Subscribe to ShelfLife

Keep in the loop with the latest news! Sign up for our monthly ShelfLife e-newsletters to learn about upcoming programs, discover unique services and explore new ideas. For a limited time: If you sign up for ShelfLife, your name will be entered into a drawing to win your choice of a mug (pictured below). Winners must pick up mug at the library.

Youth News

News for Kids, Teens & Caregivers

Youth Writing Contest Winners

Youth Writing Contest Winners

October 15, 2024: We extend our warmest congratulations to all the young writers who participated in our writing contest! Sixteen talented writers, ages 8-12, submitted stories inspired by Just Keep Walking, a middle-grade novel by Erin Soderberg Downing. Erin, who...

Discovery Room: Pick Your Own Fun

Discovery Room: Pick Your Own Fun

Our Discovery Room is transformed into a bountiful apple orchard in September through November! Run a farm stand, weigh apples, bake pretend pies, and count play money. Open during library hours, the Discovery Room offers a space for kids and caregivers to play,...

Naturalist-in-Residence Programs

Naturalist-in-Residence Programs

Embark on a journey into the natural world with Andy Weaver, former Stillwater Area High School biology and environmental science teacher. As the Naturalist-in-Residence at Stillwater and Bayport public libraries, Andy invites children (ages 8+) and their families to...

Discovery Room: An Oceanic Adventure

Discovery Room: An Oceanic Adventure

Get ready for an oceanic adventure in the Discovery Room this summer! Dive into the depths aboard the "Poseidon" submarine and explore the wonders of the underwater world. Equipped with an ocean bucket and magnifying glass, young explorers will map the ocean floor,...

Summer Wednesdays on the Lawn

Summer Wednesdays on the Lawn

June 5 - August 7, 2024: Join us on Wednesdays from June 5 –  August 7 at 10:30 AM for special guest performances as part of our Summer Explorers program. All ages are welcome with program content targeted toward school age children. No registration is required....

Discovery Room: Imagination in Bloom

Discovery Room: Imagination in Bloom

With the changing seasons come new activities in the children’s Discovery Room! Young visitors and their caregivers can explore the spring theme of “Garden Center” featuring flowers, vegetables, seeds, and other planting fun. Through May, children will delight in...

Discovery Room: So Cold

Discovery Room: So Cold

December 2023 - February 2024: The Discovery Room is ready for imaginative play centered around the wintery theme of "so cold" - snowflakes, snow friends, icy winds, and, of course, ice cream! Children can play ice cream parlor as they scoop, serve, and sell sweet...

Mystery Youth Writing Contest Winners

Mystery Youth Writing Contest Winners

October 31, 2023: Congratulations to all of our Youth Mystery Writing Contest participants! Twenty-nine young writers (ages 8-12) submitted stories to our mystery writing contest based on Long Lost, a middle-grade novel by Minnesota Book Award Winner Jacqueline West....

Discovery Room: Water & the St. Croix River

Discovery Room: Water & the St. Croix River

September - November 2023: The Discovery Room is ready for imaginative play centered around the theme of water and the St. Croix River. Children can investigate a pretend pool containing stuffie fish and puppet animals that are found in the St. Croix River Valley;...

Book Picks for Starting Kindergarten

Book Picks for Starting Kindergarten

It’s hard to think about going back to school when it feels like summer just started. However, if your child is starting school for the first time, they might have some questions or worries about these changes. Will I have friends, are my new teachers nice, will the...