North Regional Library

Last updated

North Regional Library is a public library in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. It is part of the Hennepin County Library system. Since opening in 1971, North Regional Library at 1315 Lowry Ave. N. in Minneapolis serves a diverse metropolitan community, Near North, Minneapolis.

Contents

Previous Northside Libraries, 1893–1977

The first stand alone library branch built by Minneapolis Public Library was Minneapolis Public Library, North Branch. It served the community from 1893-1977. Along with Minneapolis Public Library, North Branch, other neighborhood libraries housed in schools such as Jordan, were closed after North Regional Library opened.

North Regional Library's beginnings

First proposed as an addition to the City of Minneapolis Library system in 1964, the Library Board decided it was time to build a library in North Minneapolis, which at that time included some of the poorest households in the city. [1] After selecting the block on Lowry Avenue between Fremont and Girard Avenues, Minneapolis architectural firm Miller Dunwiddie was engaged to draw up the plans. [2] In anticipation of the grand opening on October 24, 1971, 25,000 leaflets were sent out to the residents in the neighborhood, inviting them to visit their new library. Minneapolis Public Library director Ervin J. Gaines envisioned a citywide system of regional libraries like North Regional, a south regional library was planned but no others were built.

North Regional Library exterior, 1971 North Regional Library exterior, 1971.jpg
North Regional Library exterior, 1971
Interior of library shortly after opening. North Regional Library Interior, 1972.jpg
Interior of library shortly after opening.

North Regional Library also featured the Emerson Room. [3] The Emerson Room housed the New England literature collection of 500 books donated by J. Harold Kittleson. [1] : 201–202  It was decorated like the interior of a New England home of the 19th century. These include first editions by authors including Emily Dickinson, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Robert Lowell, Henry David Thoreau, and John Greenleaf Whittier. [1] : 201–202  The 19th Century Collection is now at Minneapolis Central, Special Collections.

Emerson Room, North Regional Library Emerson Room, North Regional Library.jpg
Emerson Room, North Regional Library

Remodeling North Regional in 2007

By size, it was the second largest public library in the city, [1] : 201  [4] and it served the community for over 35 years in its original form. With a pressing need to make the building fully accessible and more welcoming, update technology access and make it more economical to manage, the city put out bids for much-needed updates. [5] Considerable thought went into assessing and understanding patrons needs: for over a year, the library leaders met with the neighborhood’s advisory committee to agree on what the new space should look like and how it should function. Considerations included the height of the shelving and the interior lighting. [6]

Renovations of the 32,600 square foot space were designed by KKE Architects and totaled $4,567,083, with $2.583 million sourced from voter referendum funding, $1.6 million from the City of Minneapolis’ Capital Improvement Program. [7] Additional dollars were provided by the State of Minnesota Department of Education (for an accessibility grant) and from the surrounding Cleveland, Jordan and McKinley neighborhoods, which contributed $32,500. The remodeled space focuses on the importance of nature and discovery and reopened following a renovation on January 27, 2007. In support of early literacy programs, children are welcomed into their reading area by a big blue throne, and have a designated space in which they can play indoors after checking out their books, or participating in a story time program.

Renovation in 2020


The library closed for renovation on March 16, 2020. It reopened in 2021. The $9 million project added four small study rooms upstairs and a large meeting room. A new enclosed room on the main floor was designed for focused computer work. And added emphasis on early literacy play enhanced the children’s area, lounge seating was added to the teen area.

The renovation included traffic control and pedestrian improvements. An outdoor reading area with seating and a children’s garden were also added. [8]

North Regional Library exterior, 2007 North Regional Library exterior, 2007.jpg
North Regional Library exterior, 2007

Programs at North Regional

The needs of job seekers and those wanting to build or improve their computer literacy skills are supported with state-of-the-art technology, including over 40 computers, [9] wireless access, and a classroom. For teens, Homework Helper tutors are available after school, and the Discovery Room gives younger patrons a designated space for creative play. Children and teens are the largest users of the library, and the staff at North Regional create their programs with the patrons’ needs top of mind. Hmong-speaking staffers are available at the library three days a week, supporting users’ information needs, and teaching patrons how to navigate the library’s resources. HIRED and CPED are resident in the library regularly, helping job seekers. [10]

Amenities of the building

Public meeting rooms are located upstairs, including the Emerson Room. The space was remodeled so that the children’s and teen’s side of the building is aligned on the east side of the building, and has low shelving and much open space, to let children’s minders keep an eye on them. A photography installation by Wing Young Huie encourages children to look at their neighbors. [11]

Art at the library

Artwork in the North Regional Library reflects nature and discovery, and includes: a commission from Wing Young Huie, a Twin Cities photographer, showcasing residents of North Minneapolis; Marjorie Pitz, a Minneapolis-based wood sculptor; and a mobile composed of 1,000 cranes made by residents of North Minneapolis in the summer of 2008. Pitz’s sculptures are meant to be sat on, slid down, and leaned against. The leaves are seven feet long, and carved from walnut, cherry, and maple. [12]

Related Research Articles

Minneapolis Public Library Library

The Minneapolis Public Library (MPL) was a library system that served the residents of Minneapolis, Minnesota in the United States. It was founded in 1885 with the establishment of the Minneapolis Library Board by an amendment to the Minneapolis City Charter. Lumber baron and philanthropist T. B. Walker and other city leaders such as Thomas Lowry were members of the first library board. In 2008, after some financial difficulties, the library was merged into the Hennepin County Library system. At the time of its merger, the library included Central Library in downtown Minneapolis and fourteen branch libraries. Its collection numbered about 3.1 million items with about 2.2 million of these housed in the central library.

Whittier, Minneapolis Neighborhood in Hennepin, Minnesota, United States

Whittier is a neighborhood within the Powderhorn community in the U.S. city of Minneapolis, Minnesota, bounded by Franklin Avenue on the north, Interstate 35W on the east, Lake Street on the south, and Lyndale Avenue on the west. It is known for its many diverse restaurants, coffee shops and Asian markets, especially along Nicollet Avenue. The neighborhood is home to the Minneapolis Institute of Art, the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, and the Children's Theatre Company.

Cooper, Minneapolis Neighborhood of Longfellow, Minneapolis

The Cooper neighborhood resides along the west shore of the Mississippi River in south Minneapolis. It is bound by 34th St. E. on the south, 38th Ave. S. on the west, 27th St. E. on the north, and the river gorge to the east. Bordering neighborhoods are Seward to the north, Longfellow to the west, and Howe to the south. St. Paul's Merriam Park neighborhood is just across the Mississippi River to the east.

Hawthorne, Minneapolis Neighborhood in Hennepin, Minnesota, United States

Hawthorne is a neighborhood in the Near North community in Minneapolis. Its boundaries are Lowry Avenue North to the north, the Mississippi River to the east, West Broadway to the south, and Emerson Avenue North to the west. The neighborhood is named in honor of 19th Century American author Nathaniel Hawthorne.

Tampa Free Library United States historic place

For other Carnegie Libraries, see Carnegie library (disambiguation)

Jacksonville Public Library Public library system in Florida

The Jacksonville Public Library is the public library system of Jacksonville, Florida. It primarily serves Jacksonville and Duval County, and is also used by the neighboring Baker, Nassau, Clay, and St. Johns Counties. It is one of the largest library systems in Florida, with a collection of over three million items. A division of the city government, the library has the third largest group of city employees after the city's Fire Department and Sheriff's Office. There are twenty branches and a Main Library in the system.

Nokomis Library Public library in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

Nokomis Library, formerly Nokomis Community Library, is a branch library serving the Nokomis East area of Minneapolis, Minnesota. One of 41 libraries in the Hennepin County Library system, Nokomis was designed by Buetow and Associates, Inc and opened in 1968 as a replacement for the nearby Longfellow Community Library. After being deemed crowded and outdated in 1999, the library underwent a renovation beginning in 2009 that saw it gain a number of environmentally friendly features and an expansion of 4,300 square feet (399 m2). The building reopened in 2011 and includes a restored Wind and Water Chime, a stabile that was part of the original library and that was refurbished and reinstalled by July 2013. The library contains over 35 computers, a public meeting room, and a Spanish-language collection of materials.

Roosevelt Library United States historic place

Roosevelt Library is one of 41 community libraries in the Hennepin County Library System, originally part of the Minneapolis Public Library System as it is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States.

Sumner Library United States historic place

Sumner Library is a neighborhood library located in the Near-north neighborhood of Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. Originally part of the Minneapolis Public Library, it became part of the merged Hennepin County Library in 2008. The Carnegie Library was a haven for Jewish immigrants to the city in the early 20th century. The Minneapolis Public Library moved its entire collection of Yiddish and Hebrew works to the branch library in response to a survey showing that 95% of the patrons were Jewish immigrants, some of whom learned English there and participated in social clubs in the building. The Tudor Revival building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Franklin Library (Minneapolis) United States historic place

Franklin Library is a public library on Franklin Avenue in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. The library was one of thirteen branch libraries established under the leadership of Gratia Countryman, the chief librarian of the Minneapolis Public Library from 1904 to 1936. The library housed the largest collection of Scandinavian books, newspapers, and magazines within the system, which reflected the population living in the area. The library was funded by the Carnegie Corporation and designed by Edward Lippincott Tilton, a New York City architect.

Linden Hills Library United States historic place

Linden Hills Library is a public library in the Linden Hills neighborhood of southwest Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. The branch library originally opened in 1911 on the first floor of the Lake Harriet Commercial Club building. In 1931, under the leadership of Minneapolis Public Library's chief librarian Gratia Countryman, the library moved into its own building on 2900 West 43rd Street. Area resident Joseph Victor Vanderbilt designed the library in the Tudor Revival style. Head librarian Edith Frost served for over thirty years. The library has also hosted community groups such as children's clubs, neighborhood groups, and women's organizations. The library was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2000 and renovated in 2002.

Hosmer Library United States historic place

Hosmer Library, originally known as the Thirty-Sixth Street Branch Library, is a branch library of the Hennepin County Library system serving the Central neighborhood of Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. It was named the Hosmer Library in honor of James Kendall Hosmer and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2000.

Moncton Public Library

The Moncton Public Library in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada, aims to meet the educational, cultural, informational and recreational needs of its users. The Moncton Public Library provides access to a province-wide collection of more than 1.8 million items, 116,000 of which are on its shelves.

The Tampa–Hillsborough County Public Library System (THPL) is a public library system based in Hillsborough County, Florida. THPL is part of two larger library networks, the Tampa Bay Library Consortium, and the Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative which includes Temple Terrace Public Library in Temple Terrace, Florida, and Bruton Memorial Library in Plant City, Florida. There are 25 branches of the Tampa–Hillsborough County Library System, not including digital-only and mobile-only services. Services provided by the THPL include internet access, public meeting room spaces, interlibrary loans, a Bookmobile, a Cybermobile for Spanish speakers, technology classes, adult literacy programs, and downloadable eBooks. Drive-thru windows for returns and hold pick-ups are located at the Jimmie B. Keel and the Jan Kaminis Platt Regional Libraries. In 2017, THPL introduced the new HAAL Pass, which gives access to certain library resources to all students in the Hillsborough County Public Schools System. Students use their student ID number to use different online databases, borrow up to three physical items and read eBooks. The Tampa–Hillsborough County Public Library System is also a part of Hillsborough County government. On January 1, 2018 the library cooperative became one of the largest in the country to go fine free. Overdue fees for borrowed materials were eliminated with the implementation of the "Just Bring It Back" initiative. In 2019 the cooperative received the FLA Library of the Year Award. Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library was recognized for its community focused initiatives when it "reorganized its staffing model and eliminated overdue fines, yielding $1 million in savings while increasing access to library resources and expanding opportunities for community engagement through unique, scalable programs.

Northeast Library Building in Minneapolis, MN

Northeast Library is a public library in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. It is part of the Hennepin County Library system. Since opening in 1973, Northeast Library at 2200 Central Avenue Northeast in Minneapolis serves a vibrant metropolitan community, Northeast, Minneapolis. At 15,275 square feet, the space held about 30,000 books and featured a fireplace to welcome patrons in winter. The 1973 building was itself a replacement for a Carnegie library which was on the site from 1915 until 1972.

Washburn Library Branch library in Minneapolis, Minnesota

Washburn Library, formerly Washburn Community Library, is a public library in the Hennepin County Library system. Opened in September 1970, Washburn Library, located at 5244 Lyndale Avenue South in Minneapolis, began with a footprint of 14,451 square feet (1,342.5 m2) and approximately 18,000 books. Designed by Brooks Cavin, an architect who studied under Walter Gropius and Eero Saarinen, Washburn reflected mid-century modernism. Set near Minnehaha Creek, Washburn meets the needs of Southwest Minneapolis in a picturesque neighborhood.

Augsburg Park Library is a public library in Richfield, Minnesota. A Richfield branch library of Hennepin County Library has existed in various buildings in since 1951.

Edina Library

Edina Library is a branch of Hennepin County Library serving Edina, Minnesota, United States.

The City of Hialeah Public Library is a system of public libraries in Hialeah, FL. The Hialeah Public Library has one central library, John F. Kennedy Library, and five neighborhood e-libraries.

New Tampa Regional Library Public library in Tampa, Florida

The New Tampa Regional Library is a 25,000 square foot public library located in the Hunter's Green area in north central Hillsborough County, Florida. It is a single-story building and the 19th facility in the Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library System. New Tampa Regional Library is located directly between Hunter's Green Elementary School and Benito Middle School.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Benidt, Bruce W. (1984). The Library Book: Centennial History of the Minneapolis Public Library. Minneapolis Public Library and Information Center. pp. 199–202.
  2. ↑ Foster Dunwiddie Papers, Finding Aid, Northwest Architectural Archives, University of Minnesota, http://special.lib.umn.edu/findaid/xml/naa142.xml
  3. ↑ Sonja Isaacson (August 1, 2015), J. Harold Kittleson Collection (PDF), retrieved November 29, 2019
  4. ↑ Staff, “North Regional Library Grand Opening,” Twin Cities Daily Planet, January 21, 2007, http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/3445
  5. ↑ Ryan, Amy; Biddle, Nina; Wakal, Alex; and Nelson, Pam, “Outlook Twenty Ten: An Update,” Fall 2003, Minneapolis Public Library, Community Libraries Capital Projects, http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/www/groups/public/@council/documents/webcontent/convert_283689.pdf
  6. ↑ Lighting Matters, “North Regional Library,” http://www.lighting-matters.com/PortLib1XL.html
  7. ↑ Quist, Susan, “New North Library Shines, February 1, 2007, Camden Community News, http://www.camdenews.org/news/info.nsf/get+CCN+Article+All/News_New+North+Library+shines
  8. ↑ Tribune, David Chanen Star. "North Regional Library in north Minneapolis closing for a year". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2022-05-23.
  9. ↑ “North Regional Library,” Technology Literacy Collaborative, http://tlc-mn.org/content/north-regional-library
  10. ↑ Quist, Susan, “North Regional Library Returns,” http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/3590
  11. ↑ Art at Hennepin County Library, filtered for North Regional Library, https://apps.hclib.org/publicart/
  12. ↑ Pitz, Marjorie, “Public Art, North Regional Library, Minneapolis, MN,” http://www.marjoriepitz.com/Marjorie_Pitz/Public_Art/Pages/Turning_Leaves.html

Coordinates: 45°0′46″N93°17′47″W / 45.01278°N 93.29639°W / 45.01278; -93.29639

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.