Prairielands is directed by a Governing Board of nine (9) members, consisting of five (5) citizen members representing the public, three from the Pioneerland Library System region and the remaining two from the Plum Creek Library System region; and four (4) working library staff, one representative for each type of member library served by Prairielands: academic, public, school and special library. This Board adopts and evaluates the Strategic Plan, budget, programs, services and policies.

The Board meets four times a year, on the first Thursday of June and September at 6:00 p.m., and on the first Saturday of December and March at 10:00 a.m.

Prairielands Governing Board FY 2023-2024 Members

Jan Louwagie – President
Special Library Representative, History Center, Southwest Minnesota State University
Marshall, MN

vacant
Citizen Representative, Pioneerland Library System

April Prohl
Citizen Representative, Plum Creek Library System
Beaver Creek, MN

Vacant
Academic Library Representative

Vacant
Public Library Representative

Lisa Spieker
Worthington Middle and High Schools, School Library Representative
Worthington, MN

Kathy Craun
Citizen Representative, Plum Creek Library System
, MN

Vacant
Citizen Representative, Pioneerland Library System
,MN

Vacant
Citizen Representative, Pioneerland Library System
, MN

Prairielands Member Council

What is the Prairielands Member Council?

The Prairielands Member Council’s (PMC) first meeting was February 1, 2002. PMC is an unstructured group. The group does not have a formal charge, except to look to the future of Prairielands. It explores how Prairielands should and can serve its member libraries. The group picks its own direction for discussion and activity as well as responding to requests from the Governing Board, staff and member libraries. This unstructured approach has proven effective thus far.

PMC has 12 members: the Directors of Prairielands, Pioneerland, Plum Creek [or their designee] and representatives from member libraries to include one special, one academic, two Pioneerland, two Plum Creek, three schools. Terms are for two calendar years with no limit to the number of terms. Meetings are open to anyone who wants to attend. All members are required to solicit their own replacements.

Prairielands Member Council FY23-24 Members

Bethany Kauffman, Prairielands
Calla Jarvie, Rock County Public Library
Cindy Hendrickx, Appleton Public Library
Theresa Nysetvold, Murray County Central Schools
Laurie Ortega, Pioneerland Library System
Elizabeth Hoffman, Plum Creek Library System

Teen Co-Op Steering Committee

Founded in June 2007 Prairielands (then SAMMIE), in conjunction with the Pioneerland and Plum Creek Library Systems, began to provide coordinated and cooperative support for healthy young adults throughout the region. A team of like-minded individuals dedicated to encouraging the expansion of young adult services for our area was invited to part of this new initiative and the Teen Co-op Steering Committee was born.

Prairielands Teen Co-Op Members

PrairielandsOffice
- Bethany Kauffman, Executive Director
- Jennifer Parkhurst, Administrative Assistant
Pioneerland Library System
- Margaret Weigelt, Atwater Public Library
Plum Creek Library System
- Bronwyn Wenzel, Rock County Community Library
- Emily Blaeser, Meinders Community Library
- Emilirose Rasmusson, Marshall Lyon County Library

School Library Committee

The Prairielands School Library Committee was made up of three media specialists/school librarians, one academic librarian, and one public librarian, as well as a representative from the SW/WC Cooperative, a total of six individuals. While not currently active, we hope that through the combined talents of this committee, we can design offerings for our regional school media centers which will suit their needs and inspire them professionally.