Tour de Library Day 17

August 13, 2024

Grand total 41 of 41 Hennepin County Libraries!  

Whooo-hoooo!  Crossing the finish line today feels amazing.  It took 17 days scattered over two Minnesota summers to get them all scheduled in between work and travel.  It started with a dose of curiosity about each location and communities the libraries serve, plus adding the challenge of biking to all HC libraries was enticing.  Especially completing my quest during an Olympic year, although library biking is not quite an Olympic sport...yet.

CENTRAL LIBRARY

300 Nicollet Mall
Minneapolis, MN 55401

Central Library was one of my shortest rides.  I consider this location one of a cadre of "home libraries" that are near me.  Lucky duck!  

When I visit the Central Library I feel as if I'm taking a field trip to an extraordinary, architectural gem, a fabulous hands-on museum of sorts.  Whenever time allows, I take a peek at the rotating exhibit in Cargill Hall on the 2nd floor.  Today I walked through "LaoMerica 50, Democracy and Diaspora."  I also made a quick stop on the 4th floor to grab a couple of world language and travel books for an upcoming trip in the Fall.    

The 3rd floor is where music, art and the grand piano live.  Yes, a grand piano in a soundproof room that you can reserve to play music to your heart's content!  You can also listen to the records collection in the Vinyl Revival Listening Room, which can be reserved for up to 2 hours.  Cool! 

I chatted with a librarian who has worked at Central for almost 5 years, and previously worked at about a dozen other HCL locations, this one being her favorite.   She speaks warmly about her coworkers, describing a dedicated staff who share goals and a mission to serve at this busy urban location, it's a place where you see a microcosm of humanity which makes her work both challenging and very rewarding.  She wants to encourage patrons to venture downtown and visit Central to see for themselves the depth of resources contained at this location. 

For families there are many options.  Teen Central and the Tech Center on the 2nd floor are a popular outlet for creativity, with technology and variety of multimedia tools.  Did you know, the children's library has the largest public library collection of children's books in the Upper Midwest?  Bring the kids and grandkids -- the area has lots of tactile equipment for busy little hands.  I heard many squeals of delight.  There are also plenty of quiet spots, I observed a mother reading to her two children near a sunny spot by the windows.   

On our journeys, I enjoy learning at least one new thing about our libraries.  Today I found out about assisted technology which is available for patrons with physical or cognitive disabilities.  The adaptive and technology lab at Central has workstations with specialized software and devices to use.  As much of the HCL resources, this is free of charge.
  
As you read this entry, I hope you are already thinking of scheduling your own field trip to Central Library, whether it's with the whole family, your book club or make time just for you.  Come to see the Cesar Pelli architecture, stay for the plentiful resources, collections and exhibits.  

Complete your visit by grabbing a bite to eat at Mocha Momma's Coffee located at street level inside the library or wander down Nicollet Mall or into the nearby North Loop area for more choices.  Happy exploring!  

  

                                                                                                   

Tour de Library Day 16

 

 

August 9, 2024

Total 40 of 41 Hennepin County Libraries 

The finish line is close at hand, yipee!  

I initially felt a little trepidation about today's bike ride to our two most northern HCL locations.  We wanted to look for areas to safely begin our ride, near the library community we wanted to explore and to have lots of fun along the way.  Mission accomplished!   

ROGERS LIBRARY

21300 Milless Drive
Rogers, MN 55374

The city of Rogers is situated between I-94 and Hwy 101, a gateway between Twin Cities and Greater MN, is best arrived by car.  We biked around mainstreet on our way to the library, seeing the historical buildings occupied by new businesses, a melding of rural and urban living.

The Rogers Library has truly maximized their layout for such a small footprint, making it somehow cozy and expansive at the same time.  The first thing you walk into is the children's area, then your eyes take you all the way across to the other end of the library.  In between there are a number of nooks, tables and group seating to settle into.  

Speaking to a staff member who has worked at 30+ HCL locations, he describes the Rogers Library patron as a mix of young families, more established families, and older population who have been here for many generations.  He finds helping the older patrons with tech support very rewarding.  New families are growing in number over the last 10 years.  "Baby story time" is one of their most popular programs.  The library also receive a number of new patrons from the other nearby regional counties who utilize the library reciprocity program due to the availability of many more books, eBooks and resources at HCL.

Speaking of fun, a trip to the Rogers Library would not be complete without making a stop at Linda's Cafe.  Try the homemade cinnamon caramel buns, which are so delicious I made yummy sounds while seated at the counter.  We even got a card for complimentary bowling nearby.  I have to hurry back before it expires 12/2024!

CHAMPLIN LIBRARY

12154 Ensign Ave N
Champlin, MN 55374

We entered the nearby Elm Creek Park Reserve enroute to our next library stop, enjoying miles and miles of freshly paved biking trails on this cool, almost fall-like day.  Thank you Three Rivers Park District!    

Library services have been available in Champlin since the 1900s at various community sites, settling in its current location since 1994.  They have a dedicated Mystery Book Club that has been running almost as long, since 1995!  

There is senior housing in the surrounding area close to the library, with art and crafts activities popular among the adult library patrons.  The library also gets many volunteers who are retired and enjoy sharing information and crafts with the patrons.  The staff member I spoke to enjoys working with seniors, a perfect pairing for this location.  She tried out a brand new activity for "Crafternoon" creating a lighted fairy house with clay, which was a big success!

One of the other things that stands out at this location is the wonderful artwork scattered all around the space.  Especially prominent in the children's section, helping kids make a beeline to this area.  Whether it's the Teen Wall Collage, Mississippi Flight or Herons in the Library, there is a lot of eye candy to explore on your trip to the Champlin Library. 

On the way out I was eyeing the "Block Printing: Minnesota Birds" class in September.  Hmmm...a loon would be nice to try. 

Tour de Library Day 15

 

 

August 2, 2024

Total 38 of 41 Hennepin County Libraries 

Today we biked through several neighborhoods and made our way to the Highland Park Reserve Trail which is nicely located between the libraries we planned to visit.  With all the rain and hot humid days, the flowers were loving the summer weather!  

 

EDEN PRAIRIE LIBRARY

565 Prairie Center Drive
Eden Prairie, MN 55344

The Eden Prairie Library has been at its current location since 2004, the grand entrance harks back to its previous iteration as a Lund's grocery store.  After a remodeling period, the library opened back up February 2020 and closed March 2020 due to the pandemic  -only open for one month!

The staff supervisor showed me the Hennepin County Human Services kiosk available at this location, which is especially helpful for patrons with limited transportation options.  You can copy, fax and scan your documents directly to government services, making it easier to apply. 

One of the teen volunteer staff, previously a Team Tech leader, spoke about how much he enjoys working at the library and being involved with the Design Lab and the summer programing.  The library has made an impact on him as he prepares to start college in the fall.  

On the other side of library, the Bluestem conference room was filled with children attending a STEAM program.  I learned the "A" stands for Art.  Teen volunteers were arriving to help with the summer movie in the next conference room.  I was tempted to stay and watch "The Incredibles" movie, but alas there were two other libraries to visit today.  

PENN LAKE LIBRARY

8800 Penn Ave South
Bloomington, MN 55431

We headed towards Bloomington traveling along Anderson Lake Parkway to our next stop, the Penn Lake Library.  It was opened in 1970 and remodeled in 2003.  Much like the Golden Valley Library it retains its 1970's architectural charm.  Chatting with a helpful staff member, she told me Penn Lake has the eighth highest circulation in the HCL system.  This is impressive for a library of this size with a smaller footprint! 

The library is fortunate to have a wildlife refuge and nature center nearby,  making it an excellent partner for programming and activities.  I was curious about the "pollinator garden" right next to the outdoor play area, which was readily visible from inside the children's section.  There was a large display of books about pollinators available for families to explore and learn more.  

I walked outside to the pollinator garden space, watching bees buzzing and monarch butterflies flitting around the compact garden.  What a wonderful place for kids and families to grab a book, go outside and immerse yourself in the outdoor classroom!

 

OXBORO LIBRARY

8801 Portland Ave S
Bloomington, MN 55420

We arrived at the Oxboro Library with plenty of time before closing, having to avoid only a couple of high traffic streets during rush hour. 

The historic Oxboro neighborhood dates back to the 1850's.  The library opened in 1974 and serves the Bloomington and Richfield areas.  It was last remodeled in 2018-19.  I walked around the building, taking in the lovely modern exterior, with large windows, an area of picnic tables and adirondack chairs with good views of Valley View Middle School across the street.  

Situated within a diverse community, and having both a middle and elementary school nearby, the library brings in school age kids, teens and patrons from surrounding senior housing.  Take a peek at the colorful, award winning wall of book covers put together by students!  Bilingual staff are on hand to assist patrons in this growing Latino community.  

Oxboro may not have the highest circulation numbers, but staff report high percentage of in-person use of the library space.  Having a large language collection, lots of computer usage, and diverse programs for all ages, including Anime Friday, intro to watercolor, writing great college essays, or write your life stories.  They also offer one-on-one help with library service-related tasks, helping people getting started with eBooks and downloadable audiobooks, streaming movies and printing from your own devices.  Wow, concierge service all for free!