Librarian Sue Vizecky feels that small-town libraries are essential to their communities.

“It’s where people can come together, they learn and socialize. I think the residents are very appreciative, and we try and offer a wide variety of things to the community throughout the year,” said Vizecky, the Ivanhoe Public Library librarian for 20 years.

Vizecky is an Ivanhoe native who earned a horticulture degree from the University of Minnesota-Waseca. She wanted to return to the area and, finding horticulture-related jobs scarce, applied for the librarian position. Former librarian Barb Herschberger helped train Vizecky, and thus began her career as a librarian.

As she found out quickly, that entails a lot for a one-person staff.

The two-room library is located in a multi-purpose building in town that houses the city office, police department, community center, city council chambers and meeting rooms. It features an “adult room” and a “children’s room” and patrons are often amazed at what the library offers in terms of resources and opportunities.

The Ivanhoe Public Library is a member of the Plum Crook Library System, a group of 26 libraries spread over 9 counties in southwest Minnesota. It covers a large geographic area, from Jackson to Mountain Lake, Redwood Falls, Marshall, Pipestone, Luverne and Worthington, along with smaller branches, like Ivanhoe.

“Resource sharing is the number one thing we do,” said Vizecky.

Perhaps the best advantage for belonging to the system is the fact that, if your local library doesn’t have what you want, it can be located in another Plum Creek Library, or any other library in the entire state.

“Minnesota is unique in that way, “ explained Vizecky. “We can locate whatever people want. We’ll start within the Plum Creek system, but we can also borrow items from any other library in the state through MnLINK.”

That means if an item can’t be found within the Plum Creek system, an inquiry is made through MnLINK and that item may be found in, say, Hibbing, and sent to Ivanhoe.

It’s a large system, but all decisions are made locally. The Ivanhoe Public Library is governed by a seven-member board.

What’s in the library? There’s books for readers of all ages, of course. There’s also e-books, audio books, movies on DVD and VHS, music, magazines, newspapers, and computers for use by the general public. There’s puppets, puzzles, and even cake pans, tools, small appliances and a blood pressure monitoring kit that can be checked out. There’s also a “History Kit” available, to record family history.

Computers are on-site, and laptops and hotspots can be checked out, also.

She writes a weekly column for the Ivanhoe Times newspaper, ,and sends out a digital newsletter on Saturdays.

“There’s been a lot of changes in 20 years, much of that technology-related,” she said. “We try to keep relevant.”

Vizecky enjoys community outreach, and brings in performers and programs during the year, and coordinates a summer reading program for children. “We’ll offer prizes,” she said. “It gets busier in the summer months.”

In the past she’s brought to Ivanhoe Jesse Jones from Mankato to give talks on a variety of subjects, such as prohibition. There’s been flamenco dancers from the Twin Cities, animals from a regional zoo, and even a pie-making presentation.

“We gauge the interest of the community and try to meet that interest,” she said.

The library is supported by the city and Lincoln County, as well as Legacy Grants from the state, the Plum Creek Library System and the Blazing Star Community Fund.

“The library is a very basic part of the community, and a lot of people would miss it if it weren’t here,” said Vizecky. “It serves all age groups, and we want families to move here and have something for the children. It fills a need no other part of the community can fill.”