“We have always been about collecting the community’s stories, we have always been about research assistance and instructions so that hasn’t changed in the last 60 years,” said Maggie Snow, Director for Anoka County Library. “What has changed is the way we provide that information to the public, from books, to computers with downloadable e-books now, we still have lots of books, we still have lots of resources for the public, we have gone from serving 20,000 residents to 320,000 residents in 60 years.”
There were already a couple of public libraries in the county so the city of Anoka had a city library, Columbia Heights had a city library and there was just a grassroots movement that they thought they needed a county library system for the people who didn’t live in the city of Anoka or the city of Columbia Heights and so in 1957 then, the county commission started the library system and then our first headquarters library opened in November 1958,” Snow said.
The oldest library still operating in the system is the Northtown Library which has been open since 1965. Over the years the library system has grown to reach all areas of the county.
“We have eight buildings, eight libraries with Anoka County, we also have an online presence as well so you don’t necessarily have to come to a physical library, you can use the resources online and still get books and magazines that way,” Snow said.
The buildings have change a lot over the last six decades.
“It was very few windows, it was very tall bookshelves, it was a lot darker like dark wood paneling, so libraries now are much more open, the focus is on the people and the interaction going on rather than a warehouse for books so it’s much more bright, much more interactive,” Snow said.
More changes are still to come as the Centennial Library in Circle Pines will begin a major renovation and expansion later this year. More events will be held throughout 2018 to celebrate the 60th anniversary. These historical displays will spend time at each library in the system and you can even get a little piece of history for yourself.
“We also have collector’s edition library cards with historic images on them as well, so we’ve been coming up with little ideas all year long to celebrate,” Snow said.
