12-1 vote by City Council closes the book on Minneapolis-county library merger

The public libraries of Minneapolis will close as city institutions on Dec. 29 and reopen as Hennepin County libraries on Jan. 2 and 3.

The long-discussed city-county library merger became a done deal Friday when the Minneapolis City Council voted to give the last of the needed government approvals.

The deal is planned to take effect Jan. 1. Twelve city libraries will open on Jan. 2, while three that have been shuttered will reopen the following day.

"It's one of those days we don't necessarily look forward to, but we have to embrace it," said Council Member Ralph Remington, one of several who expressed mixed feelings.

Proponents described the deal as necessary because of reduced library finances that prompted the closing of Webber Park, Southeast and Roosevelt libraries a year ago.

The county will run the consolidated 41-library system.

Patrons should notice little difference at first. Cards from the two library systems will continue to be honored through the new system. Many other operating aspects of the merger, such as deciding which of the two systems for shelving books will prevail, remain to be decided. City and suburban libraries will use different catalogs until that is resolved.

The council vote was 12-1, with Cam Gordon opposed. He said the city should have held a referendum on the merger rather than seeking legislation. He also objected to the loss of an elected library board, felt the city should have better representation on the county library board and wanted the city to be able to recapture proceeds if any libraries are sold.

The city will bring a substantial dowry to the wedding of the systems. The $13.9 million it planned to levy for libraries will be forwarded to the county in 2008. Starting in 2009, city residents will pay the county library levy.

The city also will pay the county an added $7.8 million in 2008, most of it from state aid that it has used to support libraries. That amount shrinks annually until the last payment in 2017. The city also will pay the county $2.1 million over two years that's mostly intended to cover the cost of reopening the three libraries.

City residents also will pay $10.6 million to cover annual payments for bonds already issued for its library construction program and pensions. They'll also pay off $18.1 million in city debt planned to support library construction.

The County Board this week set aside $15 million for construction of a new Webber Park library in north Minneapolis close to the current cramped library. It was unclear Friday whether that includes $2.1 million that Minneapolis has set aside for building improvements there. Construction could begin in 2009, officials said.

Two city-county study committees recommended a merger as a way to keep city libraries viable. The Legislature authorized a merger providing it was approved by the City Council, County Board and Library Board. All three did so this month.