesota, United States, along the South Branch of the Wild Rice River. The population was 476 at the 2020 census.
Fargo is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Cass County. The population was 125,990 at the 2020 census, which was estimated to have grown to 133,188 in 2023, making it the 218th-most populous city in the United States. Fargo, along with its twin city of Moorhead, Minnesota, form the core of the Fargo–Moorhead metropolitan statistical area, which had a population of 248,591 in 2020.
The Red River Valley is a region in central North America that is drained by the Red River of the North; it is part of both Canada and the United States. Forming the border between Minnesota and North Dakota when these territories were admitted as states in the United States, this fertile valley has been important to the economies of these states and to Manitoba, Canada.
A bookmobile, or mobile library, is a vehicle designed for use as a library. They have been known by many names throughout history, including traveling library, library wagon, book wagon, book truck, library-on-wheels, and book auto service. Bookmobiles expand the reach of traditional libraries by transporting books to potential readers, providing library services to people in otherwise underserved locations and/or circumstances. Bookmobile services and materials, may be customized for the locations and populations served.
Fargo–Moorhead, also known as the FM area, is a common name given to the metropolitan area comprising Fargo, North Dakota; Moorhead, Minnesota; and the surrounding communities. These two cities lie on the North Dakota–Minnesota border, on opposite banks of the Red River of the North. The region is the cultural, retail, health care, educational, and industrial center of southeastern North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota.
The Heritage Hjemkomst Interpretive Center, commonly known as the Hjemkomst Center, is a museum in Moorhead, Minnesota. Hjemkomst Center first opened in 1985 and serves as a home to Hjemkomst Viking Ship, Hopperstad Stave Church replica, quarterly museum exhibits, and county archives. In 2009, the Clay County Historical Society and the Heritage Hjemkomst Interpretive Center merged to form the Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County.
Buffalo River State Park is a state park of Minnesota, United States, conserving a prairie bisected by the wooded banks of the Buffalo River. Together with the adjacent Bluestem Prairie Scientific and Natural Area co-owned by The Nature Conservancy and Minnesota's Department of Natural Resources, it protects one of the largest and highest-quality prairie remnants in Minnesota. It used to offer a man-made swimming pond close to the Fargo–Moorhead metropolitan area, however, that has not been open since 2018. Presently, it is most popular for its high quality educational programming, swimming in the Buffalo River, and picnicking. The 1,068-acre (432 ha) park is located just off U.S. Route 10 in Clay County, 4.5 miles (7.2 km) east of Glyndon and 14 miles (23 km) east of Moorhead.
Pikes Peak Library District (PPLD) is a nationally recognized system of public libraries serving a population of more than 650,000 across 2,070 square miles in El Paso County, Colorado. Pikes Peak Library District has resources for children, teens, adults, and seniors. Library resources are available in multiple languages, large print, audio, video, and electronic formats.
Fort Vancouver Regional Libraries is a public library system in southwestern Washington state. The library district was established in 1950 as the first inter-county rural library district in Washington. The district has grown since 1950 to serve all of Clark, Skamania and Klickitat Counties, and the city of Woodland and the independent Yale Valley Library District in Cowlitz County.
The Kitsap Regional Library is a public library system in Kitsap County, Washington, United States. It has nine locations that serve over 280,000 residents in Kitsap County; its collection includes over 300,000 items that have an annual circulation of 2.4 million. Founded in 1945 as the Kitsap County Rural Library District, the modern system was formed from a 1955 merger with the Bremerton city library.
The Whatcom County Library System (WCLS) is a public library service for residents of Whatcom County, Washington. It has 10 library branches, a bookmobile, and other programs.
The Miami-Dade Public Library System (MDPLS) is a system of libraries in Miami-Dade County, Florida.
The Library System of Lancaster County (LSLC) is a federated system, which serves 519,462 residents in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. It is made up of a consortium of 14 member libraries, two branches and a bookmobile. LSLC was established in April 1987 to provide well-coordinated, countywide services and cooperative programs to assist member libraries in meeting the diverse needs of its residents. The LSLC support and centralized services include (public Internet access, a shared online public access catalog system, subscription to database- and online homework-help research services, consulting services, continuing education training in internal library operations, governance, business-information services, youth services, public relations, assistance with countywide programs and services, technology support, web hosting, email, calendars, the catalog, circulation, headquarters and library PCs and peripherals, training and security. The system also provides services for ordering, cataloging and processing library materials with collection development, collective purchasing, managing catalog databases, negotiating vendor discounts, and outreach services to special populations through the bookmobile and collection development.
The Scott County Library System is the library system in Scott County, Iowa. It is headquartered in Eldridge, Iowa,
The Wimmera Regional Library Corporation is situated in the northwest of Victoria, Australia. It covers an area of approximately 36,800 km2. and serves two local government bodies -Horsham Rural City Council and West Wimmera Shire Council, with a combined population of approximately 23,700. As these figures indicate, its clientele is predominantly rural-based and often has considerable distances between centres.
Nashville Public Library (NPL) is the public library system serving Nashville, Tennessee and the metropolitan area of Davidson County. In 2010, the Nashville Public Library was the recipient of the National Medal for Museum and Library Service. The library was named the Gale/Library Journal 2017 Library of the Year.
The South Georgia Regional Library (SGRL) is a public library system consisting of six branches across the counties of Lowndes, Echols, and Lanier, Georgia. The headquarters library is the Valdosta-Lowndes County Library located in Valdosta, Georgia.
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