BURNSVILLE AND THE COUNTY LIBRARY


Burnsville's library history is as long as the history of county libraries in Dakota County. In 1959 when bookmobile service was stared, the first of the residential developments were under way and the bookmobile spent many hours visiting and serving customers along old Lyndale Avenue. We stopped at Huddleston's store and at the Orchard Station where families walked and biked down from the hills to meet us every two weeks. In the Grohoski Addition, mothers and pre-schoolers met us and when the school bus stopped behind the bookmobile about 3 p.m. we were swamped with customers who needed help with school work, or how to fix their bikes, or a new mystery to read.

Next about ‘63 came River Hills...and did they come! Sometimes the little bookmobiles were so crowded the librarian stood outside to leave more room for customers. It was literally difficult to move through the crowd.

In 1967 the library (then with its mail main offices in West St. Paul)had an opportunity to buy a lot of good-condition used library shelving from Hopkins for $1000. The far-sighted library board purchased it...and just in time, for in early 1968 the village of Burnsville approached the library board with the proposal that the village would rent, heat and light, and partially furnish a store building then vacant in the Colonial Shopping Center on Nicolet Avenue. The library was to supply shelving and books. But there was no money budgeted by the library for the additional staff needed to open a Burnsville branch library. Base came the Village's response that they would pay for 6 month's of staff time until the library could take it over. Agreed!

Over the next few months, a former bar was turned into a library. A decorative overhead "shadow box" of mortised planking was turned on its side to provide additional shelving for books and the original bright red carpeting was left in part of the room. On July 1, 1968, the Burnsville area had a branch library with Sandra Moe as librarian and former bookmobile workers as part time helpers the new library was about 4500 sq. ft. and more than 2200 books were loaned the first week it was opened. By 1971 the hours had been increased and so had the use; the library was now averaging nearly 3000 weekly loans. By 1973, this small space was open 60 hours per week, the librarian in charge was Bernie Stevenson, more staff and books had been added and the loans per week were averaging 4000.

In 1972 final approval had come from the County Commissioners to proceed of a regional branch on West County Road 42, on land that been optioned for this purpose in 1965. The commissioners had levied each year about $100,000 for the library building fund. Now the Village of Burnsville agreed to use federal revenue sharing funds of $100,000 to add to the construction money available and to repay the building for the cost of the land when the library opened. Mr James Horan was selected as the architect, bits were let and construction began late in 1972. On March 4, 1974 the new building opened with 28,800 sq. ft.--about half for public use space and half for the administrative offices which moved from the very cramped quarters in West St. Paul. The total cost of building and furnishing was about $830,000. From the beginning public response was tremendous. With 52,000 books available, new audio-visual and reference areas, the library was immediately loaning 5,000 materials per week. Story hours, puppet shows, film programs, craft demonstrations made the library a very bust and popular place for families and groups. By the end of 1975, from this one branch of the county library system, there were about 6,000 materials being loaned per week and more that 500 people from Burnsville and surrounding areas were crossing the threshold, for a variety of purposes, every day. Burnsville is a library-minded community.


K. Loff



Nathre and books
belong to the eyes
that see them.

RALPH WALDO EMERSON, EXPERIENCE

Libraries
are not
made;
they grow

Augustine Birrel
1850-1933
ORBITER DICTA




A book
that is
shut
is but
a block PROVERB