Original article published in the Mower County Independent, Thursday, September 24, 2026. Reprinted with permission and gratitude.
By Gretchen Mensink Lovejoy
It may be safe to fiddle on the library’s roof after all.
“We have been putting away $15,000 a year for the roof…it’s a $200,000 project. The company that did the inspection and told us that it needed to be re placed got fired from the city… our roof was re-inspected by another company, and we have a longer life for our roof,” stated Spring Valley Public Library (SVPU) Director Melissa Vander Plas, expressing relief at the potential savings that the library’s budget may have in hand, especially now that she has been informed that the city’s building maintenance fund may be the source of money to cover the cost of a new roof when the library actually needs one.
She went on to say that the new inspection gave her hope as related to the ability to pay for the installation of LED lights in the library if the city takes responsibility for the roofing expenses if at all possible, as she’d conversed with ambulance personnel regarding the ambulance station being scheduled to be fitted with LED lighting and learned how it had saved other city departments’ budgets through reduced utility bills.
In other business, Vander Plas related that the library has need of a rural library board member and that Gina Jahn had stopped in to inquire about being chosen for the seat. The director referred Jahn to the city council via a letter of interest. “Hope fully, they’ll appoint her and we’ll get her onboard at next month’s meeting.”
She then gave a quick director’s report, citing that the staff has been moving furniture around the library to make room for more large print books to meet older patrons’ needs and relocating certain children’s and young adult book series into the collection shelving to make it easier for readers to find what they want to read. Also, she has applied for grants to help under write winter programming for adults, as the summer reading program is for children and winter is generally reserved for adults to explore new topics at the library.
The Friends of the Spring Valley Public Library have used their time to sell out of Flap doodles ice cream during Ag Days last month as a fundraiser for the library, and they will be hosting a book sale during the annual downtown Oktoberfest next month. Vander Plas thanked them for agreeing to provide rolls for this past Saturday’s Read Across Minnesota coffee and books event.
Upcoming programs include “Preparing Your Garden for Winter,” set for Tuesday, Sept. 29 at 6:00 p.m. with Magali Disdier, photographer and historian Doug Ohman’s “America’s 250th” presentation on Thurs day, Oct. 1 at 2:00 p.m., and the Friends’ book sale at the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Hall on Saturday, Oct. 10 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The library will once again hold its Christmas Craft Saturday event on the first Saturday in December, featuring cookie dec orating and a visit with Santa.
The board extended its appreciation and gratitude to those who have donated memorials to ~ Back in History ~ September 21 1893: Frank Duryea drives first US-made gasoline-propelled vehicle (car) 1895: First auto manufacturer opens—Duryea Motor Wagon Company 1897: New York Sun runs famous “Yes, Virginia there is a Santa Claus” editorial 1937: J.R.R. Tolkien publishes “The Hobbit” 1957: “Perry Mason” with Raymond Burr premieres on CBS-TV 1961: Earle Dickson, inventor (band-aid), dies at 68 1970: “Monday Night Football” on ABC premieres (Browns beat Jets 31-21) 1981: Sandra Day O’Connor becomes first female Supreme Court Justice the library within the past month. They include Mrs. Ro land Matson for Susan Himle Berg, Annette Johnson for Mike Sikkink, Ryan Matzke and the family of Susan Himle Berg to celebrate Berg’s life, M&S Rei land for Lance Sikkink, Jim and Susan Cavanaugh for Lance Sikkink, and Katherine Porter for Ruth Sonheim.
The Spring Valley Public Library is located at 121 W. Jeffer son St., behind First National Bank, and is open Monday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Tues day through Thursday from noon to 7:00 p.m., Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The friendly library staff is available to assist with media questions. Spring Valley’s library board meets on third Thursdays at 6:00 p.m. in the conference room just off the library entrance, though the October meeting has been rescheduled from Oct. 15 to Oct. 22. The public is welcome to at tend. For more information, log onto the library’s website at www.springvalley.lib.mn.us, stop in for a quick chat, or call 507-346-2100.
Courtesy of the Mower County Independent, 135 E Main St. LeRoy, MN 55951, (507)-324-5325
