Prairie Public NewsRoom
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Carnegie Libraries, Prairie Identity and Sorghum’s Promise

Ways To Subscribe
The Valley City Barnes County Public Library marks 123 years in its historic building, constructed with funding from philanthropist Andrew Carnegie.
Valley City Barnes County Public Library
The Valley City Barnes County Public Library marks 123 years in its historic building, constructed with funding from philanthropist Andrew Carnegie.

Today's Segments

Pioneering Public Libraries: North Dakota’s Carnegie Legacy
Anita Tulp, Library Director of the Valley City Barnes County Public Library explores the story of Carnegie libraries in North Dakota and the communities that worked to make them possible. An Oct. 1 presentation at the Valley City Barnes County Public Library will highlight Andrew Carnegie’s nationwide library movement, the “pioneer spirit” that helped establish libraries across the state, and the history of Valley City’s own Carnegie library, which opened in 1903 and remains one of just three Carnegie library buildings still serving North Dakota communities.

Valley City’s own Carnegie library opened in 1903

Plains Folk: Out on the Plains I Love
From chokecherries and prairie rituals to the songs settlers carried from Europe, historian Tom Isern explores how generations of Plains residents developed a deep sense of place and how their experiences helped shape the regional identity of the Great Plains. You can listen to other Plains Folk essays here.

Sorghum’s Promise in a Hotter, Drier Climate
Sorghum can flourish in the heat and drought that threaten other crops, making it increasingly attractive to farmers facing dwindling water supplies. But expanding production may depend on persuading more Americans to put this versatile grain on their plates. Harvest Public Media’s Michael Marks reports.

Your support keeps Prairie Public strong and independent, serving communities across our region with programs that educate, involve, and inspire.