County to include Park Grove Library renovation in 2022 bond

Washington County has planned for a $5 to $6 million renovation for the existing Park Grove Library facility in the most recent Capital Improvement Plan (CIP).

The Board of Commissioners held a workshop to review a draft of the 2020-2024 CIP on Tuesday, Oc...

Additional time allows for Park Grove Library location discussions

The Washington County Board of Commissioners adopted the final 2019 – 2023 Capital Improvement Plan at their meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 11, which removed the Park Grove Library building project from the list of projects slated for funding in 2019....

Existing libraries offer inspiration for future of Park Grove Library

Nearly 70 people attended the second community engagement meeting for the Park Grove Library building project on Monday, April 16. 

Jennifer McMaster of HGA Architects gave a brief presentation at the start of the event, highlighting some of the m...

Nearly 90 people attend first community engagement meeting

More than 90 people visited Park Grove Library on Tuesday, March 20 to offer their ideas about how to building a new library of the future on the site. At the open house event, visitors were invited to write down answers to five questions on posters aroun...

Community engagement events scheduled for Park Grove Library

Residents and patrons are invited to contribute their thoughts and opinions through a series of community meetings that will be conducted in early 2018. 

The community engagement events are scheduled:

Tuesday, March 20, from 4 - 7 p.m. at Park Grov...

Architecture firm selected for Park Grove Library project

The Washington County Board of Commissioners approved a contract with Hammel, Green, and Abrahamson, Inc. to design a new building for Park Grove Library in Cottage Grove. 

Target Completion Date: Fall 2020

The Park Grove Library was built at its current location on Hemingway Avenue in Cottage Grove in 1984. When the building was evaluated by Washington County Public Works, it was estimated to need millions of dollars in future repairs, not including updates...

Washington County celebrates Valley Library with Grand Opening Ceremony

Washington County Library held a grand opening ceremony on Saturday, Jan. 11 to celebrate the newly-renovated Valley Library, which is located next door to its previous space in Lakeland Plaza. Partners and community members were invited to visit the libr...

Valley Library grand opening celebration January 11

The newly-renovated Valley Library will host a grand opening celebration on Saturday, January 11 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. 

To celebrate the new library, community members are invited to join county officials and library staff for a ribbon cutting ce...

Shelves going up at renovated Valley Library

On Thursday, December 5, library staff and community partners toured the renovated Valley Library where shelves and furniture were being installed.

Valley Library will be closed December 18-21 while books and other materials are moved from the current spac...

Valley Library to close December 18-20 for move to new space

Renovations at Valley Library are on schedule, and staff are planning the logistics of moving into the new space and organizing an opening celebration in the new year. There are a few key dates over the next month for Valley Library users: 

• Decemb...

Valley Library renovation on schedule

Renovation at Valley Library began in early September and is on schedule to be completed in December.

Drywall, paint, and tile have been completed. Contractors have also installed all cabinets and counter tops.

The ceiling grid in the back of the library is...

Valley Library remodel set to begin September 9

Renovation of a new home for Valley Library is set to begin on September 9 and should be finished by late-November. 

In July, the Washington County Board of Commissioners approved a construction agreement with Kraus-Anderson to relocate and expand...

Kraus-Anderson will construct new Valley Library next door to current site

On July 9, the Washington County Board of Commissioners approved a construction agreement with Kraus-Anderson for $836,580 to relocate and expand Valley Library in Lakeland Plaza, where the library is now.

The new location will be directly adjacent to the ...

Plans for Valley Library on display

Display boards highlighting plans for the Valley Library expansion and renovation will be on display at the library this week.

The 4,300 square foot library has two meeting rooms – a conference room and a small study room. The central area of the...

Board of Commissioners will consider moving Valley Library within Lakeland Plaza

At an upcoming meeting, the Washington County Board of Commissioners will consider moving Valley Library to a new location in Lakeland Plaza rather than expand the library through renovation.

In November 2018, the Board of Commissioners approved a new 10-y...

Target Completion Date: Summer 2018

Valley Library has been in its current location in Lakeland for close to 30 years. The current location needs physical improvements for energy efficiency, accessibility, and to address general wear and tear of the building. The library space needs improve...

Colorful details are being added at Wildwood Library

The personality of Wildwood Library is starting to show as contractors begin implementing some of the more artistic and colorful details.

Contractors have installed a warm, wood ceiling as well as light fixtures and large windows that let in lots of natura...

Library staff tour Wildwood Library construction

On March 3, Washington County Library staff took a tour of the new Wildwood Library. Staff with Washington County Building Services shared construction progress so far and highlighted what the finished space will look like.

The main entrance to the library...

Rooms and walls are taking shape inside Wildwood Library

If you could peek inside the new Wildwood Library right now, you’d see a buzz of activity.

The wall framing is complete, and drywall is being finished up this week. The window frames are also installed, and will have glass in them soon.

And althou...

Outside work, floors in progress at Wildwood Library

It may not look like it to a casual observer, but the outside work at Wildwood Library is moving along quickly!

In the last month, contractors have finished most of the exterior brick, poured the interior concrete floor, completed the roof, and installed m...

The walls are going up at Wildwood Library!

Wildwood Library now has walls!

In November and early December, contractors finished the frames for the exterior walls and began installing underground plumbing. 

Until the building is enclosed and heated, blankets are spread around the interior to...

Frame for Wildwood Library taking shape on site

The outline for the new Wildwood Library is taking shape!

In late October, contractors started putting up the steel beams and supports for the building. They are also working on completing the utilities, parking lot, and final grading for the site.

In the n...

Site work has started at Wildwood Library

Now that demolition at Wildwood Library is complete, site work on the project is underway. Footings and utilities will be installed soon. Contractors have also started work on a storm sewer project with the City of Mahtomedi.

Once footings are completed, f...

County Board approves contract updates for work on Wildwood Library

On September 3, the Washington County Board of Commissioners approved changes to plans for the new Wildwood Library.

The county has been working with HCM Architects for the past two years to design the library. The project involves demolition of the curren...

Groundbreaking ceremony held at Wildwood Library

On August 7, Washington County Library staff, along with other county and community partners, gathered for a groundbreaking ceremony at Wildwood Library. 

The ceremony included remarks from Commissioners Stan Karwoski and Fran Miron, Mahtomedi May...

County Board approves contracts for new Wildwood Library

The Washington County Board of Commissioners approved contracts July 2 for building a new Wildwood Library in Mahtomedi.

The new library will be built on the current library site; the library will close July 20, and be closed for about a year for construct...

Wildwood Library to close July 20 for construction

Wildwood Library in Mahtomedi will close on Saturday, July 20 at 5 p.m. to prepare for construction.

When the library closes in July, staff will continue with moving preparation and packing. Construction will begin in August and is expected to take one yea...

Target Completion Date: Fall 2020

The Wildwood Library was built at its current location on Stillwater Avenue in Mahtomedi in 1990. When the building was evaluated by Washington County Public Works, it was estimated to need millions of dollars in future repairs, not including updates to t...

An update from Library Director Amy Stenftenagel

On Friday, March 27, Library Director Amy Stenftenagel sent the following message to all Washington County Library cardholders. You can learn more about the library’s response to COVID-19 and get an update on current services at WashCoLib.org/Co...

Beating cabin fever during COVID-19

Feeling a little cabin-fever? Kaylin Creason, a librarian at Lake Elmo Library, put together these free resources to keep you entertained and mentally healthy while you’re at home. Download or share the full infographic here!

Catch the opera (and...

Get library materials using curbside pickup!

Libraries buildings are closed to the public, but we’re still here to help! Learn how you can pick up items from our libraries without even having to get out of your vehicle. 

From Friday, March 27 though Friday, April 10,  libr...

Modified services available during library closure

Update

On Tuesday, March 24, the Washington County Board of Commissioners voted to suspend all public-facing services at libraries and other county facilities through Tuesday, April 7. The library’s modified services, outlined below, will continu...

WashCoLib has a new mobile app!

We’re so excited to share that we have a new mobile app! With this new app, you can access your library account no matter where you are. The app also makes it easy to browse the library’s collections, check out or place a hold on items...

Our top checkouts of January and February

It’s time to look at some of our most popular checkouts of the year so far. The books that emerged as our most popular titles of 2019 continue to lead checkouts for the beginning of 2020, but one kids series was particularly dominant this month....

Nonfiction for fun! 14 librarian-recommended reads

This post was written by Cate Triola, a librarian at Park Grove Library in Cottage Grove. When she’s not matching readers with a great true story, she enjoys cooking and reading about ghosts. 

Just as with fiction books, what each nonfic...

Comic memoirs? Graphic biographies? 6 true stories to check out!

Comic memoirs? Graphic biographies? Many readers are familiar with the idea of comic books or graphic novels, but it can get a little trickier when you’re talking about true stories. But whatever you want to call it, illustrated memoirs and biog...

Newbery, Caldecott, and other award winning books

When it comes to picking the best books for kids, the number of choices can be a little overwhelming. Enter, the ALA Youth Media Awards!

The winners of these awards are announced each year at the American Library Association’s annual midwinter co...

Write, craft, learn at the library in February

Don’t let the wintry weather keep you inside all month –  February is a perfect time to get out of the house and learn a little something new. This month, we have a full slate of programs for adults that focus on writing, craf...

Discover and preserve your family history at the library

Do you have photos or memories from loved ones that you want to make sure are preserved for generations to come? Maybe you want to more about your family history but aren't sure where to start? Washington County Library has the equipment, technology and k...

Spark memories and conversation with Memory Minder Kits

Memory minder kits are now available to check out from libraries in Washington County! Designed for people experiencing memory loss and their caregivers, kits include a collection of materials and activities to trigger memories of life experiences. This h...

Our most popular adult nonfiction of 2019

This post is the final in our end-of-the-year peek at 2019's most popular tiles. We've already share our most popular adult fiction and books for kids and teens, which means we're closing it out with adult nonfiction! 

This list includes the 15 mo...

Our most popular kids and teens titles of 2019

This post is the second one in our end-of-the-year peek at 2019's most popular titles. We've already shared our most popular adult fiction. 

Today we have an epic list of 30 books that were popular among teens and kids. The list is split into teen...

Our most popular fiction of 2019

As 2019 winds down, we're taking a peek back to see the year's most popular titles among Washington County Library users. Over the next three weeks we'll look at popular adult fiction and nonfiction and titles for kids and teens. 

This week we're ...

Reserve an iMac at R.H. Stafford Library

Our Create Space at R.H. Stafford Library in Woodbury is now open! The Create Space has four iMacs available for reservations or walk-in use. The iMacs are loaded with the full Adobe Creative Cloud, which includes programs like Illustrator, Photoshop, InD...

Try our favorite cookbooks this Thanksgiving

If you're hunting for good recipes or looking to impress your Thanksgiving guests, check out these cookbook and recipe recommendations from our staff.

Plus, you won't have to buy something brand new - all these books are located in our catalog and are just...

Bienvenido – Welcome to Park Grove Library!

Park Grove Library is no stranger to making sure their programs reflect their community. In response to community feedback, they’ve added numerous language programs, including Spanish Book Club, Spanish Play Date, and Adult English Learner Book ...

Libraries oppose new eBook restrictions from Macmillan

Beginning November 1, Macmillan Publishers will only allow libraries to purchase one copy of new eBook titles for the first eight weeks after a book's release.

That means we will have just a single copy of new, popular titles by authors like Louise Penny, ...

Calling all kids, join a book club!

Reading just got more fun! Kids in Washington County Library book clubs have saved mythical creatures with the Unicorn Rescue Society, brought books to life with mini-plays, and have even met the real-life authors of the books they read.

(Plus, they streng...

Our most popular checkouts of summer 2019

The leaves are turning and the air feels a little crisp, which can only mean one thing: fall is here! But before we dive into cozy reads and pumpkin spiced everything, we thought it would be fun to take a peek back at our most popular books of the summer....

Get more for free with your library card!

When you think about using your library card, it's natural to think about what you can check out by coming into the library – books, magazines, video games, and more. But your library card also grants you access to digital tools and collections that can t...

6 online tools for a better back to school

Many students (and parents) might think of the library as just a place to check out books or find a quiet place to study. 

And while we are excited about those offerings, Washington County Library also has a number of digital tools that can help s...

Our favorite back to school books for kids and teens

The slight chill in the morning air and the aisles of notebooks and pens at your favorite retailer can only mean one thing – it's almost time to head back to school! In honor of this change in season, we looked to our expert children's librarian...

New longer checkouts and auto-renewals at WashCoLib!

Beginning August 1, we're updating our loan periods and renewal policies to let you keep materials longer and make using the library more convenient! 

Under our new loan periods, books, audiobooks, magazines and CDs will be checked out for three w...

Take WashCoLib on the go while you travel

With the official start of summer just behind us, it's time to start thinking about all the places you'll go this season. You can take Washington County Library with you on weekend trips to the cabin or week-long trips even further afield thanks to our mo...

Popular checkouts, past and present

Because we're a bunch of book nerds, we love to pull together statistics about which books have been flying off the shelves lately. 

For this post, we tallied up the most popular books in the first third of the year (January through April), then c...

Get ready for Summer at Your Library

Memorial Day is finished, which means we're in the final push before summer vacation! We're also in the home stretch getting ready for our busiest season at the library, planning programs and activities to help encourage kids, teens, and adults to make li...

Unlock special deals and discounts with your library card

Washington County Library cardholders are used to presenting their library card to borrow a variety of great materials, but now they can show their library card at several Washington County businesses to get special deals and discounts.

Show Your Library C...

Kick off Summer at Your Library on June 8

Get ready to start celebrating Summer at Your Library at Washington County Library with kick off celebrations at every library branch this Saturday, June 8. These events are open to all ages and don't require registration. 

At the kick-off parties...

Programs focus on mental health in May

In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month in May, Washington County Library will offer a series of programs by NAMI Minnesota (National Alliance on Mental Illness) at branches throughout the county.

These programs will focus on ways individuals can improve...

Celebrate Star Wars Day at the library!

May the Fourth Be With You! Celebrate all things Star Wars at Washington County Library with family-friendly events at R.H. Stafford Library and Oakdale Library.

Star Wars Family Night May 3 in Woodbury

Celebrate everyone’s favorite galactic saga ...

It's National Library Week!

This week, we’re excited to be joining libraries around the country in celebrating the ways libraries build strong communities by providing critical resources, programs and expertise. 

April 7-13 is National Library Week, an annual celeb...