Getting ready to make the transition to retirement? Trying to get a handle on your monthly budget? Wanting to learn more about investing your money? Join UMN Extension's Financial Capability Educator, Samantha Ross, to delve into the ins and outs of money management. These in-person classes make it easier to ask questions as they occur to you, and handouts will be provided to all attendees. Register by clicking on the blue class links below.

Saturday, October 2nd, 10:30-11:30am

Prior Lake Library

Saturday, October 9th, 10:30-11:30am

New Prague Library

Wednesday, October 13th, 630-7:30pm

Shakopee Library

Trivia Night (in-person!)

Thursday, October 14th, 6:30-8:00pm

You knew it was just a matter of time before we did this...a books and literature trivia night! Join library staff at Giesenbrau Bier Co. for a night of book-related trivia and activities. Register as a team, or sign-up as a single and we'll place you with a team! For adults 21 & up. For more details, and to register, click on the blue link above.

Thursday, October 14th, 2:00-3:30pm

Virtually on Zoom

Potential stakeholders need to connect with ideas. The strongest proposals don’t just relate the compelling facts -- they weave them together into a powerful story to make an idea, need, or purpose into something visceral. But how do you actually do that? In this seminar, we’ll look at the principles of storytelling and proposal structure and make sure that your next one makes your best ideas come to life.

Thursday, October 21st, 2:00-3:30pm

Virtually on Zoom

Great presentations require many of the principles behind great writing. It’s not just about getting the idea across, it’s about finding the most compelling way to do it. This seminar is for anyone who struggles with their presentations—getting complicated ideas across, finding the balance between information and interactivity, and engaging an audience. It’s also for anyone who’s been read mind-numbing slide after slide and vowed that they’d never do that to someone else.

Thursday, October 28th, 2:00-3:30pm

Virtually on Zoom

Do you know why your organization uses (or should use) social media? If you don’t know or you thought something like ‘to make it go viral’ or ‘that’s just what everyone does,’ you probably don’t have much in the way of social media strategy. In this seminar, we’ll explore what tools to consider, when and how often to post, which content to share, who can help create and extend conversations, and how to analyze your results, diffuse your critics, and amplify your strongest advocates.

Wednesday, October 20th, 6:30-7:30pm

Virtually via Zoom

The Savage Library welcomes Sisters in Crime moderator Timya Owen as she talks with authors Christine Husom, Rob Jung, Natalie Fowler about how and why paranormal fiction is more popular today than ever before. Our authors present an intriguing exploration of paranormal elements and their influence on today’s modern crime fiction.  Registration required.

October 8th & 9th

Friday, 10:00am-5:00pm

Saturday, 10:00am-1:00pm

Find Adult Fiction, Non-fiction, Children's, Junior Fiction, Young Adult Fiction, VHS Movies, DVD's, Books on Cassette and Books on CD. Something for everyone! Proceeds from this sale will go to help with library programming.

PLEASE NOTE: The Savage Friends of the Library Book Sale, scheduled for October 2-3 has been cancelled.

Wednesday, November 3rd, 9:00-10:30am

Elko New Market Library

Learn the basics to select the best Medicare plan for you. Learn about Medicare Parts A, B, C and D and additional insurance options. We'll help you understand the enrollment process and options that affect personal costs. Registration required.

Saturday, November 6th, 10:00-11:30am

Virtually on Zoom

The reality of today's book industry is that everyone has a different experience, from how a book is written to how (and if) the writer finds an agent. Yet there are specific best practices every writer should be aware of, so that they have a better publishing experience. In this class, we'll talk about some of the best practices to implement as you guide your book from manuscript to publication. Registration required.

All library-facilitated book clubs are now meeting in-person at the library.

Second Wednesday, 7:00-8:00pm

Savage Library

October selection: Dream Land: The True Tale of America's Opiate Epidemic by Sam Quinones.

Fourth Tuesday, 6:00-7:15pm

Prior Lake Library

October selection: Circe by Madeline Miller

Fourth Wednesday, 6:30-7:30pm

Savage Library

October selection: How It All Began by Penelope Lively

Keep an eye on the Library Events Calendar to see when other book clubs return, or new ones are formed. To find book clubs more easily in the catalog, use the dark blue Category menu below the search bar, and choose "Books/Authors".

Monday, October 11th

All Day

Discuss family law issues with a volunteer attorney via phone. This may include divorce, post-divorce issues, custody and parenting time, child support and more. Advance registration required. 

Thursdays, October 7th & 21st

All Day

Meet by phone with a volunteer attorney for 30 mins to discuss a civil legal issue (this can include family law, conciliation/civil court, protective orders, simple probate/estate questions, etc.). Advance registration required.

All events listed below are presented by CareerForce, and ALL require advance registration.

South of the River Hiring Event - Thursday, October 7th, 10:00am-12:00pm - Meet online with 25+ south metro employers to learn about their companies and job openings. Share your resume and profile, and talk via text and video to explore a fit.

The Inside Scoop on Career Change - Thursday, October 14th, 1:00-2:30pm - Join Tony Saffold, Communications Consultant, Educator, and veteran Broadcast Journalist in this engaging online workshop to help you to explore career change. Topics to be addressed include: financial security; sensible risks; family; your age; readiness for change; the job market; transferable skills; motivation; passions; emotional stability; modifying your resume; whether to change to a completely different or related industry or occupation. Learn how to research different careers while keeping in mind your hobbies, passions, and transferable skills.

Interview Skills Online - Wednesday, October 20th, 10:30am-12:00pm - Do you get the jitters before an interview? Become more confident by preparing ahead of time, learning techniques you can use to answer questions, and how to close the interview. We’ll also discuss what to do after the interview and how to negotiate salary.

Saturday, October 16th, 2:00-3:30pm

Hyland Lake Park Reserve

Use an old-fashioned cider press to make apple cider and taste the finished product. Learn about pollinators, seeds and fruits on an autumn nature walk. Reservations recommended.

Using Your Harvest - The University of Minnesota Extension has great resources on preserving and safely storing your harvest.

This week's challenge: 1970s Movies trivia. Good luck!

Ready, Set, Action! Try this movie trivia, by Kyle in New Prague, and see if you know your 1970s films! The multiple choice challenge is timed, so the faster you respond, the more points you get! You have 3 weeks, until October 21, to take the challenge.

We’ve built our trivia challenge in Kahoot!, but there’s no need for you to create an account. Just click the link, spin for a randomly-generated player name, and play!

For those of you who remember your "name" in the National Parks challenge in September, here are the final standings:

All titles are available (or will soon be available) in print at the library, and/or in eBook and eAudiobook form on Libby.

Bakery Novels - recommended by Marietta, Library Associate at the Savage Library

Here is a book list of bakeries that use real butter and talk about the terrific ingredients in their products. I would like to visit each and every one of them!

Summer at Little Beach Street Bakery (first in a series) by Jenny Colgan

A Catered Murder (first in a series) by Isis Crawford

The Ingredients of You and Me by Nina Bocci

A Gingerbread Romance by Lacey Baker

The Recipe Box: A Novel with Recipes by Viola Shipman

The Cake Therapist by Judith Fertig

Joanne Fluke -- Almost every book she has ever written!