> We would like to respond to the two questions raised in
> Rosalind Nelson's posting on behalf of an anonymous Minneapolis Public
> Library staff member.
>
> 1. Interim operations
> The plans for an interim Central Library have not yet been
> finalized, but we fully intend to make the collection highly accessible in
> a convenient downtown location. One site that may be a possible interim
> location is large enough to provide open shelves for all the materials
> currently on the open shelves, plus additional books that are currently in
> closed stacks (all fiction, and all nonfiction from 1968 on). We are
> investigating options for off-site storage for the remainder of the
> collection; our goal is to make as much of that material as possible
> accessible on request, perhaps with a 24- or 48-hour turnaround. While
> moving offsite to a temporary location will present some challenges, we do
> plan to maintain access to all of the services and collections we
> currently provide.
>
> 2. Site selection
Colin Hamilton addressed this issue very well in his
post earlier today. To reiterate, the Central Library Implementation
Committee (made up of citizens, Council members, Library Board members, and
the Mayor) spent many months reviewing 21 sites in downtown Minneapolis and
testing them against the site criteria for a new Library. The Nicollet Hotel
block did not meet the criteria because it was too small. Building on that
site would require the Library to be spread over more floors, reducing ease
of use and staff efficiency. So, the new Library will be rebuilt on the
current site, and the Nicollet Hotel site will be part of a mixed-use
development, with parking, retail, public space, and parking, all connected
by skyway to the Library.
Jan Feye-Stukas, Associate Director
Minneapolis Public Library
300 Nicollet Mall
Minneapolis, MN 55408
PH: 612-630-6208
FAX: 612-630-6210
