Open hours of service at all Anoka County Library branches will change beginning Sunday, May 3. The change represents a 13-percent decrease in hours for the library system and is in relation to reductions in funding to county governments.
The new schedule will be:
Monday Noon - 8:00 pm
Tuesday 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
Wednesday Noon - 8:00 pm
Thursday 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
Friday 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
Saturday 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
Though the number of open hours is being reduced system-wide, the hours are consistent across all Anoka County Library buildings and are designed to be easy-to-remember and convenient for the majority of library users. Anoka County Library Board President Cathy Montain said, "At a time when residents use libraries even more, cutting hours was an extremely difficult decision. The Anoka County Library Board based the new hours on extensive data gathered about customer use, best practices for energy conservation, and the most efficient use of staff." Montain expects the change in open hours will last at least through the summer. Other adjustments may be made at the beginning of the school year to respond to additional budget challenges.
24-hour access to the Library’s website and catalog, online resources, and request and renewal services will continue as usual. These resources are available to anyone with a current Anoka County Library card and personal identification number (PIN). Residents who do not have a card are urged to join nearly 300,000 other card holders by stopping at their local Anoka County Library to sign up for a card. Identification, such as a driver’s license, is required. For more information about the library’s hours or services or to access online resources, please visit the website at www.anoka.lib.mn.us.
Additional "What's Happening" page news - Friends of the Library donate; and, "The Consul of Mexico in St. Paul, Minnesota, Ana Luisa Fajer, recently presented a gift of Spanish language books for children to Anoka County Library. The Library was one of more than 100 libraries, schools, clinics and community centers to receive a gift of books. The Consul's book project is intended to helps area library users learn and practice Spanish." This is very good. I recall not taking advantage of high school Spanish language classes, a mistake, and now I can only muddle through in one language, English.
Web access for the Library is very helpful, including renewal opportunity, and while those reading this probably do not need help navigating the Internet they might know others who could use guidance and a boost to give it a try; and passing on this "What's Happening" info might be helpful - the library provides beginner's tutoring:
Adults can learn to use the Internet at several branches of the Anoka County library. Taught by librarians, the one-hour private classes give participants a basic introduction to the Internet. There is no charge for the classes, but pre-registration is required.
Call the individual branch libraries listed below for specific class times or for more information.
Centennial 763-717-3294
Crooked Lake 763-576-5972
Mississippi 763-571-1934
Rum River 763-576-4695
PEOPLE TO MENTION - THE LIBRARY BOARD -&- FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY
The board:
Cathy Montain, President
Ellen Ward, Vice President
Jane Daniels
Robert Hayden
Norma Jean Falink
Diane Letendre
Adrienne Yeager
Board agendas and minutes of past meetings are online, here.
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Friends of the Library, 2008 Board members:
Len Powell
Doug Zbikowski
Diane Racette
Karla Gedell
Kari Lohse
Chris Wysocki
Betsy O'Berry
Nancee Halling
Bob Overturf
Dennis Shanley
Kim Halberg
NEXT, there is the library staff - bright lights in the County's service to residents --- in the past I have used the library's "contact us" access to suggest items for the collection, there's a page for that but you have to give your user ID, and now with hard times upon us I have one item on interlibrary loan, a service that substitutes for adding to the collection when the County is cash-strapped. Beyond that, older books might be less appealing as collection additions, and the library has a helpful contact-and-usage notes page, here, indicating:
Purchase Suggestions
For newer titles (published in the current or previous year) please fill out the Anoka County Library Purchase Form located in the Catalog under "Contact Us." (Use Interlibrary Loan for titles older than one year.) Feature films may be requested only after they are made available to the general public in DVD or VHS formats. Note: You will need to enter your library barcode number and PIN to access the form.
Finally, while I have criticized Dan Erhart in the past, he has been steadfast over time in his support of the library, and he deserves positive recognition and praise for that.