Transforming Libraries

In Saint Paul, our libraries operate as neighborhood resilience centers. They provide free gathering spaces for neighborhood meetings, job seekers to access Wi-Fi and resume help, children to discover and learn through play, and community members to work, study, and access services that help them meet their goals.

We know that not all our libraries do this equally. Our libraries are well-loved and well-used in Saint Paul, and some are well-worn. Our vision is to transform three of our libraries, Hamline Midway, Hayden Heights, and Riverview, to bring these locations into the 21st century in their ability to serve their communities. These three libraries have not been renovated in more than 30 years and are part of our vision to transform all libraries in Saint Paul. At all library buildings in Saint Paul, we seek to enhance technology and spaces to play and learn.

Our vision and designs so far are informed by community engagement. We have heard from more than 4,500 people since we started the work in 2018 with community to build a vision for library spaces in Saint Paul.

In 2019, Saint Paul Public Library rewrote its mission, vision, values, and goals through community input. One of the key strategic goals resulting from this process was to invest in spaces that are safe, inviting, affirming, and comfortable for people of all cultures, abilities, and communities. With that goal, we engaged the community to develop a Facilities Direction, a document that presents a vision and recommendations for investments in library facilities, including the Hamline Midway, Hayden Heights, and Riverview libraries.

The Facilities Direction is a vision and recommendations for SPPL facilities. This vision and recommendation built off the Saint Paul Public Library’s 2022 Strategic Direction. The Facilities Direction included recommendations for system-wide technology and play-based learning. It also focused on three libraries: Hamline Midway, Hayden Heights, and Riverview libraries. These libraries have not been renovated in more than 30 years.

The Facilities Direction is not a detailed implementation plan or branch-by-branch facility design.

Facilities Direction timeline

In 2018, the Library engaged with staff and community members to create a new vision, mission, values, and strategic goals for libraries. SPPL engaged nearly 3,000 people in that process through in-person engagement sessions at libraries, youth-led neighborhood pop-ups, one-on-one interviews, and an online survey. You can learn more about the Strategic Direction engagement process here.

Based on insights from that community learning process, the Library set forth this specific goal regarding our buildings: invest in spaces that are safe, inviting, affirming, and comfortable for people of all cultures, abilities, and communities.

With the Strategic Direction as our springboard, the Library again led a community engagement process to inform our Facilities Direction in late 2019 and early 2020.

We engaged 1,680 people through the Facilities Direction process by online survey and, in order to go deeper with neighbors near the three branches in need of most repair, in-person, design thinking-based engagement sessions that reached more than 53 community members were held. The survey was translated into Somali and Spanish, and “Design Your Library” take-home engagement kits were made available for individuals and community groups. View photos from the Hamline Midway engagement session here.

With community input gathered through multiple avenues, along with an assessment of the condition and function of library buildings, the Library and our consultant, HGA, created a Facilities Direction report, which was made available to the public on our website. The report included methodology, themes from community engagement, and recommendations for SPPL.

The recommendations included a unique decision point for Hamline Midway Library, one of three locations in need of repairs: rebuild or renovate.

On March 4, 2020, the report was presented to the Saint Paul Library Board (who are also the City Council). One week later, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 to be a global pandemic. As Saint Paul Public Library, we spent the remainder of 2020 responding to our community’s most urgent needs, developing and maintaining safety measures for staff and community, and managing budget and workforce reductions. The unprecedented scope, scale, and duration of multiple crises in 2020 meant we were unable to adhere to the original timeline laid out for further community engagement that year.

We heard that libraries in Saint Paul are well-loved, well-used, and well-worn.

In 2018, through engagement to inform our Strategic Direction, the Library heard:

• People want libraries to focus on young people and families.
• People want libraries to hold space for both quiet and loud activities.
• People face structural, cultural, and financial barriers to using libraries.
• People seek an environment that fosters safety and belonging.
• People seek programing beyond books and buildings.

In 2019, through engagement to inform our Facilities Direction, we talked with our community about our library buildings. We assessed their condition and function. We learned:

• Community members feel pride for their neighborhood library. The library is a strong connector in Saint Paul neighborhoods and patrons would like the library to play a stronger role. More than half of the respondents in the survey said, “I am willing to help make the library better.”
• Across demographic and age groups, the library is viewed as a place for exposure to new things and people and as a place to have connections with other people.
  • BIPOC respondents strongly valued their library as a place to spend time with family, attend meetings/gatherings, and be exposed to new things and people.
  • Most white respondents strongly valued access to diverse resources and the physical space and feel of the library.
• Outdated buildings struggle to support high use.
  • While circulation and visits remain strong, the collection is large and diverse, and program attendance is increasing, technology is falling behind, surfaces are worn, and the buildings are in serious need of investment.
  • In SPPL’s historic two-level buildings, many spaces are not easily accessible.
  • These buildings have limited access to outlets and data ports, and many are experiencing water infiltration.
  • Mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) systems need significant investment.
• SPPL facilities are falling behind their peer library spaces. Interior spaces are inflexible and are challenged to provide consistent, quality learning, and play spaces. Entry areas should be more welcoming. Exterior and interior signage and wayfinding need improvement. Sightlines and staff work areas need reconfiguration. Meeting rooms require enhanced flexibility and improved AV technology. Furniture throughout the system needs replacement.

Key recommendations given to the Library by our consultant, based on their assessment of all buildings, usage and service data, and input from staff and community, included these insights:

• Cultural nuances and perceptions affect sense of belonging. Cultural includes generational, ethnic, family structure, and economic.
• Not all users understand how libraries are evolving, which can create clashing “norms.”
• Patrons look to have higher quality settings and experiential subtleties (inside and outside) that match their pride.
• Redesign space that is accessible and inclusive for a variety of modes of use.
• Engage teen space to meet their needs to grow, connect, and play.
• Activate the front and create a sense of welcome.
• Create initiatives to bring the neighborhoods together.
• Program intergenerational transition space.
• Create space and systems to support staff interacting with patrons.
• Technology within the library must evolve. Development of a consistent, base level of technology services delivered throughout the library system will create resources patrons can rely on.
• Library spaces should evolve to support play-based learning. Patrons helped SPPL understand the vast definitions and approaches of how play supports their learning and connecting—with themselves and others.

Saint Paul Public Library seeks public (city, state and federal funds), private, and individual support to fund its vision to transform libraries in Saint Paul. SPPL was awarded $8.1 million for the transformation of Hamline Midway Library.

The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library is an independent non-profit organization that partners with SSPL on programming and fund raising. The Friends are embarking on a capital campaign to leverage public funds.

In Saint Paul, city departments, including Saint Paul Public Library, make recommendations and decisions about Capital Investment Budget (CIB) priorities and funding proposals. Department leaders and staff review all available information and evidence to make recommendations informed by many inputs, including facility condition data, community input, staff expertise and experience, economic conditions, resources required and available (human and financial), feasibility, timeline, fit with department priorities, and fit with citywide priorities.

The City of Saint Paul has a long history of strong community engagement informing its capital investment decisions. The CIB Committee provides a structure for residents to review proposals from departments and make recommendations to the Mayor and City Council. Community members also provided input on the three priority library projects via a CIB online survey and community meeting in March 2021.

The Library submitted three proposals for funding through the City’s competitive Capital Investment Budget (CIB) Cycle for 2022/2023 bonding. The project proposals include:

• Hamline Midway Library: $8.1 million request to support one of two options: new building or renovation plus expansion on the current site.
  • Given the poor condition of the building, the Library sought to secure significant capital investment from the City as soon as possible.
  • The Library engaged community late in 2021 and is continuing to engage in 2022 to help inform which of two options advances forward as the future of this location.
• Hayden Heights Library: Request to renovate the library building, which was built in 1955 and last renovated in 1979.
• Riverview Library: Request to renovate the library building, which was built in 1917 and last renovated in 1989.

Following CIB Committee review and recommendation, Mayor and recommendation, and City Council review and approval, Hamline Midway Library was awarded a full investment of $8.1 million through the City’s CIB cycle for 2022/2023 bonding.

In December 2021, LSE Architects was selected by Saint Paul Public Library to engage community in co-creating schematic designs to transform three library buildings in Saint Paul.

In August 2021, SPPL released a request for proposals to select a design partner to develop community-informed designs for its three priority libraries. This phase includes community engagement, schematic designs, cost estimates, and 75% completed construction documents. LSE was selected through a competitive process in which a number of local and national architecture and design firms with library experience applied.

LSE stood out for its record of designing beautiful, functional community spaces that stand the test of time, for the way they walk the talk with racial and social equity, and for their creative, dynamic approach to community engagement, which aligns closely with SPPL’s goals and approach to work. Community engagement and schematic design work began early in 2022.

About LSE Architects

LSE is a Minneapolis-based, Black-owned firm that integrates equity into their business model, from their ownership and leadership representation to investments in career pathway apprenticeships to bringing on women and BIPOC-owned consulting partners to creating environments that reflect the culture of the communities in which they reside.

LSE’s current and past projects include the Midway YMCA; North High School in Minneapolis; Minnesota JCC; Oxboro, historic Sumner, and Webber libraries in Hennepin County; and the renovations of Sun Ray and Highland Park libraries in Saint Paul in 2015.

About the team

LSE's lead architect on the project is Lawal, who was recently named a fellow by the American Institute of Architects, and Principal Director of Public Studio and Project Manager Jennifer Anderson-Tuttle, Assoc. AIA, LEED AP.

LSE engages with eight other firms to contribute to this project. Among them, Tricia Heuring, a local educator, public art curator, and cultural organizer, is leading an artist cohort to conduct community engagement. The community engagement in library design builds upon existing community learning and listening efforts by SPPL.

This local artist cohort serves as consultants and advocates for the public art throughout the process as well as a historic consultant. Additional consultants ensure project designs maximize opportunities to achieve the City of Saint Paul’s sustainability and climate action plan goals.

Community members have helped us create design directions for Hamline Midway, Hayden Heights, and Riverview libraries that will transform these well-used, well-loved, and well-worn buildings into community gathering spaces to meet the needs of our community members now, and for the next generation.

Together, SPPL and LSE have designed a multi-pronged, equity-centered community engagement process that seeks to ensure that historically excluded perspectives and communities are at the center of this work. This includes young people, BIPOC communities, people who identify as trans or non-binary, and people with disabilities. SPPL and LSE has engaged the public through:

• Teen focus groups led by Youth Leadership Institute (collaborate)
• Community open houses and design workshops (involve)
• Listening sessions at each transformed library (involve)
• Artist creative encounters and Library Dream Boards (involve)
• Community surveys (involve)
• Pop-up events to increase the reach of the survey (involve)
• Online forms for feedback and paper feedback forms and activities in our libraries (involve)

In addition, we:

• Engaged library design project ambassadors who are community leaders of neighborhood groups, associations, and students who shared the needs they were hearing from their communities and could help share out about the process to their communities/colleagues/constituents. (involve/collaborate)
• Workshopped SPPL branch staff at three transforming library locations (collaborate)
• Emailed multiple newsletter updates (inform)
• Built a robust website (inform)
• Presented at the Library Board meetings (inform/consult)
• Offered virtual office hours (inform)
• Flyered neighborhood businesses (inform)

As previously mentioned, SPPL and LSE were intentional in listening to voices of historically excluded voices of BIPOC residents, youth, and trans/non-binary community members by:

• Using an Artist Cohort model. Art helps connect people to processes that can otherwise be inaccessible due to power structures, distrust in institutions, and language barriers.
• Dedicating time and space for Youth Leadership Institute (YLI) cohort. Intentionally giving young people power, voice, and more strategic influence over the process.
• Hosting pop-up events in community gathering sites like grocery stores, laundromats, and youth centers to talk to current and potential users of libraries.
• Inviting community leaders to be Library Design Project Ambassadors who are embedded into community serving organizations to avoid voyeuristic or extractive engagement processes.
• Highlighting disaggregated data on race/ ethnic background in the presentation and analysis of survey results.

Community engagement findings are outlined in the appendix of LSE’s predesign report.

When conducting community engagement, SPPL and LSE employ the International Association for Public Participation (IAP2 spectrum), which is designed to advance the practice of public participation by outlining public participation goals and commitments. Not all parts of the spectrum are used in every public participation process. For this project, the library committed to the IAP2 goals listed above in parenthesis.

To determine a design direction for Hamline Midway, Hayden Heights, and Riverview libraries, city administration weighed community input; building assessments; the overall project budget; and Saint Paul’s strategic goals for libraries, sustainability, equity and inclusion, and fiscal responsibility.

Directions are also informed by SPPL’s community-informed vision for library facilities that:

• Are safe, inviting, affirming, and comfortable libraries for people of all cultures, abilities, and communities.
• Have improved accessibility.
• Have additional spaces and study rooms for communities to gather, work, study, and collaborate.
• Separate quiet and loud spaces.
• Have enhanced play and learn spaces.
• Are technology-rich environments.

Hamline Midway

• Existing – 7,917 Gross Square Feet (GSF)
• New Building – 10,695 Gross Square Feet (GSF)

Hayden Heights

• Existing – 11,356 Gross Square Feet (GSF)

Riverview

• Existing – 8,238 Gross Square Feet (GSF)
• New Addition – 2,825 Gross Square Feet (GSF)
• Total – 11,063 Gross Square Feet (GSF)

  * These numbers reflect the entire gross square footage, and do not reflect the square footage of what is considered usable and/or open to the public.

The city has made a commitment of $8.1 million in CIB funds for Hamline Midway Library, and both options that were presented were designed to fit within the $8.1 million budget.

The 8.1 million in CIB funds for the Hamline Library covers the cost of a building that meets the Library’s goals. The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library are completing a feasibility study to understand the amount they may be able to raise for system-wide capital investments. These funds will go toward much needed renovations of Hayden Heights and Riverview Libraries, as well as toward system-wide investments for Play & Learn spaces and upgrading our technology, especially in public meeting areas.

Overall, sustainability of the new building is an extremely important feature of these projects. Given the community’s and the City’s desire to have a larger, more accessible library, the City believes that a new building is the most sustainable option available that also meets the programmatic needs and goals of the community.

It is not viable for the existing Hamline Midway Library building, even after a potential renovation, to meet B3 Sustainable Building 2030 (SB 2030) Energy Standard and the City of Saint Paul’s Sustainable Building Ordinance.

Embodied carbon of buildings   

“Embodied carbon” refers to the carbon emissions created to extract, manufacture, and transport the materials used in the construction of a building. In the case of wood or other carbon-based building materials, the carbon is literally sequestered in the building for however long it stands. Building a new building rather than re-using an existing building means that new greenhouse gas emissions are created in the extraction, manufacture, and transporting of the new materials.

Importantly, however, and particularly in a relatively small building, it is generally the case that more than 50% of the embodied carbon is in the foundation, as foundations are generally made of concrete and concrete is very carbon intensive. The existing Hamline Midway Library building’s foundation is in bad shape and needs to be at least partially replaced regardless of whether the above-ground portion of the building is renovated or demolished and rebuilt. Given that at least a partial new foundation is required to update the HVAC system, a significant amount of carbon emissions will go into any option for improving this library.

It is also important to note that the City plans to re-use many of the current building’s materials in the new building, including the iconic entry archway and as many of the bricks as possible. Many of the other materials in the building will not go to landfills, including any amount of demolished concrete foundation which would get recycled into aggregate that is used in roadbeds and other similar functions. This recaptures much of the embedded carbon lost in the construction process.

Building operations and carbon emissions    

The current building has stood for about 90 years. If we expect a new library to last as long or even longer, then a very significant amount of the building’s overall carbon footprint will come from the energy used to power, heat, and cool the building each year. The current building wastes a lot of energy because the old walls and roof are poorly insulated, and the structure does not allow for a way to easily insulate the building well. One of the few available methods for better insulating walls (that do not have sufficient cavity space to fill with insultation) is to build an additional wall/envelope all the way around the building.  This is most done on the exterior of a building, which in this case would hide or encase the old building. The building is not insulated, and it would be cost-prohibitive and destructive to the interior features to insulate it. Uninsulated walls significantly hinder energy performance for the life of the building.

The building envelope (walls, roof, and foundation) of a new library can and will be built to a very high energy efficiency standard, dramatically reducing the energy needed to heat and cool the building on a per square foot basis. In addition, The City aims to use very efficient electric heat pump technology and to not use any natural gas to heat the building. An all-electric building can be heated and cooled using carbon-free electricity. Electric heat pump technology is not sufficient in a cold climate like ours unless the buildings is very well insulated.

While Xcel’s electricity fuel mix is about 55% carbon free today, they have committed to reach 85% carbon free electricity by 2030. If the City chooses, we could spend slightly more on the electricity bill to buy 100% renewable and clean wind power.  A new, larger roof will create the opportunity for on-site solar power to be considered as well.

Sustainability and transportation to the building 

A larger facility with a more accessible and functional layout will serve more community members both better and closer to home.  The City learned through the community engagement process that some community members currently travel longer distances to go to other library branches where the accessibility, services, and spaces better meet their needs. This extra movement creates additional carbon emissions through the use of fuels for cars, buses, and light rail trains

The Saint Paul Public Library strives for maximum, equitable accessibility. We want to welcome all patrons through the same pathway and front entrance, not make people who are unable to navigate stairs enter SPPL buildings through a back or side door or require them to go on a longer, separate, exposed path to enter the front door.

The user impact of different entrance paths affects people with mobility challenges every time they use the library, particularly felt based on weather. On rainy days, icy days, and days of extreme heat, people with mobility challenges would need to navigate a long and winding path verses a short, direct route to enter. This is not acceptable or equitable accessibility in a public facility, particularly a public library where access – to space, information, and resources – is central to the overall public mission.

At Saint Paul Public Library we seek to go beyond meeting minimum accommodation requirements (which, as history shows, are likely to become outdated as ADA changes over time) in order to deliver public facilities that have the needs of people with mobility challenges at the center of design. This will ensure maximum accessibility and a public library that all can be used with dignity and ease.

Riverview Library in Saint Paul’s West Side neighborhood is a Carnegie Library and is designated as a historical building.

The Library has chosen not to seek historic designation for Hayden Heights and Hamline Midway Libraries.

Libraries serve people. With our investments in library buildings, we prioritize the needs and desires that community members have for their library spaces. As a library, we seek to serve the most people accessibly, safely, and in a building suited for future generations that honors and incorporates history.

We are aware that an application to nominate Hamline Midway Library to the National Register of Historic Places was submitted by a resident. SPPL has formally objected to the nomination. Our commitment remains to build a library building for the future that honors the past and maximizes accessibility for all. Questions about historic preservation should be directed to Heritage Preservation.

All funding proposals submitted to the Capital Investment Budget (CIB) committee must include relevant information from the City's Adopted Comprehensive Plan and other relevant City-approved plans as part of the City's Capital Investment Planning process. This information was included for the Hamline Midway, Hayden Heights, and Riverview Library proposals and is part of the CIB record.

The City’s Capital Investment Budget (CIB) Committee reviewed and approved project funding to fully explore options for expanding Hamline Midway’s library at this site.

Plans for a new library building are in alignment with City values and priorities that inform the City’s Comprehensive Plan, the City’s Climate Action and Resilience Plan, the Saint Paul Public Library’s Strategic Direction and Facilities Direction plans, and are supported by the professionals at LSE Architects, the City of Saint Paul’s real estate design and construction division, Mayor Carter, Ward 4 Councilmember Mitra Jalali and the majority of City Councilmembers, and many community members. The City’s Comprehensive Plan Policy HP-16 addresses the balance of preservation and new construction. In this case, the analysis supports new development.

SPPL plans to replace the current library with a new library that will offer today’s residents the same features residents in 1930 sought when they advocated for this branch to be established: a modern, adequate, large library. We are committed to incorporating elements of the history into a new building while also reflecting all the communities that call Saint Paul home today, including Dakota people who are the original residents of this land.

Library Size and Floor Plan

Hamline Midway Library is currently one of the smallest of the City’s 13 library locations. Maintaining all or part of the existing structure severely limits how many square feet can be added to meet current and future library needs. Much of the existing basement is not usable public space and library staff members have to mediate access to the bathrooms, platform lift, and community room.

Library Condition 

There have been several extensive Hamline Midway Library building and systems condition assessments, including studies by AMERESCO in 2016, HGA architects engaged to develop the Library’s Facility Direction in 2019, LSE architects engaged in 2021, and ongoing maintenance support from the City’s Office of Financial Services, Real Estate and Design Division.

HGA’s report included the summary note, “This building is in bad shape.” The list of items rated as “inadequate” included: every aspect of staff workroom space, service desk, visibility, ADA accessibility, building footprint, expandability, and more.

After repeated investments and attempted repairs to remedy water infiltration in the auditorium – the location’s only community meeting space – the City commissioned a water infiltration study in 2020 and implemented $30,000 in repairs and remediation to windows, brick and paving above grade. These measures were not effective. The next step recommended by the study would be to excavate the north and west sides of the building to waterproof the foundation and install a drainage system.

In 2022, LSE conducted additional building assessments. Their findings included:

• The building does not have fire sprinklers.
• Main entry is not accessible, and the accessible entrance is not obvious from the entry or visible from the street.
• The accessible entrance does not have any supervision from staffed areas and requires taking an elevator from the lower level to the main level or a lift into the community room.
• Lower-level hallways are not accessible and inadequate as public spaces. The hallway from accessible entry to toilets is too narrow for passing, and hallway behind stage is a dead-end corridor not visible from any other spaces and could allow someone to hide or trap someone.
• Stairs are not visible to any public spaces and there is a recess at the bottom of the stairs that could provide a space for someone to hide.
• Toilets are not in an area that is visible by staff. Currently the toilets require a key from staff to be used and have a record of safety and security incidents.
• The accessible entrance is not the main entrance and is significantly inferior to the entry stairs. The accessible entrance leads into the lower level and requires an elevator to a drop off at the back corner of the main reading room where the main entry is visible from the street and enters into the center of the main reading room.
• A significant portion of the lower level is not accessible including the stage in the community room. The community room was made partially accessible by the addition of a lift; however, the lift is slow and requires operation by a staff member. To have a staff member operate the lift, a patron in a wheelchair would need to take the elevator up to the main level, speak with a staff member, take elevator back to lower level, then take a slow lift into the community room.
• A patron in a wheelchair needs at least two elevator rides to use the bathroom since the toilet rooms are locked on the lower level and require a key on the upper level.
• The staff breakroom and staff toilet are not accessible and would make employing a staff member in a wheelchair difficult.
• Lack of ventilation and significant water infiltration in the community room and the lower level has contributed to significantly worse air quality in these public and staff areas that could be unsafe for people with respiratory health concerns.

Lack of distinct children, teen, and adult areas make congregating in the library uninviting to many community members, especially those engaged in small group activities.

Hamline Midway was the only library in Saint Paul where the interior was closed to the public for more than one year during the COVID-19 pandemic due to its outdated HVAC system, which does not supply ventilation air to the occupied spaces. Perimeter unit ventilators recirculate interior air, increasing the safety risks for occupants during a respiratory pandemic. The situation is currently remediated with HEPA filter fan units, which improve safety but operate at a volume that can make it difficult to hear. Installing a new HVAC system would require a new addition that would increase floor to floor height on the lower level to allow for mechanical space.

Several modifications have been made to the original 1930 building including front staircase, service desk, entrance foyer, windows, roof, minimal accessibility (back entrance/elevator/lift), light fixtures, water-proofing attempts, plaster repair, boilers, and more.

For the full description of recent building assessment findings, including diagrams of interior and exterior issues, please see the Hamline Midway Library Pre-Design Report prepared by LSE Architects, May 13, 2022

Over the past 5 years, the City has spent at least $400,000 on repairs and maintenance at this library – none of those dollars significantly improving the accessibility or function of this building for staff and library users. Exposed rebar and spalling concrete, illustrate the significant structural deficiencies in the existing foundation.

Based on community input that was received in 2021, the Library advanced a proposal submitted to the City’s Capital Improvement Budget (CIB) committee for $8.1M in investment for the Hamline Midway Library through the City’s 2022/23 Capital Investment Budget (CIB) process that would support a new building on the same site or a renovation plus expansion. Recommended by the committee for funding, Mayor Carter proposed and City Council approved an $8.1 million investment in Hamline Midway Library. The Library began to work with community and LSE Architects in late 2021 to dig into possibilities for an amended set of two options: new building or renovation and expansion.

The decision on which direction to pursue for how to transform Hamline Midway Library was made by City administration in May 2022. It was based upon community input, building assessments, project budget, and Saint Paul strategic goals for libraries, sustainability, equity and inclusion, and fiscal responsibility. From there, LSE focused on a rebuild for more detailed schematic design

SPPL and its design partners considered other options, including renovation/addition on site, adding another level to existing building, co-location off-site, and acquiring additional property. These options were determined to be not viable financially, operationally, or because they did not result in a library that meets community needs.

Historic Trends

We have an opportunity to honor and continue the historic legacy of neighbors’ desire for a modern, adequate library at 1558 Minnehaha Ave. while designing a fully accessible building that is safe, inviting, affirming, and comfortable for people of all cultures, abilities, and communities. We seek to build a library that incorporates elements of the past while not having access to public spaces, resources, and services constricted by it.

A city that works for all needs libraries that work for all. The 1930 Hamline Midway Library was not built to work for everyone. The dark underbelly of this historic legacy is one of racial supremacy in which white settlers moved from East to West to obtain cheap land through treaties with Indigenous tribes, and to subsequently profit off those exploitive deals. Now, in 2022, amidst a racial reckoning in this country – including civil unrest and protests for racial justice in the very neighborhood where this library stands – we at Saint Paul Public Library do not concur that this trend in our country’s history is one to further honor and memorialize through designation of this building on the historic register.

Saint Paul Public Library buildings are public buildings and the Saint Paul Public Library is the legal property owner of the Hamline Midway Library according to Ramsey County Property Tax Records.

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