Kaposia Library, the tenth and newest branch of the Dakota County Library system, opened Tuesday in South St. Paul with a ribbon-cutting ceremony that included the performance of a traditional Dakota song, sung to honor both the land and the ancestors who lived there.
Andy Vig, a member of the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community and director of the tribe’s cultural center, Hocokata Ti, welcomed visitors to the library in the Dakota language.
“To showcase our language — it just doesn’t get any better than that,” Vig said.
The library’s name, Kaposia, refers to the Shakopee Mdewakanton’s seasonal village on the banks of the Mississippi River near current-day St. Paul and South St. Paul.
Dozens of people milled about the library Tuesday, eating cookies and checking out the library’s new features, including an interactive children’s area, a quiet space with a fireplace and a 3-D printer.
“It’s just really exciting to finally get this library open,” said Margaret Stone, director of Dakota County libraries, at the ribbon-cutting. “Libraries are about community.”
The new county-run library, located near the South St. Paul Secondary school, replaces the previous library, which was one of just a few in the metro run by a city. It was beloved by many community members, but after a lengthy community debate, leaders decided it lacked the space, amenities and accessibility a new building could offer.
South St. Paul City Council Member Todd Podgorski said he liked the 16,000-square-foot library’s open layout and abundance of light. The 3-D printer and the conference and study rooms were also nice, he said.
