by Zach Miller
Quick Summary
Roosevelt Library offers high-quality programming, a refurbished interior, and, most importantly, a friendly library staff to its visitors. During the school year, those visitors are likely to be students from Roosevelt High School, which stands directly across the street.
Roosevelt Library stands on 28th Avenue South, directly opposite Minneapolis's Roosevelt High, the school it was built to serve. The building was constructed in 1927, just four years after the school was founded. The library was refurbished in 2013, and a modern meeting space, the "Roosevelt Room" (see above), was added. The building's original design elements, such as its handsome dark-wood paneling and trim, were retained in the process, as required by the library's inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places. It's not a large library, but it offers an attractive variety of spaces for relaxation and exploration, including built-in window-side benches.
Associate Librarian Liz Barry describes Roosevelt as a library beloved by loyal neighborhood patrons and frequented by joyful high school students. It's easy to see why. Liz and her colleagues, Branch Librarian Tara Vogel, Patron Experience Supervisor Erin Dahl, Library Specialist Carolina Hutchinson, and Associate Librarian Lamar Johns (literally?) radiated welcoming vibes when they introduced themselves to me and my teammate, Jesus Maldonado. And they've had more time to spread those vibes since last October, when their branch's hours were expanded from three to six days per week.
Jesus and I are excited for our next visit. Perhaps we'll pop in for Llamas at the Library on Wednesday, August 16 (funded by MELSA).
