For many adults, interaction with a library ended sometime around when their education did.
These institutions can carry with them both fond memories of picking out colorful picture books as a kid and stressful recollections of late-night studying sessions before a college final.
But those who aren’t regular visitors at any of Minnesota’s 141 public libraries are missing out on a valuable and free public resource for so much more than just physical media.
The Hennepin County Public Library system welcomed four million visitors in 2024 alone, according to Scott Duimstra, library director. Many already know how a library membership can save money by checking out books instead of buying them. But there are even more creative ways, ranging from rent-free meeting spaces to free online courses that would cost hundreds of dollars otherwise.
Here are six ways to maximize the value of your library card:
Meet up
The second floor of the Ramsey County Library in Roseville houses a large computer hub, the corners of it opening into cozy study rooms fitting up to four people. Any patron is welcome to use an unoccupied room for four hours, which comes with the library’s free Wi-Fi.
The library can fit bigger groups as well, at no cost, but those larger rooms require a reservation. Community Program Rooms can fit anywhere from 10 to 120 people, and they are available at most of the Ramsey County Library’s locations.
Public library meeting spaces offer a middle ground between staying at home for remote work and going to cafes or coworking spaces. According to Owl Lab, coworking spaces can range from day passes at $20 to a private office space at $350 per month.