Shhh …Libraries were once a haven of silence, a place to quietly dive into volumes of fact or fiction. Coughs were suppressed. Giggles stifled. Chatter discouraged. Thankfully, those days are long filed away, along with most card catalogues and microfiche.
As the freshly renovated White Bear Lake Library prepares to open its doors in April, patrons and visitors will discover a welcoming venue enhanced to meet the ever-changing needs of the community. The nearly $3.5 million project broke ground in July and is expected to be completed this spring, according to Sandy Walsh, Ramsey County Library deputy director. A February open date was initially eyed, but Walsh explains that an opportunity to purchase adjacent land came into play, and the extra space allowed for an additional 16 parking spots and traffic flow improvements.
Even before residents step inside the library, they’ll notice a change. The building’s front door has moved to the north side of the building along Second Street. Once inside, interior changes abound, including an enlarged children’s area that features interactive early-literacy items, additional computers and large windows that overlook a proposed patio area. The teen room also offers more computers and study rooms, and windows to open up the once-interior-bound space. The adult reading room includes a fireplace, and patrons can utilize additional meeting spaces as well as individual and group study areas.
The renovations will continue beyond the library’s walls. The Friends of the Ramsey County Libraries received a $200,000 state grant to fund new technology, a fireplace, children’s literacy equipment, display cases, art, and a patio space along Clark Avenue. The proposed outdoor venue would feature a series of “rooms” for patrons to enjoy amid natural plantings, trees, a butterfly garden and seating.
Inside or out, Walsh is confident the improvements will lead to an uptick in visitors. Circulation hit 352,000 in 2013, but a library’s success is defined by measures other than just the circulation (the number of books checked out over the course of a year), such as computer use, programming attendance and class participation.
“So much is going on that the lending of books is just one little piece of it,” Walsh, who has worked in the county library system for 43 years, says. Her tenure with the library allows her a unique perspective on the ways in which libraries have evolved over the years. “I think the lifelong learning component of libraries has remained constant; only the formats change,” she notes.
To her point, libraries have moved away from primarily offering print materials, card catalogues have mostly given way to computer programs, and audio-visual materials continually evolve into new formats. No longer serving just as an oasis for readers and scholars, libraries continue to bridge services to other organizations and offer programming to bring in larger numbers of patrons. “Libraries have become more enmeshed in their communities than previously, and are able to offer programs and services that they couldn’t deliver alone,” Walsh notes. “It’s an exciting time for libraries.”
Since 1889, the White Bear Lake Library has been enmeshed with the community. It began with the first location in the Getty Store, which was located in what is now Railroad Park, according to Sara Markoe Hanson, executive director of the White Bear Lake Area Historical Society. As the town blossomed from a village to a city, the library outgrew various locales, finally opening its doors in the current building in 1974.
As the library turns to a new chapter in its history, the grand opening festivities will include the public and local dignitaries, according to Walsh. While she looks forward to the library’s reopening, she gives the current location its due. “It’s served us really well in 40 years,” she says. //
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White Bear Lake Library
2150 Second St.
White Bear Lake
Visit rclreads.org or call 651.724.6007 for information on grand opening event.
