PLEASE. There are nine public library systems in the Metropolitan area. Two city-based -- Minneapolis and St. Paul -- and seven County-based.
Hennepin County Library system serves all of Hennepin County outside Minneapolis (and contrary to the Star Tribune editorial, Hennepin is the largest library system in the state -- serving 740,00 persons directly.) Ramsey County Library system serves all of Ramsey County outside of St. Paul.
Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Scott, and Washington Counties each have a library system. People who reside in the service areas of the different county library systems pay taxes to support their library systems -- just as the residents of Minneapolis and St. Paul pay taxes to support their systems.
If you hold a library card in one Metro Library system, you can borrow materials from and return materials to any of the 104 public libraries in the metro area. Statewide -- any library cardholding resident can use any public library (but you have to send the materials back to their home libraries outside the Metro.) This kind of reciprocity is unique -- and effective.
Many people who live in Minneapolis use libraries in other Metro systems -- e.g. on average, Minneapolis residents borrow more than 60,000 items a month from Hennepin County libraries. And as you know, people from the metro region and the state use the Minneapolis system.
ALL of the library systems are facing budget cuts and tough choices. The fact that the Governor and the Auditor fail to recognize the important role our public libraries play in fostering early literacy and lifelong learning, ensuring access to information and technology, assisting small business owners and job seekers, promoting cultural literacy, centering our communities, etc. has nothing to do with the fact that they support their library service through their counties of residence rather than through their cities.
Nancy L. Perron
Hennepin County Library
(formerly a SE resident)
-----Original Message-----
From: Anne McCandless [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
Sent: Wednesday, March 12, 2003 12:01 PM
To: Victoria Heller; Mpls Forum
Subject: Re: [Mpls] Library - Hennepin County vs. Minneapolis
I see that Dakota County also has an extensive county library system. One library is located in Apple Valley and one in Eagan. Maybe that's why our current Governor and Auditor think that Mpls' library system is fluff...they're cities don't have support their own libraries like Mpls does.
In case anyone doubts whether the branch libraries are busy or not, stop into the library at Lowry and Emerson any time. It is constantly in use. After school, I have seen kids literally are standing in line waiting for a computer and no chairs left to sit on at the tables.
Anne McCandless
Jordan
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