News

Keep up with the latest news about Hennepin County Library building projects, events, people, services and resources. You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

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December 8, 2023

Southdale community meeting planned for Jan. 20

Plans for a new Southdale Library building are progressing and members of the public are invited to attend a community meeting to learn more about the project.

Category: Building projects

December 7, 2023

Rockford Road project update

Construction on the Rockford Road Library renovation project is moving along as planned.

Category: Building projects

December 4, 2023

Hennepin County Library participates in Sheriff’s Office cold weather clothing drive

The Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) launched a cold weather clothing drive November 15. HSCO is collecting donations of new or gently used cold weather items for distribution to individuals in need in Hennepin County.

Category: People

November 20, 2023

New Cargill Gallery Exhibit: TransFabulous – Gender in Community

TransFabulous is proud to present Gender in Community, an exhibit created with the thriving queer arts community both local and abroad.

Category: Events

October 24, 2023

Linden Hills Library will reopen Monday, Nov. 13

Linden Hills Library will reopen to the public Monday, Nov. 13. The building was closed for a preservation project. Work included repair of exterior windows, brick, and stone, and the replacement of the slate roof.

Category: Building projects

October 11, 2023

New music now streaming on MNspin

Hennepin County Library’s free music streaming service, MNspin, has released its 2023 collection of music. This year’s selection includes 105 new albums, growing the collection to more than 600 albums across 14 genres.

Category: Services

October 6, 2023

Paid and volunteer tutors needed for Let’s Read and Homework Help

Hennepin County Library (HCL) is seeking several lead tutors and volunteer tutors who are passionate about serving youth and families. 

Category: Services

October 2, 2023

Let Freedom Read

In recognition of Banned Books Week, Library Board members share their perspectives on intellectual freedom and the First Amendment.

Category:

October 2, 2023

New Cargill Gallery exhibit: Storied Leaves

Travel through time and across the globe as you explore the library's rare Art Book Collection. This vibrant exhibit showcases art from six continents—Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Europe, and Oceania—spanning ancient to contemporary times.

Category:

September 18, 2023

Hennepin County Library hosting Entrepreneur Expo at Minneapolis Central Library Oct. 11

Small business owners are invited to attend Hennepin County Library’s Entrepreneur Expo Wednesday, Oct. 11, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Minneapolis Central Library. The event returns for its 5th year after a three-year hiatus.

Category: Events

September 14, 2023

Linden Hills Library project update

Extreme heat briefly delayed progress on the Linden Hills Library exterior preservation project, but work continues and the project is on track to be complete by late fall.

Category: Building projects

September 14, 2023

Southdale Library community meeting engages residents in planning for new building

Hennepin County Library hosted a community meeting at Southdale Library Thursday, August 31, as part of a series of events to engage the public in the upcoming new build project.

Category: Building projects

August 31, 2023

Osseo Library hours expanding Sept. 11

The hours of Osseo Library will be expanded with a new self-service model beginning Sept. 11.

Category: Services

August 30, 2023

Rockford Road project update

The Rockford Road Library renovation project has reached a milestone and site construction is moving along as planned.

Category: Building projects

August 28, 2023

Sumner Library closing for renovation

Sumner Library will close for a renovation project beginning Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023, and is expected to reopen in fall 2024.

Category: Building projects

August 22, 2023

Hennepin County Appoints New Library Director

Hennepin County has named Scott Duimstra as the next director for Hennepin County Library.

Category: Services

August 21, 2023

Video Conference Rooms Now Available at Four Locations

Hennepin County Library now offers reservable video conference rooms at Brookdale, Hosmer, Minneapolis Central, and Plymouth libraries. Residents can book semi-private spaces to attend online job interviews, classes, trainings, telemedicine visits, and other video conferencing opportunities.

 

Category: Services

August 10, 2023

Southdale Library community meeting planned for Aug. 31

A public meeting will be held at the library on Thursday, August 31, from 6-7:30 p.m.

Category: Building projects

August 3, 2023

Linden Hills Library project update

The Linden Hills Library exterior preservation project has reached a milestone – demolition is complete. The project is on schedule with no major issues discovered during demolition.

Category: Building projects

July 27, 2023

Westonka Library engages community in planning for new building

Hennepin County Library hosted an open house at Westonka Library Tuesday, July 18, as part of a series of events to engage the public in the upcoming new build project.

Category: Building projects

July 20, 2023

New Arrivals

The Minnesota Center for Book Arts’ Artist Collective presents “New Arrivals”, an exhibit that captures the expressive range of the book arts. Founded in 1983, Minnesota Center for Book Arts is a nonprofit organization dedicated to igniting creativity and community throughout the book arts.

Category: Events

June 23, 2023

Westonka Library Building Project Open House

An open house will be held at the library on Tuesday, July 18, from 6:30-8 p.m.

Category: Building projects

June 13, 2023

Kanopy

Stream free movies with your library card

Category: Resources

June 1, 2023

June is Pride Month

Celebrate Pride with events, music, and books for all ages.

Category: Events

June 1, 2023

New Cargill Gallery Exhibit: ROHO Collective – Our Souls Shine Bright

Featuring paintings, drawings, sculpture, and photography, a new exhibit will be on display at the Cargill Gallery June 5-July 27.

Category: Events

May 16, 2023

Youth leadership opportunity at Hennepin County Library

Hennepin County Library is accepting applications for Youth Advisory Committee through Friday, June 23.  A stipend is available for participation. 

Category: People

May 12, 2023

Sumner Library engages community in renovation planning

Hennepin County Library hosted a series of events to engage the public and gather feedback on the upcoming renovation of Sumner Library.

Category: Building projects

May 5, 2023

Continuing Conversations - Sumner Library Renovation Planning

Join a continuing conversation about the renovation plans for Sumner Library on Monday, May 8 at 6:30 p.m. The event will be led by library staff and architect Mohammed Lawal. Participants can also view drawings and floor plans, and share their feedback. All are welcome.

Category: Building projects

May 4, 2023

Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

Celebrate Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders with recommended reading and films.

Category: Events, Resources

April 29, 2023

May is American Indian Month in Minnesota

Join us as we celebrate American Indian Month in Minnesota. Your library has resources about Indigenous history, traditions, and art.

Category: Events, Resources

April 25, 2023

Hennepin County Announces Vacancy for Library Director

Hennepin County Library is seeking a dynamic Library Director to provide leadership for initiatives that impact all areas of the organization and the communities we serve.

Category: Events

April 20, 2023

Hennepin County Library celebrates National Library Week

The American Library Association has designated April 23-29, 2023, as National Library Week, a time to celebrate libraries, and library staff, across the country. This year’s theme is “There’s More to the Story."

Category: Services

April 17, 2023

Linden Hills Library closing for preservation project

Linden Hills Library will close for a preservation project beginning Sunday, May 28, and is expected to reopen in fall 2023.

Category: Building projects

April 3, 2023

Rockford Road Library closing for building project

Rockford Road Library will close for a building project beginning Monday, May 1, and is expected to reopen in spring 2024.

Category: Building projects

March 28, 2023

Westonka Library project resumes

Planning for the Westonka Library project will resume in 2023.

Category: Building projects

March 23, 2023

Hennepin County Library discontinuing Freegal service

We are discontinuing the Freegal music streaming service April 14, 2023.

Category: Resources

March 23, 2023

New Cargill Gallery Exhibit: Art Is My Weapon

“Art Is My Weapon” is a multimedia group exhibition that empowers Minnesota artists to creatively address gun violence in our communities and runs from April 6 – May 27, 2023.

Category: Events

March 15, 2023

Minnesota musicians: be heard!

Hennepin County Library is searching for Minnesota musicians to feature on MNspin. Submissions will be accepted from March 15 – April 17.

Category: Events

March 13, 2023

New features coming to Libby from OverDrive

Starting March 21, patrons can use Deep Search & Notify Me tags in Libby to let libraries know about content they would like to see that is not yet offered.

Category: Resources

March 13, 2023

Sumner Library renovation planning open house on April 10

Renovation plans for Sumner Library are being finalized. A follow-up open house will be held at the library on Monday, April 10, 2023, from 6-7:30pm.

Category: Building projects

March 1, 2023

Minnesota children's book awards

From March 1-23 kids are invited to vote online for two book awards: Star of the North and Maud Hart Lovelace.

Category: Events

January 30, 2023

Hennepin County Law Library Continuing Legal Education Series

Hennepin County’s Law Library offers a Continuing Legal Education (CLE) series that provides continuing education credits to attorneys. The classes are free of charge and open to anyone. Registration is not required. Attendees may receive one credit per session.

Category: Events

January 27, 2023

Black History Month

Check out these great resources for listening to, learning about, and celebrating Black history.

Category: Events

January 12, 2023

TESTIFY Exhibit Returns to Hennepin County Library

The TESTIFY exhibit is returning to Minneapolis Central Library on February 1, with weekly events and programs through March 29.

Category: Events

December 21, 2022

St. Louis Park Library will reopen Monday, Jan. 9

St. Louis Park Library will reopen Monday, Jan. 9. The building was closed for a full roof replacement, replacement of doors and windows, ADA-related concrete walk improvements, repaving of the parking lot, and LED lighting upgrades throughout the building.

Category: Building projects

December 21, 2022

Rockford Road Library refurbishment planning continues

Rockford Road Library is finalizing design development for a refurbishment in 2023. 

Category: Building projects

December 21, 2022

Southdale Library planning will resume in 2023

Southdale Library planning will resume in 2023 and will include building on the existing site.

Category: Building projects

December 20, 2022

Hennepin County Library's most borrowed books of 2022

The end of the year is often a time of reflection. At Hennepin County Library, we’re reflecting on our year of reading, and book checkouts. Of the 10 million checkouts across the Hennepin County Library system in 2022, here are the most borrowed titles.

Category: Resources

November 30, 2022

New Cargill Gallery Exhibit: Poetry of the Brush

Artists Ben Wong and Craig Steinmetz showcase original black ink paintings, known as Sumi-e. The Asian art form uses different concentrations of ink to paint in shades of black, with brushstrokes that convey an essence or spirit of nature. December 3, 2022 – January 27, 2023 

Category: Events

October 19, 2022

Teen Lit Takeover

Teen Lit Takeover is a regional event series that celebrates teen literature, promotes reading and writing, and creates a community of readers by connecting teens and authors. Hennepin County Library, along with seven other Twin Cities metro public libraries, are hosting online and in-person events through November 19.

Category: Events

October 7, 2022

Mezinibii'igejig Wenjibaawaad Odaawaa Zaaga'iganiing: Artists Who Come from Lac Courte Oreilles

October 6 – November 27: The images in this exhibit represent clan relationships and stories of the Lac Courte Oreilles people, one band of the Ojibwe nation, who reside throughout the Great Lakes and Atlantic Coast. With a focus on the Woodlands style, artists create visual representations of Ojibwe cultural knowledge.

Category: Events

October 3, 2022

Roosevelt Library hours expanding October 10

Hennepin County’s Roosevelt Library will begin offering expanded hours on Monday, October 10. The new schedule will double the library’s open hours from 24 to 48 hours per week.

Category: Services

September 28, 2022

Celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day

Monday, October 10 is Indigenous Peoples Day. Celebrate with resources from your Hennepin County Library.

Category: Events, Resources

September 6, 2022

Sumner Library renovation planning open house September 12

Renovation plans for Sumner Library are currently in the design development phase. An open house will be held at the library on Monday, September 12, from 6-7:30pm.

Category: Building projects

September 6, 2022

Temporary closure of St. Louis Park Library

St. Louis Park Library will close for a building maintenance and preservation project on September 25, 2022. Work will include roof replacement and parking lot refurbishment.

Category: Building projects

September 2, 2022

Rockford Road Library planning underway

Rockford Road Library is scheduled to undergo a refurbishment project in 2023. In preparation for the project, Hennepin County Library is seeking your input. We want to know how you use the library and where we can make improvements. [The survey closed on September 30.]

Category: Building projects

August 29, 2022

Rockford Road Library reopens September 6

Rockford Road Library will reopen on September 6, following the first phase of a two-part parking lot maintenance project. The second phase of the project will be completed in 2023.

Category: Building projects

August 18, 2022

OverDrive streaming video discontinued

Starting September 1, streaming video will no longer be part of the OverDrive collection.

Category: Resources

August 9, 2022

Hope and healing in pandemic times

Nineteen artists from the Interfaith Artist Circle present “Hope and Healing in Pandemic Times”, on display through September 27.

Category: Events

July 22, 2022

Rockford Road temporarily closing on August 9

Rockford Road Library is temporarily closing for site work August 9 – early September. During the closure, all holds will be sent to Golden Valley Library. To change to another location, ask staff.

Category: Services, Building projects

July 15, 2022

Help us plan for the future

Hennepin County Library is preparing a new strategic plan and we need your input.

Category: Services

March 7, 2022

Sumner Library project planning begins

Sumner Library is scheduled to undergo a refurbishment project in late 2022. In preparation for the project, Hennepin County Library is seeking your input. We want to know how you use the library and where we can make improvements. 

Category: Building projects

December 1, 2020

Southdale Library project on hold

Hennepin County has paused its plans to relocate Southdale Library from the current 8-acre parcel on York Avenue in Edina.

Category: Building projects

November 1, 2020

Southdale Library facts and redevelopment history

Plans for a new Southdale Library are underway. Learn more about the project by reviewing the library facts and redevelopment history.  

Category: Building projects

January 27, 2020

Westonka Library construction update

The project is currently on hold.

Category: Building projects

November 15, 2017

Designer Selection Committee recommendation for Westonka Library

The Hennepin County Designer Selection Committee has recommended Gensler as the architectural firm for the new Westonka Library.

Category: Building projects