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!
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