Spotlight on Cloquet Public Library Staff
Courtney Dietsche is the Library Director at the Cloquet Public Library. She started at the library in 2020 and has enjoyed creating take-and-make kits and planning craft projects and other adult programs.
Prior to starting at Cloquet, she taught English in Japan and was the director of a small public library in Wisconsin.
When she's not at work, Courtney enjoys bodybuilding, running half marathons, playing the drums, doing puzzles, and, of course, reading. Her favorite genres are mystery and microhistory.
Courtney Dietsche
Keiko Satomi
Keiko Satomi is the Adult Services Librarian at the Cloquet Public Library. Prior to her current position, she served as the Children's Librarian and a Library Aide for over 8 years at the library. Before moving to the United States, she was an elementary school teacher in Japan. This is her 17th year living in the United States, and she is still learning something new every single day.
When she is not at work, she enjoys spending time outdoors - walking, hiking, biking, canoeing, and cross-country skiing. She admires the beauty of nature in this area. She has also been a bookworm since she was a little child, and libraries have always been her haven. She is a proud mother of two sons who have been exploring their passions. She believes in kindness and fairness.
Justin Dinger
Cloquet Public Library welcomed Justin Dinger to be the Youth Services Librarian, working especially with youth ages 10-18, in October of 2018. He immediately made an impact by instituting regular programming for youth such as Teen Reads on Mondays, where he reads aloud to the teens while they enjoy a snack, and Teen Tech Wednesdays. He has made some interesting discoveries, such as the teens really enjoy poetry and that they requested to hear famous speeches in June. Justin’s enthusiasm for technology and books is contagious. He was an English major at Gustavus Adolphus and previously worked for the Cloquet School District in their Technology Department. Here at the library, he combines both interests, as well as a deep concern for the well-being of youth.
Morgan Reardon is the Children’s Librarian at the Cloquet Public Library, starting her journey here in November of 2022. She is a proud member of the Bad River Band of Ojibwe and spent most of her life in northern Wisconsin on the shores of Chequamegon Bay. She attended the University of Wisconsin Madison where she majored in English Literature and American Indian Studies and later returned to get her Masters in Library and Information Studies. She loves creating beadwork and crocheting and is a lifelong learner of the Ojibwe language. When she’s not working you can find her somewhere cozy enjoying a hot chocolate and a good book!
Morgan Reardon
Karen Murphy is Library Clerk and Inter-Library Loans librarian. She has been working at the Cloquet Public Library since November 1997 when she was hired as a 13-hr. library aide. In February 2001, she applied for and received the position of full-time library aide, and has since been promoted to her current position. She enjoys her work at the library very much.
Outside of work, she volunteers with the County Seat Community Theater and spends as much time as she can with her large family. Reading has always been a joy. She used to play ‘library’ as a child at her grandmother’s house..
Karen Murphy
Amy Utech
In 2018, Amy became a 20-hour Library Aide. She had worked as a 13-hour previously, and in 2022 she became a full-time Library Aide. Amy grew up on acres of land picking wild strawberries, wild plums, and juneberries in the summer. In grade school, she discovered books as a way to find new adventures in the small town Wrenshall. She then went to college at the University of Northwestern- St. Paul and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in History.
From her previous work at the Carlton County Historical Society, Amy found out that small-town stories and history are also super interesting. In her spare time, Amy enjoys hiking, obsessing over stories, using her brown thumb for gardening, and getting lost in her massive family history. As a side note, since she missed her Hogwarts letter at age 11, she is anticipating “sharing in an adventure” with Gandalf when she is 50.
Jeanie Granholm was hired for a 13-hour-a-week library aide position in November 2013.
In February 2019 she became a 20-hour-a-week employee. Besides being in the land of books, what she loves best about working at the library are her coworkers and patrons. Jeanie is the mom of three married children and has ten grandchildren. Want to see pictures? Her sensational sixteen are the loves of her life. She has been an avid reader since childhood thanks to her book-loving mother. When she’s not reading with her cuddly kitty Miss Emma Woodhouse, she likes puzzles and creating which includes but is not limited to crocheting, counted cross stitch, drawing, and painting. She’s a musical wannabe with the piano, hammered dulcimer, hog-nosed psaltry, accordion, and thumb harp.
Jeanie Granholm
Monica Somppi was hired as a 13-hour Library Aide in January 2021. In 2022, she became a 20-hour a week employee. Monica and her husband moved back up to the northland in 2020 after living in the St. Cloud, MN area for 30 years.
She is excited to be a member of the Library staff! She is very impressed with the services and programs offered at our wonderful Library and loves to assist our patrons in finding and checking out great items. She also enjoys shelving books and materials!
Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her family, being outdoors and reading. She has one adult daughter, two cats, one dog and numerous wild birds she feeds!
Monica Somppi
Joyce Fritsinger moved to Cloquet in 2002 and started as a library volunteer in 2003. She was hired part-time in May of 2004. She loves meeting and greeting patrons. Never a day goes by at the library without an unusual request.
Joyce has had many interesting jobs during her career, including phlebotomist, EKG technician, and accounts payable specialist. In her spare time, Joyce enjoys making greeting cards and doing jigsaw puzzles.
Joyce Fritsinger
Annette Nynas has been working at the library since 2008. She enjoys shelving and reading the shelves to make sure the books are the correct order so patrons can find what they are looking for.
She always enjoys working on projects, and she loves the new spacious library.
Annette Nynas
Dylan Cheek was hired as a 13-hour library aide in March of 2022. He looks forward to getting to know everyone in the community and greeting everyone who walks through the doors with a smile.
In addition to the library, Dylan enjoys playing old-school video games, mostly Nintendo and Super Nintendo, watching Japanese anime and reading manga, and playing online chess.
Dylan is also a freelance artist with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from UW-Stout. He specializes in detailed pencil art.
Dylan Cheek
A new 13-hour employee at the library, Greg Opstad is a retired teacher from Cloquet. He finds working at the library to be a satisfying job, enjoying finding the exact place on a shelf to place a book and discussing books with patrons. He is a member of Lake Superior Writers. His poems have appeared in a variety of journals and anthologies. He is the author of two poetry chapbooks. His short story, Wintering, won Honorable Mention in the Lake Superior Writers 2022 Short Fiction Contest. He is included in Bringing Joy, winner of the 2022 Best Written Community Creative Work in the State of Minnesota, Minnesota Author Project Award.
Greg Opstad
Hello! I am Susan Haataja. I have lived in the Northland my entire life. I am married to my wonderful husband and have 3 children and 7 grandchildren. I have recently retired from the State of Minnesota. Reading, cooking, gardening, and needlework are my favorite hobbies.
I look forward to serving out community at our library!