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.