Nokomis Community Library
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Nokomis Community Library | |
 The front exterior of Nokomis |
|
| Building | |
|---|---|
| Type | Library |
| Location | Minneapolis, Minnesota |
| Owner | Hennepin County Library System (formerly the Minneapolis Public Library) |
| Construction | |
| Started | 1967 |
| Completed | 1968 |
| Floor Count | 2 |
| Floor Area | 13,426 square feet (1,247 m²) |
| Design Team | |
| Architect | Buetow and Associates, Inc. |
Nokomis Community Library is one of 40 branch libraries in the Hennepin County Library System. Formerly, it was part of the Minneapolis Public Library System as it is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.
Contents |
[edit] History
Nokomis was the first branch built in the Minneapolis Library System since the Linden Hills Community Library was built in 1931.[1] It was built to replace the former Longfellow Community Library that had served the Nokomis East area for many years. In 1967, the City of Minneapolis had Buetow and Associates, Inc design the new library building which was modeled after a tepee from the poem The Song of Hiawatha by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.[2] Additionally, the library was named for Nokomis in said poem, making the branch the first and only library in the system to be named after a fictional character.[2] Construction on it began in 1967 and concluded the next year. The library opened in September 1968 and immediately doubled the circulation of the old Longfellow branch.
[edit] Outlook 2010 options
In July 1999, the Minneapolis Library Board proposed the following options of the renewal of Nokomis, which by then was becoming crowded and outdated. They published them in Outlook 2010, a plan to renovate all 15 Minneapolis libraries.
[edit] Option A
Option A proposes combining Nokomis with the nearby Roosevelt Community Library in a 25,000 square feet (2,323 m²) space and close both Nokomis and Roosevelt. This would allow the library to design a state-of-the-art building at an undecided location.[3]
[edit] Option B
Option B recommends moving Nokomis to a different site without moving Roosevelt. The new library there would be 18,000 square feet (1,672 m²).
[edit] Option C
Option C includes capital improvements to Nokomis, such as replacing carpeting, signs, and the roof.
[edit] Planned reconstruction
Nokomis library is scheduled to get a $4 million renovation. The new library will be designed by KKE Architects and feature modern architectural features and materials.[4] Although originally scheduled for summer 2008, construction on Nokomis has not started yet, due to the merger with Hennepin and the renovation of North Regional Community Library which is scheduled before Nokomis.
[edit] Art
Nokomis features a fountain called 'Wind and Water', designed by Doug Celender.[1] The fountain represents the nearby Minnehaha Falls, which was part of Longfellow's The Song of Hiawatha for which the library is named.[2]
[edit] References
- ^ a b Benidt, Bruce Weir (1984). The Library Book. Minneapolis: Minneapolis Public Library and Information Center.
- ^ a b c Nokomis. Minneapolis Public Library. Retrieved on 2007-02-20.
- ^ Ryan, Amy (1999). Outlook Twenty Ten. Minneapolis: Minneapolis Public Library.
- ^ "Minneapolis selects KKE Architects for Nokomis Library expansion", Longfellow Nokomis Messenger, 2007 Dec, pp. 5. Retrieved on 2007-12-22.
