Northtown library visitors down after remodel

The number of visitors to the Anoka County Library's busiest branch continues to drop despite a $1 million makeover in 2014.

Annual attendance at the Northtown branch in Blaine fell by 15 percent from 247,000 in 2013 to 209,000 in 2015 — the first full year of operation after the remodel. That number has been sliding for several years.

The number of items checked out also declined, by 23 percent.

There was a sliver of good news.

The number of people coming for history, arts and other programs has surged by 50 percent to nearly 10,000. The number of meetings held at the library also ticked up a bit in 2015.

Libraries in Minnesota and across the nation are evolving into community gathering spots and technology hubs vs. simply book repositories.

It's this trend that triggered the Northtown redesign in the first place. Cities are doubling down on their investments in these community institutions even as how they are being used is changing. New libraries are under construction in Brooklyn Park, Columbia Heights and Shoreview.

"We see a lot more people using the library to do things that they have generally done elsewhere, working on their taxes, online activities," said Kim Johnson, interim assistant Anoka County library director. "Some of them come because they don't have computer access. Some come for a little technology assistance when they are already stressed out about the forms they are working on."

It's not just screen time that library patrons are craving.

Many visit for a wide array of programs, ranging from "Bringing Local History to Life: The Great Depression" to a how-to-write-a-novel seminar.

Johnson said the library system has expanded its program offerings across the board for children, teens, adults and families.

The new vibe inside is drawing praise, she said. "It's a lot brighter. It's airier. The shelving is lower so it doesn't feel like the stacks are surrounding you," Johnson said. "The children's area is great. There are a lot of little corners for play and quiet reading."

Online information sources could explain some of that drop. "People have the idea they can find anything on Google and a lot of times they are satisfied with what they can get easily," Johnson said.

The Anoka County library system offers access to dozens of online news, research and scholarly databases for a deeper dive into a topic.

The Northtown branch at 711 County Rd. 10 NE. was built in 1963. The library was remodeled in 1991 and 2014.

Libraries across the nation are undergoing similar transformations.

"The availability of free computers and Internet access now rivals book lending and reference expertise as a vital service of libraries," says the Pew Research Center.