If you have not had a Driftless Cafe burger, you should. They are terrific! Check out the pictures of burger arrival and burger gone. So yummy. The Cafe is donating $2.00 to RedLou Library for every burger sold on Thursday nights throughout the winter. So if you get a craving for a mouthwatering burger this winter, head to the Driftless Cafe on Thursday and get the craving satisfied. It is a good idea to make reservations.

As part of the "GivingTuesday" campaign Wonderstate Coffee donated to the RedLou Library. Thank you for your support of this and other local nonprofit projects.

RedLou Library was lucky enough to be selected as a recipient of the Give Where You Live program. We were given the month of September. Round-ups, donations, and 1% Wednesday added up to $5,101.12. Unbelievable! 

Check out the Viroqua Food Coop facebook page at the link below to see the story.

https://www.facebook.com/viroquafoodcoop

National Night Out 2023

National Night Out was held at the Fairgrounds on Tuesday, August 1. The event was well attended by county residents. Food, fun and lots to see and learn about our emergency response teams in Vernon County as well as many other businesses and organizations. A scavenger hunt asked attendees to take a selfie while reading a book. It created lots of visitors to the RedLou van.


MacHelp Donation


After RedLou purchased an internet based circulation system computers became essential while at a stop. MacHelp donated two Mac laptops to RedLou. Thank you 


Browsing Books

While at a daycare one young patron (3-4 years old) was selecting his books to take home. He found a book and plunked down on the floor and read/sang the entire book. The book was "Old MacDonald". What terrific readers we are growing through RedLou! I only wish we had thought to video the reading.

Happy Anniversary RedLou

Mulvaney-Kemp Family

RedLou's anniversary is Nov. 1. However, before the weather got too cold to be celebrated outdoors RedLou had an anniversary gathering.  Mary presented some information about what RedLou has accomplished in its first year. RedLou circulated nearly 11,000 items in its first year. Though RedLou charges no fines or fees there are only 12 items that have been lost or damaged. 

Mary feels it amazing what can be accomplished when people work together, she said it is like "Magic, Community Magic".

Mary is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin - LaCrosse. In an online alumni publication an article about the RedLou Library was featured in September. Use this link to view the article  UWL Article 

Donation in Memory of a Friend 

Who Nurtured  Kids

A donation was made in honor of a former teacher, speech pathologist and wonderful person.  The donor wrote, "Mary Bennett dedicated  her life to nurturing  children and their communication and language skills." Because books help improve vocabulary and language skills the donor requested that we use the money to buy children's books to continue Mary's life work. Here is a picture of some of the books that will keep Mary's legacy alive.

Reads Creek Gem and Fossil Event


Reads Creek organized a gem and fossil event for families and individuals. Wow, so much fun! You could register for an expedition lead by a geologist or just wander around. Have lunch at a Mexican food truck or watch flint knappers work their craft. Face and rock painting are all part of the day as well. You can do a little or all, it doesn't matter. It was perfect weather to spend a day outdoors in nature. As people wandered around they stopped and read a book or learned about the mission of RedLou Library.

Storytime with a Provider


Final "Storytime with a Provider" was held at LaFarge Clinic on Friday, August 19. Family Nurse Practitioner Kelly Scheder read the story "Circle" by Mac Barnett. A delightful story about three shapes playing hide and seek.

Vernon County National Night Out

Once again National Night Out was well attended by county residents. Food, fun and lots to see and learn about our emergency response teams in Vernon County as well as many other businesses and organizations. Lots of visitors stopped by the RedLou Library to take a break and enjoy a book or learn about our mission.

Summer Park Stops


RedLou Library stops at parks and playgrounds from 7:00 - 8:00 pm this summer. Here, a reader at a park stop from this summer, so many books to choose from!

You can see our complete schedule for the remainder of the summer by using the link below.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zgfNatk2zKlAG7sxSnJNrbF333FQc2E9/editusp=sharing&ouid=106727707733771613052&rtpof=true&sd=true



Storytime at Eckhart Park

Every Thursday at 10:00 am RedLou Library provides a story time at Eckhart Park near the bathroom end of the park. Stories and games are part of the fun each week. Come join the fun each Thursday.

Dog Days of Summer

Second Nature at Read's Creek Nursery sponsored a Dog Days of  Summer event to support the Humane Society. Lots of fun activities and information for pet owners. RedLou Library was also invited. Folks stopped to read some of the many dog and cat books on the library.



Viroqua Food Coop donated a group of new books to the RedLou Library. The books are beautiful. I know they will be read by many.

Story Time with a Provider

RedLou Library and Vernon Memorial Healthcare teamed up to provide story time at Bland, Hirsch and La Farge Clinics. Thanks Dr. Calkins from Bland, Nurse Practitioner Deb Gallagher from Hirsch, and  Family Nurse Practitioner Kelly Scheder from La Farge.

Dr. Calkins reads "Jabari Jumps" by Gaia Cornwall.


Nurse Practitioner Deb Gallagher reads, "The Hike" by Alison Farrell. 

Kelly Scheder reads "The  Noisy Night" by Gwendolyn Hooks and Mike Byrne to a group of summer school children from LaFarge Schools.

Eckhart Park Story Time

Throughout the summer RedLou Library will be hosting a story time at Eckhart Park at 10:00 am. RedLou Library will located near the bathrooms. Anyone is eligible to become a registered RedLou user. There are no fines or fees to utilize the RedLou Library. RedLou Library will be at Eckhart Park on Thursdays from 9:30-11:30 on the following dates: June 2, 9, 16; July 7, 14, 21, 28; August 4, 11, 18, 25. You can attend story time and check out or just check out. 


Here are some pictures from the first Eckhart Park story time. We read stories, put on some plays and had fun with the parachute. Hope you will come to join in the fun at Eckhart Park.

Viroqua Montessori Preschool 

At story time, we have been practicing two plays, "The Three Billy Goats Gruff "and "The Three Little Pigs". Children swapped parts from week to week. But this week they presented the plays to the RedLou  volunteers.

Viroqua Elementary and Montessori Learn About RedLou Library

RedLou Library visited Viroqua Elementary and Montessori School. Classes toured the library as well as learned about all the stops RedLou will be making this summer. Here is a link to view the RedLou stops for the summer.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zgfNatk2zKlAG7sxSnJNrbF333FQc2E9/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=106727707733771613052&rtpof=true&sd=true

Rotary Mini-Grant


The area Rotary organization was offering $500 grants to projects that met the Four-Way Test of Rotary. 

Looking at the applications through this Test they determined multiple winners of their grant. RedLou Library was lucky enough to be awarded a grant. We will use this money to purchase bins so all the picture books can be front facing. Allowing young children to “read” the cover easily to see if the book interests them. Thank you Rotary for supporting our community.

Driftless Curiosity and RedLou Library


Driftless Curiosity and RedLou Library collaborated to provide a poetry walk for first graders. They read poetry, ate a picnic lunch, read in the hammocks with buddies, hiked, and did crafts.



Readers on their hike to the hammocks stopped and read animal poetry from a book by Valerie Worth titled, "Animal Poems"






After the poetry walk we headed to a stand of pines with hammocks. We ate lunch, read and relaxed in the hammocks. 

Family Games Night



Viroqua Elementary sponsored a family games night. RedLou Library was outside to provide families with information about its evening stops for the summer.

These two girls were eager to "checkout" the library. Browsing the shelves to find what they love to read.

Community Resource Night


Viroqua Area Schools PreKindergarten and Montessori sponsored a community resource event for families with a child who will be 4 years old by September 1. Families explored the RedLou Library. They learned about our mission, purpose and the plans for summer.

Sweet Valley Artisan

"The Giving Bench"

Sweet Valley Artisan in Coon Valley, Wisconsin selects three charities each quarter to donate to. RedLou Library was selected as one of the charities for the first quarter. 

Stop by their store and support local artisans as well as a local charities.

Thank you for your donation!

Xcel energy donated to RedLou Library. RedLou used these funds to purchase children's books and large print books.

Book donation to honor a 

grandchild's first birthday

These books were donated in celebration of a grandson's first 365 days of life. This child spent the first month in a neonatal ICU. The little guy is happy, healthy, and doing fantastic!


What an amazing gift!

What an amazing celebration!


Thank you for your generosity, 

kindness, and thoughtfulness.


Many, many children will 

benefit from your gift.

Written in the card with the donation the grandparents stated:

"Is there a greater gift than that of books/reading/exploring/knowledge?!"

 


Our first trip to the Forest School at parent pick-up. 

Creamery Creek

The weekly lobby stop at Creamery Creek finds a dad and his son enjoying the library together. Cart loads of books and coffee table books to browse. Books about the Korean War, picture books for grandkids and great grandkids and everything in between.

Vernon Area Rehabilitation Center 



RedLou Library now stops at VARC every Tuesday.  

Patrons select books and checkout.  

You can learn more about VARC at

 https://www.varcinc.com/about/



Book Donation

Author Kevin Kunkel has a local connection. He and his mother-in-law, Cindy Guist donated a signed copy of his book, "The World We Choose" to RedLou Library. You can go to this website and hear the book be read by people around the world, it is very cool!

https://kevinkunkelauthor.com/


Twinklefest Parade

RedLou Library all decked out for the parade. Thanks Viroqua Chamber for organizing the parade.

WKBT News Clip

Click on the link below and view a 30 second newsclip about Redlou


Viroqua nonprofit library brings books to both young and old (news8000.com)

Vernon Communication Video

Reading: A Shared Experience



Here is a photo that was shared with Mary. A father and son enjoy a wordless picture book. The book was checked out from RedLou Library during a visit to the son's daycare. 

It is fantastic! 

I wanted everyone to see it.

Viroqua Daycare "Checks Out"

the RedLou Library


After storytime, kids from Viroqua Daycare were all smiles as they selected books to checkout. Trucks, Look and Find, Knights, and seasonal books were popular choices.

Maplewood Terrace

Residents of Maplewood Terrace Assisted Living facility enjoy the new RedLou Library service they are receiving. Some like to sit and read, others to browse and checkout.

PrairieWind Halloween


PrairieWind sponsored a Halloween party.

 RedLou participated with fun Halloween books.

Lots of fun and games for everyone as well

Viroqua Lions 




Viroqua Lions Organization donated to RedLou Library and gets a tour of the van.

Viroqua/Westby 

Book Club Donates


Martha Hoffland presents Mary with a donation from Viroqua/Westby Book Club

Farmer's Market


Farmer's Market readers

"I think you should choose a bigger book!?"

"Hey you! That's my chair!



A family enjoys books with Mary.


Neighborhood After School 

While Mary was preparing the library, the neighborhood children enjoyed reading after school.

Soccer


At the season finale of Driftless United Soccer young players waited for their turn to play. While they waited, they visited RedLou Library and read.

Creamery Creek

A stop a Creamery Creek to schedule visits.

Their dog was ready to checkout.

"What do you mean I can't checkout?"

Helping Prepare Books 

A group of people helped place a book pocket in each book for RedLou Library. One volunteer brought her puppy. I wanted to keep it. It is named "Deaver." After adult author Jeffrey Deaver. With a name like that  it was so appropriate that the puppy came to help with books.

The Dinners





Dinner guests were welcomed and served their choice of beverages. We had a beer and hard cider both brewed by local resident Paul Buhr served in frosted glasses.




Reactions of dinner guests when they saw RedLou Library driving down the road.

Desserts at the dinner 

   

                 Lemony White                                                                         Almond Cake                             Turtle Cheesecake

           Chocolate Cheesecake                                           (with homemade chocolate sauce)