MN150 - Sesquicentennial

MN150 - Sesquicentennial

Sesquicentennial Banners Delivered to St. Paul

May 12, 2008 -- As part of Minnesota's festivities officially entering the sesquicentennial year, representatives from CRPLSA and the Minnesota library community attended the Historic Statehood Day Celebration at the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul on Sunday, May 11, 2008.  The Celebration included the lighting of the chandelier in the Rotunda, Capitol tours, and the opportunity to visit the Quadriga.  During the ceremony, two Sesquicentennial Banners and the accomanying journals that had traversed the state for 12 months were presented to Governor Tim Pawlenty.  The Governor then entrusted the items with Nina Archabal, the Executive Director of the Minnesota Historical Society for archiving.

East Central Regional Library Assistant Director, Nick Dimassis, and his daughters holding one of the Minnesota Sesquicentennial Banners.

Standing on the steps of the Minnesota State Capitol with one of the traveling Sesquicentennial Banners are:  SELCO Executive Director Ann Hutton, Ben Pherson, Mollie Pherson, SELCO Regional Librarian,  SELCO Staff Member Corrine Welle, Northfield Public Library Staff Member Diana Tallent.

Sesquicentennial Banners

The Minnesota Sesquicentennial Committee awarded two traveling sesquicentennial banners to CRPLSA.  The library systems, working with their regional members, will choose the cities in which the banners will be displayed during the year leading up to the State's 150 year anniversary of statehood.
Each of the 12 systems will host a banner for 8 weeks as part of this traveling sesquicentennial activity.  There are also two leather journals that accompany each banner.  It is hoped that celebrities, public officials and citizenry alike will offer their thoughts on what Minnesota means to them.  The libraries displaying the banners will invite the community to an unveiling and host local events.  The media will also be invited for photo opportunities, interviews, and to encourage residents to sign the journal.  On May 11, 2008, at the end of one-year tour, the banners will be presented to the Governor on the steps of the Capitol.  The banners and each of the journals will be kept in perpetuity by the MN State Historical Society.

CRPLSAmembers, Peg Werner-Viking Library System, (far left) and Jim Weikum-Arrrowhead Library System (far right) attended the 2007 Rural Sustainability Conference where the MN150 Sesquicentennial banner had its official send-off.

Banner Schedule