121a Annandale, MN, Great River Regional Branch

Driving home from Cold Spring (see previous post) and avoiding the highway, I went right through Annandale and thought I'd stop in. I hadn't been here since my first visit in 2012.

Annandale is getting ready for a Friends of the Library book sale later this month. Having recently found a lot of old textbooks and other "stuff" in the bookdrop where I work, I was envious when I saw this sign: "Please check with the librarian before donating books. Explain the type and condition of the books. Large donations are only accepted in June for the Friends annual sale."

In the adult side of the library there are many large windows with seating and tables of assorted types. It looks like a very pleasant place to sit and read, and it was quite busy when I was there. I spotted at least five computers for Internet access plus two for the library catalog.

The children's area has two tables with chairs, about the right size for the elementary school crowd. Those tables are near the rectangular window in the picture below. The round space to the left in the picture is for the smallest kids. There is a castle/dollhouse where a young boy was having a great time moving figures around and carrying on an animated conversation with them--to the distress of his slightly older sister!

The rounded windows have a couple of stained-glass sections which you can see in the third picture below. This children's area has a very nice, welcoming ambience. Prizes for the summer reading program, toys and books, are on display. The theme is "Read with the Rhythm" and participants' names are posted on cut-out guitars.

I chatted with the librarian, explaining the purpose of my visit and getting permission to take the interior picture. She got out the library's copy of "Libraries of Minnesota" and showed me the pictures of Annandale Library in that book, on pages 65 (and there's the castle!) and the top of 102. On the wall in the adult area, the library has a framed collage of other pictures taken by Doug Ohman. I recommend that book to anyone who hasn't seen it.

For more about this library, go to http://www.griver.org/locations-and-hours/great-river-regional-library-annandale and https://www.facebook.com/griverlibrary?fref=ts.

6/17/2015, car

A nice water feature that I didn't notice on my first visit.

Looking out from the children's area. Notice the two stained-glass panels.
Straight ahead is the old library building.