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Quick Summary

The annual Doors Open Minneapolis event offers libraries an excellent opportunity to raise their profile in the eyes of the public. Minitex had a very positive experience participating in 2024, as we featured the Minnesota Library Access Center (MLAC). We are unable to participate this year due to large-scale collection management work in MLAC that would conflict with the event.

Matt Lee leads a group through MLAC
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Over a single weekend in May 2024, Minitex welcomed 900 members of the public to tour the Minnesota Library Access Center's underground cavern. Five members of the Minitex staff collaborated with staff from the University of Minnesota Libraries' Archives and Special Collections to manage the event. Our tour guides, Maggie Snow, Matt Lee, Jesus Maldonado Sanchez, Carla Pfahl, and I, skipped meals and the breaks we'd planned in order to accommodate all our guests. And we enjoyed every minute of the exhausting-yet-exhilarating experience. Giving the public a glimpse into the hidden workings of MLAC delighted our visitors and filled us with pride.

Your library can have the same experience! The public is eager to understand what goes on behind closed doors to make library services possible, and library staff deserve to be better understood and lauded for the work they do. The deadline to apply to participate in Doors Open Minneapolis is February 15. So, if your organization is located in Minneapolis, please consider joining the fray - you won't regret it!

The following text is courtesy of Doors Open Minneapolis.

Doors Open is one of Minneapolis’ biggest annual events. This year it takes place on the weekend of May 17th-18th and provides a weekend of access, fun and connection to places of cultural, historical, social, and architectural significance around Minneapolis. It is a great opportunity for you to share the significance of your space and tell your story to the public.

To learn more about Doors Open participation, look at information about being a venue, frequently asked venue questions or the Doors Open Minneapolis website.

If you have more questions about participating in Doors Open Minneapolis, reach out to Will Mathews (will@rethos.org), who is organizing this year's event. 

Written by

Zach Miller
Head of Communications
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