36a Rogers Branch, Hennepin County Library, MN

The Rogers library is not in a new building, but it has been freshened up and had some interior remodeling. Lets go inside and turn right...

...which will bring us to the welcoming corner shown below. This area is designed to welcome adults alone or with little kids.I think any parent or caregiver would be happy to sit here for a while, reading to a child. Or chatting about the animals in the little "doll house" on the table. Or--whatever. And if there is no child involved, read the paper or a magazine. There are even two small tables with electrical outlets for laptops or other electronics. 

Beyond this area, there are two "anyone" restrooms on the right and the service desk on the left, with an attractive blue panel in between. A nice touch, since the library staff doesn't really need a view into the restrooms! Part of the remodeling involved combining the reference and service desks, which is a very practical choice in a small library like this. 

Then we come to the children's area. Here's an idea for board books that I haven't seen before: They are shelved in the pull-out bins that are often used for CDs or other media. Back-to-back with the board books you'll find children's media. There is a collection of children's fiction;  non-fiction is inter-shelved with adult non-fiction. A teen corner has three computers, and four others are available, if I counted them correctly. 

At the "back" of the library there is a second "living room" corner, this one with four easy chairs and a love seat, plus end tables and table lamps. Newspapers, periodicals, and media are close by. Adult fiction is in stacks, with non-fiction shelved along the wall. A small Spanish selection is located beside the new book display. Although his is a a small library, patrons can of course tap into all the resources of the Hennepin County system (and beyond), and the extensive shelves of requested books show that this opportunity is well used.

If you want to sit outside on a nice day, perhaps to wait for a ride, you'll enjoy this protected area with its two benches and a clever "bookshelf" graphic.

7/5/2016