Librarians are amazing and extremely helpful. Great place…read morefor kids to play and lots of activities to do during the summer!! The play area is full of toys and activities for the kids. Along with books of course! There is a full kitchen set up that around 4-8 kids can play with. They have magna tiles and puzzles along with Lincoln logs. There are thousands of kids books and they are getting new books each month! There are zero late fees which is so nice because it's easy to forget it loose a book from time to time. Overall it's a great location and a great place to play, learn and meet new people!

Things will become better once they are finished with renovations. Currently the branch has…read morerelocated inside the Burnsville Center. It was a challenge to find the mall location. This was an area where books are held to be picked up. It is also used as a book return as well. There are no desk or chairs or even a research area. An't wait until renovations are completed.

This is such a wonderful resource for parents! From story time, to play time, and a whole kid…read moresection complete with a well-equipped play area and tons of natural light through the floor-to-ceiling windows.

Such a nice little library--I often do not have anything to do to kill a lunch hour over in the…read morehood so I stroll into the library and soak up some sunshine over by the big wall of windows while browsing unusual magazine that I would not normally know about and some that I already love but now do not have to purchase at the grocery store. If I see something interesting like a recipe or product I can quickly snap a picture on my phone too so no longer do you have to sneak and tear out the pages of a magazine that is not yours. They have a very large selection of current movies and books on display. I also noticed that they have such a wonderful area for little ones to crawl, climb, explore and learn the love of books. The library is absolutely fabulous and FREE!!!!!

Lovely library. Easy to find books. So many things available. Love how easy it is to check out…read morehere. Lots to do for kiddos.

Located on the first floor of the Dakota County Western Service Center, the Dakota County Library…read more(Galaxie branch) on the south side of the county service center. Due to Covid restrictions, there are less activities being offered but I did not inquire about the iLab that is there. There is a "Calming Room" for autistic people, which is very inclusive and needed. I'm glad that the DCL includes this service.

This is the cutest library in the Twin Cities and it's not even close. The circular children's room…read moreis an absolute delight and my granddaughters spend hours there. They also offer puppet shows and other community events. The librarians are so kind!

Very cool old Carnegie library. Lots of activities and books to read for children. Nice atmosphere…read moregood people at the desk. Remind me how libraries were when I was a kid. Well-maintained grounds. Just a pleasant visit.

I have German ancestry that is traceable to the region in Northern Germany called East Frisia or…read moreknown in German as Ostfriesland. The Ostfriesen Genealogical Society of America (OGSA) uses this location to store very useful documents known as Ortsippenbuchers (OSBs meaning town family books) which provide family information by surnames that lived in towns throughout this region. For the past 5 times I visited the Twin Cities, I have been meaning to visit this place. Today my flight home was delayed 3 hours and used two hours to use the resources here. The two hours I spent here seemed like 5 seconds. I was able to add to my family trees going thru the OSB's of German East Friesen towns of Filsum, Detern, and Logabirum. The cost of using this library is $10 if you are a non-member walking in. If you are a member of the OGSA, access here is free. As this place is run by volunteers, the hours are not regular. On Saturdays, the Library is open from noon to 4pm. The staff here are friendly, there is plenty of parking and it is quiet.

I love going to MNGS to research my family's ancestry. I have a yearly membership which allows me…read moreto use the Hoffman Research Library for free (normally a $10/day fee.) The library has stacks and stacks of books relevant to researching your family's history particularly if they are from Minnesota. I have barely touched the tip of the iceberg when it comes to these resources. A few from the stacks that I have used I have found very helpful: - St. Paul City Directory's in hard book format from 1940s-1990s. They have earlier years on microfilm which I use almost every time I visit. As a genealogist, city directory's are super valuable to trace a family over the years. I've also found advertisements for the places in which some of my ancestors worked. - Plat Map book from early 1900's of St. Paul helped me track down the immigrant shanties in Swede Hollow. It was such an amazing thing to see where my early immigrant ancestors lived! Those were great, but what I have spent the bulk of my time doing at this library is reviewing Catholic Church records that are on Microfilm. What an amazing resource from the Arch Diocese! I've tracked the birth, baptism and marriages of many ancestors using these records. Some of the microfilm readers allow for amazing-quality digital captures that you can either print or save to a thumb-drive. If you are new to genealogy or have hit a brick wall, the volunteers at the library are very helpful in providing ways to get started or break-through. And even when they don't know something -- like how to work the microfilm machines -- they sit with you to figure it out together. Always positive and helpful. It's a treat to spend time here! Also, keep in mind this is an archive library - so it's a bit on the chilly side. May want to bring a sweater. :)

The Reading Room is an excellent space for an intimate wedding. There were about 150 guests and the…read moreceremony took place in the front of the room, with elegant tables behind for the plated dinner reception. Waitstaff circulated with hors d'oeuvres as we waited in the receiving line, keeping everyone engaged. I loved the library theme, from the Save The Date library book cards to the tables identified by famous authors. We were seated at Dickens, our dinner preferences printed out on beautiful bookmarks. The three-story ceilings are reached by massive bookshelves with upstairs hallways for reaching those high books. The flowers were gorgeous and organic and the catered food was delicious from salad to dessert. It's not an inexpensive venue, but it is warm and intimate once you get here. We ran into detours, slow trains, and closed roads so we had our Uber let us out about a 1/4 mile away because we were about to be late. We literally made it in as the ceremony started. Road construction, closed roads, detours, and slow freight trains don't show up on your travel map!

A stunning interior historic space and building. If I were doing research here, I think I'd find it…read morevery enjoyable. Using it as a meeting space wasn't the greatest, since the speakers had power point presentations with lots of writing, and because the seating had to be deep and narrow, it was hard for those in the back. Sound also was splotchy, and the bathrooms are small and at the front, so you have to walk in front of everyone to reach them. As a stop to see something beautiful--it's a must if you're in this city.

I love this library and the fact that it's paired with the Dakota county library systems! I grew up…read morein a small town so I was used to waiting 6+ months for a book to become available. Not the case with this library system. Their online system makes it so easy to get holds transferred from other libraries in the county. They are quick and efficient and it's easy to find where your holds are. The library is clean, welcoming, and overall very quiet. They have Toddler Storytime days and Storytime for 3-5 year olds. I used to love taking my toddler there and she had a great time. They sing songs, read books and have a play time after with the library toys. There is also a small sized selection of kids puzzles, a dollhouse, some magnet walls and magnetic tiles. There are also 4 small computers for kids 5+. Computers are also available for adults in a different section near the entrance. Overall it's not the biggest library, but it's beautiful, clean, renovated, and friendly! I love it and I'm glad to have it around.

This is my local library! There are several good places to sit and read or work, and a selection of…read morerooms for groups or individuals. A big open kids section, an iLab, and a sensory room (with tools for people with autism or sensory processing issues to regulate), and a fireplace in the back got added with the renovations that happened a year or two ago. The only thing I'd improve is they don't have many places for book displays, and some of the displays are hidden. The featured teen books are just on a small rotating book stand and some featured non-fiction books are on a wall that's kind of hidden. The best displays are the children's books and Librarians choice books, which are right up front in an open are. Sometimes there's also a table with a book display by the entrance next to all the new books, which is changed regularly, so that's nice. I just wish the book displays particularly for the teen and nonfiction sections were more visible and inviting.

Ample parking in the lot attached to the library. Convenient location and right across from Dunkin'…read moreDonuts is a plus. The library is always super clean and well organized with an extremely friendly staff. The library has a couple of rooms that are always hosting different events and hands on activities. There is something available for all ages which I really appreciate whether that is books, audio books, dvds, video game rental, computer usage or community resources. I am grateful to have this amazing community facility in town and hopefully everyone will do their part to keep it that way. Did I mention yet that the staff is really friendly and helpful ;)

A really nice library to go to. Nice book selection, a friendly staff, and overall a really…read morecomfortable place to be in. Always have had good experiences here, and will keep coming here.

Stunning architecture and an impressive edifice. Gorgeous stonework and painted ceilings. Loved…read morevisiting!

The St. Paul Public Library is absolutely gorgeous. I came here on a Sunday and it was my first…read moretime visiting. From the outside it looks massive, so when you walk in it can feel a bit more compact than expected, but that is because there are so many different rooms and dedicated spaces instead of one large open area. Each section feels purposeful, which I really liked. The staff were all very kind, and there is a lot more here than just books. There are separate areas for magazines, media, and reading spaces, along with a makerspace that includes things like a 3D printer, a laser engraver, and other equipment that would normally be very expensive to access. Having that available for free is a huge plus. The building itself is beautiful, with a lot of marble and multiple floors that make it feel historic and well maintained. It is a great place to study or just spend some time, and I would definitely recommend checking it out if you are ever in St. Paul.