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Copying and Reexploring the Constitution, Word for Word

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On Saturday, Nov. 22, at 10 am, the Glen Lake Community Library in Empire invites the public to explore the U.S. Constitution, the foundational document of our democracy. In partnership with Michigan Writers, author and Empire Township resident Anne-Marie Oomen will lead this hands-on workshop, with participants copying the entire Constitution, section by section, then reading aloud and discussing their compiled work. This exercise will help refresh and refine our understanding of this core framework of democracy. Contact the library to register in advance. The Sun interviewed Oomen about her inspiration for initiating this event.

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Glen Lake Library holds Kids’ Holiday Book Drive

A special holiday tradition continues on Nov. 14 as the Friends of the Glen Lake Community Library kick off their annual call for children’s books. The Friends are once again collecting donations of new children’s books for children whose families are in need of assistance this holiday season. Donors are asked to purchase a book for a child on this list and deliver it gift-wrapped to the library by Dec. 13. The Cottage Book Shop will provide a 20% discount on any books purchased for the drive. They will even gift wrap and deliver the books for you.

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Glen Lake Library welcomes author Bonnie Jo Campbell

The Glen Lake Community Library in Empire will celebrate and host Michigan Notable Book Award winner and national best-selling author Bonnie Jo Campbell on Saturday, May 24 from 2-3 pm. Campbell will read from, discuss, and sign copies of her highly acclaimed 2024 novel, The Waters. Fellow Notable Author and Empire resident Anne-Marie Oomen will lead the discussion. Books sales are courtesy of Glen Arbor’s Cottage Book Shop.

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Glen Lake Library celebrates National Library Week with “Free for All” film

The Glen Lake Community Library will host a special community screening of Free for All: The Public Library on Wednesday, April 9, at 7 pm—as part of its National Library Week celebration. The film tells the story of the quiet revolutionaries who created a civic institution where everything is free and the doors are open to all. Director Dawn Logsdon travels the United States, discovering historic and modern-day figures, especially women, who contributed to the library’s integral position within democracy.

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Winterfest, polar plunge, returns to Empire

As Leelanau County embraces a snowy winter, the Empire Area Community Center (EACC) plans to revive a favorite winter tradition — the Empire Winterfest. Events will be hosted throughout the village on Saturday, Feb. 22. Winterfest was last held in Empire in 2018, but had been celebrated for decades before. The most well-known event — a polar plunge in South Bar Lake — will return this year, along with a number of other activities including public saunas, a neighbor coffee hour, potluck, and live music. 

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Empire to honor Michigan Author Award winner Anne-Marie Oomen

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Empire writer Anne-Marie Oomen has received the 2024 Michigan Author Award, an award given by the State Library of Michigan to a Michigan author for lifetime achievement. In celebration of this honor, the Empire Area Community Center and Glen Lake Community Library Friends of the Library will hold a reception in honor of her award and to celebrate her books on Sunday, Sept. 8, from 4-7 pm at the Empire Town Hall. Oomen is author of eight nonfiction books, editor of two anthologies, and co-author of two tales of fiction for young people. She has won numerous awards over the years. The Michigan Author Award is given through a nomination process from librarians and others, and David Diller of the Glen Lake Community Library was one of the nominators this year. “I’m so grateful to the librarians I’ve worked with over the years, but our local library has become particularly special to me,” said Oomen.

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Glen Lake Library invites Ode to Asparagus poetry entries

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A-spear-ing poets are invited to come share their asparagus themed verse at the Ode to Asparagus, the Glen Lake Community Library’s contribution to the annual Empire Asparagus Festival, which will be held on Saturday, June 1 at 2 pm. Poems of all styles are welcome—sonnets, haiku, epic, even limericks. Submit your poems to the library by Friday, May 31, via mail, email, or drop them off at the library directly. The Glen Lake Library will also host Jane Elder, author or “Wilderness, Water & Rust” on May 30.

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Libraries host Leelanau Reads with William Kent Krueger

The four public libraries of Leelanau County are pleased to host William Kent Krueger on Saturday, May 18, at 7 pm at the Northport Performing Arts Center. Krueger is the author of more than 20 books, including the popular Cork O’Connor mystery series. He will discuss his latest book, The River We Remember. He will be interviewed by local writer Aaron Stander, author of the Ray Elkins mystery series. Copies of The River We Remember will be available for purchase at the event thanks to Dog Ears Books. Registration is required for this free author event.

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Leelanau Historical Society holds Researching Digital Newspapers workshop at Glen Lake Community Library

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The Leelanau Historical Society will offer a “Researching Digital Newspapers” workshop on Thursday, April 4, at 1 pm at the Glen Lake Community Library in Empire for the public to learn about Central Michigan University’s Digital Michigan Newspaper Portal. The portal is a free website for researching Michigan’s historic newspapers. Click here to register for the workshop.

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Glen Lake Community Library hosts 25th annual Children’s Holiday Book Drive

A special holiday tradition continues on Nov 18 with the Glen Lake Community Library’s annual call for children’s books. The Friends of the Glen Lake Library are once again collecting donations of new children’s books for children whose families need assistance this holiday season. Any family can find themselves in hard times, and the goal is to make sure the children still have some holiday joy in the form of a special book. The list is compiled from Glen Lake Elementary School, Parenting Communities, The Benodjenh Center, Leelanau Children’s Center and Family Daycare Homes and is available at the Glen Lake Library in Empire and at the Cottage Book Shop in Glen Arbor.

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