BLOOMINGTON
COMMUNITY M GUIDE 2024 2
A world of resources on each side of the city
The many resources a library provides to its community can be found at two Hennepin County Library system libraries in Bloomington .
Hennepin County Library consists of 41 libraries in Minneapolis and suburban Hennepin County . The library system is a national award-winner for innovative government programs and is recognized as one of the top library systems in the United States .
Hennepin County Library offers approximately 5 million books , CDs , DVDs , downloadables and other resources in more than a dozen world languages , plus access to more than 1,900 computers . Library cards are free and are available at local libraries and online . With a library card , patrons can check out and request materials from any of the 41 libraries , plus other public libraries in the seven-county metro area .
Hennepin County Library ’ s website offers 24 / 7 access to the library catalog , online databases , audio and video downloads , eBooks , job and small business resources and web pages for children , teens and new immigrants .
Outreach Services provides library service for people who are unable to go to a library due to disability , mobility issues or confinement in county correctional facilities .
Oxboro Library is a popular destination for students as well as the diverse Bloomington community . The library ’ s collection of books , DVDs , CDs and magazines includes materials in Spanish , Vietnamese and Somali . Staff members assist patrons in finding resources for learning a new language , working toward citizenship , applying for college , finding housing or a job , researching a business opportunity or a vacation destination and many other information needs .
Penn Lake Library serves residents from nearby Edina , Richfield , south Minneapolis and Eden Prairie as well as Bloomington patrons . Multicultural patrons who attend nearby Metro South Adult Basic Education ESL and general education classes stop in to use the Spanish , Russian and Vietnamese language collections and citizenship resources .
Oxboro Library opened in 1975 and was renovated in 2004 . It closed in 2018 for a second renovation , which included replacing heating and air conditioning systems , updating the lighting and shelving and creating more open space for reading , meetings , toddlers and teens . The project was completed in 2019 .
Oxboro Library 8801 Portland Ave . S . 612-543-5775
Penn Lake Library 8800 Penn Ave . S . 612-543-5800 hclib . org
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