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Library Manager’s Report April 2026
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Mount Royal Staff Door. Last month a new door was installed at the Mount Royal Branch between the staff breakroom and the juvenile book collection near the emergency exit. The door provides a second means of egress from the breakroom in the event of a fire or other emergency.
Jail Book Delivery. Library staff has resumed delivering donation books to the St. Louis County Jail after pausing the service for several months following a staff member’s retirement. Last week the library’s delivery driver dropped off four or five boxes of paperbacks that had been donated to the Friends of the Library and are not needed for the book sale. The goal is to continue doing this monthly.
One Book Northland. Throughout the month of April, libraries throughout the Duluth/Superior area will hold events centered around this year’s One Book Northland selection, Where They Last Saw Her by Marcie Rendon. This title won the 2026 Minnesota Book Award for fiction. Marcie Rendon will speak and sign copies of her book on Thursday, April 16 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College in Cloquet. A full list of programs can be found in the printed One Book Northland event guide and on DPL’s website.
Media Literacy Program. This month library staff will kick off a new all-ages escape room designed to test and improve people’s media literacy skills. With social media and AI changing the way information is created and shared, “Escape Misinformation” will challenge participants to spot deepfakes and misinformation, building skills for thinking critically about what they see on the internet. The escape rooms take place on various dates and times during the month of April, and registration is required.
Staff Development Day. All DPL locations will be closed on Friday, April 24 for the library’s annual Staff Development Day. The full-day workshop will take place at the Main Library.
Staffing Update.
• A half-time Library Technician has been hired for the Mount Royal Branch. She will begin work on April 6. With this hiring process complete, the branch is now fully staffed again.
• Applications will be accepted through April 10 for a half-time Library Safety Specialist position. This vacancy has occurred because the current Library Safety Specialist elected to reduce his hours. Moving forward, having two half-time Safety Speciaists rather than one full-time position will improve scheduling flexibility.