Adult

The Douglas County Public Library in Minden is happy to announce a new Crafting History program starting January 3^rd on the 1^st Saturday of every month from 10:30 – 12:00 p.m. This program will consist of a presentation on the historical practice and function of a particular craft with demonstrations and hands-on experience for adult and older teen participants.

The Crafting History program will occur in conjunction with the launch of basic kits so related materials can be circulated. Registration will not be required at first, but if attendance is high enough that we risk running out of materials and tools, registration may become a requirement. We will rotate between the same four crafts with the potential inclusion of others if there is interest. The initial crafts will be spinning yarn, tablet weaving, embroidery, and making thread buttons. 

Please check our Calendar for dates and times!

Beginning April 11:
Minden Guitar Club will meet on the second Saturday of every month from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. in the Minden Library’s Meeting Room. Music lovers ages 12 and up are invited to join our acoustic guitar jam session. Learn a new song, share one of your favorites. All levels of guitar players are welcome.

This program is sponsored by the Friends of the Douglas County Public Library.

The Douglas County Public Library hosts a monthly book group for adults on the 2^nd Wednesday of every month. The group meets from 5:00 – 6:30 p.m. in the Minden Library Meeting Room.

Titles are a mix of non-fiction and fiction, with at least one classic title selected during the course of the year. The Second Wednesday Book Group is sponsored by the Friends of the Douglas County Public Library.

2026 Titles:
January- Indian Country by Shobha Rao
February- Mona’s Eyes by Thomas Schlesser
March- A Case of Mice and Murder by Sally Smith
April- Mendell Station by J.B Hwang
May- The Memory Keeper’s Daughter by Kim Edwards
June- This Boy’s Life: A Memoir by Tobias Wolff
July- At Last: A Novel by Mary Meyer
August- The True Tails of Baker & Taylor by Jan Louch and Lisa Rogak
September- The Rarest Fruit by Gaelle Belem
October- The Many Mothers of Dolores Moore by Anika Fajardo
November- The Club by Jennifer Dasal
December- Jim- The Wonder Dog by Clarence Dewey Mitchell

Calling all writers 18 years and up! The Minden Library welcomes you to join our Writing Group, now named by members "Unreliable Narrators."
The group meets on the first Tuesday of every month from 4:00 - 5:30 p.m. 

In this writing group, we will explore different styles of writing and develop our own voices through writing exercises, discussions, and workshops. Supplemental reading will be provided but is not required. Potential topics for discussion include, but are not limited to: world-building, plot twists, point of view, character voice, dialogue, suspense, mystery, mood, narrative structure, imagery, metaphor, genre-bending, creativity, writing practices, revision, publishing, literary magazine submissions, the writer’s life, and anything else that may arise. 
The emphasis is on process more than product.
Each meeting will feature approximately 30 minutes of discussion, followed by an optional workshop where you can give and receive feedback on short pieces of writing. If you would rather not share your writing, that’s ok! Join others in free writing, where you can work on your own projects in the company of other authors. 
This program is sponsored by the Friends of the Douglas County Public Library.

Miss one of our discussions? Notes from our presentations will be updated to the link below. 

Local Author Gathering
Friday, October 16th and Saturday, October 17th
1:00 - 4:00 PM

Join us for a casual two-day event featuring local authors in our community. Attending authors will be gathered on the Minden Library's main floor from 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Light refreshments will be available. Authors who opted to do a reading or host a brief talk will be doing so in our Teen Room. Check back for the full schedule of talks! 

If you have any questions about the event, please contact us at [email protected].

Attending Authors for 2026 as of 8/31/2026, more to be added as we receive confirmation of attendance:

Friday, October 16th Attendees:

B.L. Twitchell is an indie author who writes clean Sci-fi/Fantasy books with romance, adventure, and nostalgia from the 1950s and 1980s that'll make your inner-child and your current self high-five!

Monroe Wildrose has been lured into the pages of fantasy romance since she was a young girl and has been spinning her own stories since. Using her humor, wit, and faith in true love, she creates fairytales for readers of all ages. She writes these tales in between the joys of being a wife, mother, and member of her local church body. She loves baking new treats, thrifting unexpected treasures, and hosting whimsical tea parties.

Keith York is a writer and part-time professor of English whose work is inspired by a lifelong obsession with the unusual power of storytelling, and the intersection of reality and imagination. His fiction blends nostalgia, mystery, and the unexpected, exploring the intimate and abstract connections that shape our lives.

A.N. Warren: Join Reno author A. N. Warren to celebrate the release of her debut novel, The Altobella Automaton. The Altobella Automaton is an adult contemporary novel for fans of character-driven, setting-rich cozy mysteries such as Under the Tuscan Sun. Warren is the director of the Storytelling Collective and an acclaimed narrative designer for Dungeons & Dragons.

J.A. Forde is a romance writer, Navy wife, and full-time mom to two crazy kids (and a furry pup). She currently resides in Nevada with her family where you’ll most likely find her with her nose stuck in a book… or more realistically chasing her two kids with an audiobook in her earbuds. She loves to travel and go on adventures which is why she decided to set her first book in Sydney, Australia. She hopes to write more books set in fun locales both as an escape for herself in writing, and for you as the reader!

Saturday, October 17th Attendees:

Helenne Asebez currently lives in Gardnerville and has been writing poetry since she was 11. She draws inspiration for her poetry from our lakes and mountains, with humor inspired by her three grandchildren.  She holds four certificates: Editor’s Choice Awards in a book called “The Best  Poems and Poets of 2002” and “The Color of Our Dreams.” She has published a book called Reflections and Fantasies and is working on another.  Her awards and copies of her recent poems will be on display. 

Cassidy Carson & JT Hume:We’re a couple of nerds who enjoy history, pop culture, reading, and travel. Now mild-mannered empty nesters and retirees from public service, we’ve long been passionate about helping others. Much of our former work dealt with education, history, government, and public health. We now draw from those experiences as we pursue our dream career as full-time writers.

Mary Bell Meyer is the author of At Last: A Novel and Where We Love, She was a creative writing major at Ohio University, studying with Flowers for Algernon author Daniel Keyes. . She is the leader of a local hiking group and a book group that meets at the Methodist Church.

C.W. James (and Dorian Rockwood) are the pen names of an author who lives in rural Northern Nevada with two rescue cats. He enjoys hiking and movies from the Golden Age of Hollywood, especially 'B' movies and the serials from Republic Pictures. Under his real name, he has published four middle to upper-grade nonfiction books, as well as approximately two dozen magazine articles on topics such as movies and computer tutorials. He is a full member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators.

Library Literary Journal
We are launching a literary journal to feature the talent of local writers who live in, or have ties to, Douglas County and the surrounding area. Submissions are closed for 2026.

We accept most forms of nonfiction and fiction, including: short stories, essays, prose, flash fiction, poetry, and self-contained excerpts from larger works (i.e. a chapter of a story that makes sense on its own).