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Volume 120 ∙ Issue 4 ∙ June 25, 2026
Great Reads From Great Places 2026 Author Visits
Submitted by Tammy Kruger
Have you signed your library up for a visit from one of our 2026 Great Reads from Great Places authors? All North Dakota libraries are encouraged to apply. Survey is here. Each author – two youth and one adult this year – will pick four libraries or schools to visit. You have until September 16th to apply; visits can start as soon as October and go through spring 2027. Let’s do a recap of the chosen books:
“July 4, 2026: The Tenacious 10 Celebrate the 56 Signers of the Declaration of Independence” by Paulette Bullinger and Kevin Kremer
Readers join nine teenagers and their friendly robot -- the Tenacious 10 -- on a historic adventure to celebrate America’s 250th birthday! This time, they are traveling to each state capital, showing talking holographs of the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence. Over the course of three weeks, readers follow their journey, learning our nation’s history along the way!
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“They Caught Them Sleeping: How Dot Reinvented the Pretzel” by Jeff Kolpack
This title is a success story of American entrepreneurship! Meet Dorothy Henke, rural North Dakotan native. With a combination of determination, steady work-ethic, creativity, and help from friends and family, Dorothy became known as Dot by Americans across the country! Dot’s Pretzels were a smash hit and continue to be a favorite today!
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America 250 Beanstack Challenge
Celebrate our nation’s 250th birthday by reading to earn monument and pastime badges! This 300-minute challenge runs July 1 through July 31. It counts towards our statewide community goal… which North Dakota readers are crushing by the way!
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Hot Air Balloons
The Invention of Hot Air Balloons
Hot air balloons were invented by French brothers, Joseph and Jacques-Etienne Montgolifer. They conducted their first flights, without and then with human passengers, in 1783. Several American founding fathers witnessed early hot air balloon flights. George Washington is credited with calling ballooning “eyes on the skies” (Presidential, 2016).
How do Hot Air Balloons Work?
Hot air balloons operate because warm air rises in colder air. Traditionally, balloons are made up of three parts: the envelope, the burner, and the basket. The envelope is the balloon part. The burner is the heating element. And basket is where passengers and the pilot stand. To make the balloon rise, the pilot heats the burner; to make the balloon descend, the pilot allows the air to cool (Fisher, n.d.).
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Carrington City Library received financial support from Gate City Bank, ND Community Foundation, Carrington Wrestling Club, Sykeston Gaming Committee, and Fetch’s 5-Spot Gaming for their summer reading program
Grand Forks Public Library is holding a Library Card Design Contest for kids, teens, and adults. The winning design will be inspired by the "Find Your Joy" theme and be featured on official library cards
The Forks Mobile Market will be stopping at the Grand Forks Public Library every Wednesday (July 15-October 7) from 3:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Bismarck Veterans Memorial Public Library received a Kawai upright piano generously donated by Bob Beck on behalf of his mother, Maureen Beck, including all the preparations to get it performance ready
Minot Public Library received support from TcNursery, Gravel Products Inc, and Sundre Sand & Gravel for this year's Summer Reading Program
Children at the New Town City Library have created Lego cars for the New Town Chamber Car and Motorcycle Show. The public is invited to stop by the library to vote for their favorite creation
Lakota City Library is holding a 100 Year Celebration with self-tours, refreshments, outdoor activities, face painting, and more on June 27
Lake Region Public Library hosted an Adult Bookish Bingo event
Ward County Public Library received support from Dakota Kids Dentistry and Mainstream Boutique for their Summer Reading Program
Beulah Public Library, Western Plains Public Health, and the Beulah Police Department will be offering stories, a car seat checkup, and bike safety at the Safety Rodeo on June 25
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2026 Science Fiction
Joseph Eckert’s The Traveler explores the parental illness through a science fiction lens. Every morning Scott is pushed forwards in time. The first jump only loses him a day but each morning forces him out more and more until he’s losing years at a time, years where his wife and young son Lyle have to live without him. Scott’s bizarre disease becomes a life mission for Lyle who goes on to become the world’s leading expert in quantum physics as he fights to figure out what’s happening to his father and if he can bring him home for good.
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People You Should Meet
Submitted by Monica Struck
It is a truth universally acknowledged that asking a person to choose a favorite book is an impossible feat. I am no exception to this rule. I could no sooner choose a favorite book than I could choose a favorite star in the sky. However, I can absolutely choose favorite authors. The following, in no particular order, are some of my favorites. They are worth your time, and I hope you will feel compelled to meet them through their work.
G.K. Chesterton. I first met Gilbert Keith at UND in a class where we read some of his essays and one of his novels (The Man Who was Thursday). I fell in love with his whimsy and methods of contemplation. He was a prolific writer, so if you feel turned off by any of his work, put it aside and try something else. He has essays, novels, and nonfiction in his portfolio. He is a good friend of mine, and I hope that you get to meet him someday (if you haven’t already).
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 National Recording Registry
Similar to the National Film Registry, the National Recording Registry is another program of the Library of Congress. Each year since 2002, 25 recordings are selected and added to the collection. The recordings inducted are deemed to be historically or culturally significant. It is sort of like a “hall of fame” for audio. Except, in this case, the recordings are forever preserved by the Library of Congress.
The inductees for this year include mostly music, either singles or albums. But other recordings can also be added to the Registry. For example, this year included the 1971 broadcast of the “Fight of the Century” (Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier), as well as the soundtrack for the 1993 video game “Doom.”
The oldest recording inducted this year is the 1944 single “Cocktails for Two” by Spike Jones and His City Slickers. The newest inducted was the 2014 album “1989” by Taylor Swift (and the Swifties rejoice!).
Some of the singles inducted include “Fly Me to the Moon” by Kaye Ballard (1954), “Turn! Turn! Turn!” by The Byrds (1965), the 1970 Christmas jingle “Feliz Navidad” by José Feliciano, 1979’s “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” by The Charlie Daniels Band (cue the fiddle!), and you can’t talk about singles without including “Single Ladies” by Beyoncé (2008).
Several albums were inducted from artists such as Ray Charles, The Go-Go’s, Reba McEntire, Rosanne Cash (daughter of Johnny Cash), Weezer, and the beforementioned Taylor Swift.
Browse the entire Registry to see if your favorite song or album has been inducted. If not, you can always nominate your favorites.
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Every Arrow in the Quiver: Toledo Lucas County Public Library’s Engagement Strategy Hits the Mark
For those who have been following along with WebJunction’s communication series, this final installment features a conversation with Terri Carroll, Director of Communications and Design at Toledo Lucas County Public Library to discuss the strategies her team uses to drive engagement. In 2025, the Toledo Lucas County Public Library signed up 20,000 new library cards. They are doing something right and this article features some of the biggest takeaways.
In this article, you can read about how to build relationships with public services staff, to work in partnership to spot opportunities for emerging communication needs and act early. You’ll learn about the importance of knowing your community’s needs, how to physically show up in your community and giving the library a human face, how to highlight your lesser-known community services, and what it takes to build relationships with local media. And don’t forget about the stickers! Terri’s advice: use every arrow in your quiver.
Minitex has announced two new introductory cataloging courses available through the Minnesota Libraries Learning Network (MLLN) platform. These courses are self-paced with readings, recorded videos, and knowledge checks. These courses are free for library cataloging staff in North Dakota - staff will receive a Certificate of Completion through the MLLN Canvas platform
Ann Patchett will be awarded the 2026 Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction from the Library of Congress. This prestigious award honors an American literary writer whose body of work is distinguished by the mastery of the art, as well as its originality of thought and imagination.
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NDLA News: Award Nominations Needed!
This is your last chance to nominate your friends and colleagues for Librarian of the Year, and your key donors and supporters for Major Benefactor!
Letters of Nomination should be sent to President-Elect Maddie Sharpe by June 30, 2026, at president.elect@ndla.info.
For more information about the awards, go to https://ndla.info/Major-Benefactor-Award or https://ndla.info/Librarian-of-the-Year-Award/.
If you'd like help drafting a letter, please reach out to the Communications Council at communications@ndla.info.
The Flickertale is a weekly publication of the North Dakota State Library
Mary J. Soucie, State Librarian
ISSN: 1068-5383
This publication is supported in part by the Institute of Museum and Library
Services under the provisions of the Grant to States Program as
administered by the North Dakota State Library.
Any mention of services or products in this newsletter does not constitute
any endorsement or recommendation. The use of any services or
products should be evaluated on an individual basis.
www.library.nd.gov
To submit content ideas/articles for a future issue of the Flickertale,
please contact BreAnne at ndslpa@nd.gov.
Times referenced are Central Time.
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Some of these resources and programs are funded under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. |
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