The Library-a-Thon is comingThe Library-a-Thon 

With only two years off during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Elbow Lake Public Library’s Library-a-thon has been happening every spring for approximately twenty-five years. The original Library-a-thon was the brainchild of West Central English teacher John Zdrazil and then Library Director Gail Hedstrom. It offered events around the clock for approximately 36 hours, starting Friday morning and included a library sleepover for many years. Other events have been baking contests, antique appraisals, Haiku contests, Scrabble tournaments, spelling bees, always a supper on Friday night, usually a breakfast on Saturday morning, bingo for books, and many other educational and fun activities.

This year’s Library-a-thon is scheduled for April 27 -29. Each class from West Central Area North Elementary School will visit the library for activities during the day on Thursday or Friday. Friday afternoon from 4-6:00 brings the opportunity for anyone to make bookmarks for free or get tattoos and stickers for a small fee in the Swanson Room of the Elbow Lake Community Building.

A community-wide soup and sandwich supper will be offered in the Sanford room from 5-6:30 p.m. A free-will offering is requested with a suggested minimum of $12 for adults and $7 for children.

Adults Only Pub Trivia begins Friday evening at 7 p.m. in the Sanford Room. This event was a huge success last year. Members of the public are invited to enter their teams of up to six people for a fee of $50. Adult beverages will be provided as part of the entry fee.

The Elbow Lake Lions Club will be offering a burrito brunch Saturday from 10-noon in the Sanford Room with all profits benefiting the library. Burritos can be eaten in-house or taken to go.

At 11:30 a.m., the Scouts Pinewood Derby will be held in the Goetzinger Room. Upstairs in the library, children will have the opportunity to create May Day baskets for a modest fee from noon to 1:00 p.m. Bingo for Books, free for both children and adults, will be happening in the Sanford Room from 12:30 to 1:30. Tattoos will be available for a nominal fee from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. in the lower level hallway.

The Library-a-thon is sponsored by the Friends of Thorson Memorial Library as a community celebration and fundraiser. Along with Flekkefest, the Library-a-thon is one of the Friends’ biggest fundraisers of the year. Proceeds fund children and adult programming throughout the year, as well as other projects at the library.