As the Hennepin County Library system nears the 10-year anniversary of its merger with Minneapolis city libraries, officials are looking at a new way of deciding when to revamp the system's buildings.
The 2008 merger boosted the number of libraries in the Hennepin system from 26 to 41, making it the state's largest. Since then, the county has had the goal of updating each of its libraries every 12 years.
That's led to the unveiling of new library buildings, such as those in Brooklyn Park and Webber Park in Minneapolis, and renovations of buildings such as the Ridgedale Library in Minnetonka, where construction starts this month.
But library leaders told the County Board last month that it may be time to change that policy.
Renovating libraries based on the building's use, instead of an automatic revamp every 12 years, could be more efficient and possibly less expensive over time, they said. It might also ensure that patrons get the same experience no matter which library they visit, from downtown Minneapolis to the outer-ring suburbs.
"We just had to get ourselves on a schedule; it was a good first step," said Lois Langer Thompson, the library system's director. "But is that the best way? It took us that long to understand how the buildings are used."
In June, the County Board directed library officials to come up with criteria for a new plan on how to determine which libraries should be renovated and develop that plan by the end of this year. Library officials will report on how they will evaluate library use and which libraries should be next up for a makeover.
Hennepin County is one of the largest library systems in the United States, serving 1.19 million people. On a per capita basis, Hennepin has the third-most books — 4.2 million — and the fourth-most library branches in the nation. It has an annual budget of $83.9 million.
