HomeMy WebLinkAbout1963 04-16 LSCMr Minutes of the Proceedings of the Library
Commission of the Village of Brooklyn Center
in the County of Hennepin and State of
Minnesota
April 16, 1963
The meeting was called to order by the Chairman with two members
absent. The speakers for the evening were Miss Helen Young , Director of
the Hennepin County Library and Miss Nowak of the Extension Division.
Miss Young stated that a library is needed desparately in this
area. The present bookmobile service does not meet the needs of the
community. At present a 3 1/2 mill tax provides money for county libraries.
This money provides everthing needed for the library - books, equipment,
staff, etc- everything except the building to house the2brery. One mill
of the tax goes to the Minneapolis Public Library so that suburban card
holders have free card privileges at the Minneapolis library.
Before setting up a library, the services to be provided are an
important decision. Location is the bigest problem. The library need not
be in the middle of a shopping center but it should be near heavy traffic and
on a main artery of transportation. The Library should provide service for
20 to 40 people within reasonable driving limits. No school library can
• meet all the needs of its students. The county library provides supplementary
references for students. Planning for preschoolers is important, too. Each
community is different and the library should be tailored to its individual needs.
Miss Y6=9 thendescribed some of the facilities offered by the libraries in
Richfield, Bloomington, Edina and Golden Valley.
The suggested procedure in developing a library should begin with the
program. First decide the services which you want the library to provide.
Then turn the program over to an architect and let him work with this as a
guide. The county favors an open plan for flexibility of use and ease of
maintenance.
As to location, the fringe areas of shopping centers are very good.
The #1 locationis best in regard to, these principles although *2 is agoc)d second
choice . As much parking as possible should be provided - approximately
50 cars.
Miss Young discussed the cost of the services provided by the
County. The county provides a basic collection of about 14, 000 books,
costing 60 to 75 thousand dollars. More books are added as the needs of the
Community develop. The staff would include a librarian, a children's
librarian, and sufficient staff to keep the library open approximately 45 hours
a week. These salaries run about $15,000 a year. The village provides
janitorial service. The cost of shelving, tables, equipment runs to about
$20, 000. Hennepin County insures everything but the building.
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The committee then discussed what books were included in the basic
collection and the types of services which a library could provide. Some
of these were:
1. Great books discussion
2. F ilm showings
3. Story hours
4. Young adult book discussions
5. Record listening facilities
Miss Young recommended a rectangular one story building to house
the library. Multiple stories double staffing and duplicate books and services.
A basement could be used for storage and meeting rooms as well as staff
rooms and work rooms. She cited the Richfield library as an excellent
example of a county library. This library is about 6, 000 square feet in
size, serves about 40, 000 people, and cost $150,,000 to build.
Miss Young suggested that "Friends of the Library" groups are
excellent for raising and maintaining interest in the library. These groups
often provide extra services such as drapes, open houses, other special
services which make the library more a part of the Community.
The meeting was adjourned.
Respectfully submitted,
Caroline Roisum
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