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...

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...

Valley Library to expand in new space at Lakeland Plaza

On March 19, the Washington County Board of Commissioners approved a contract with Lakeland Plaza to provide 4,300 square feet for Valley Library.

The Valley Library has been located in Lakeland Plaza for almost 30 years. In November, the board approved a ...

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...

New lease, design contract approved for Valley Library

The Washington County Board of Commissioners approved a new lease agreement for Valley Branch Library on Tuesday, Nov. 6, and an agreement with an architect to design improvements to the library.

The new lease for Valley Library in Lakeland Plaza in Lakela...

New lease agreement proposed for Valley Library

The Washington County Board of Commissioners will review a new lease agreement for Valley Library at their meeting this coming Tuesday, Nov. 6. The slides for this meeting are available to the public now, and can be reviewed here. According to information...

Washington County shares intent to keep Valley Library within Lakeland Plaza

Washington County has shared its intent with Lakeland Plaza property owners to keep Valley Library within the plaza. Lakeland Plaza has been home to the Valley Library for over 30 years. At community engagement events to discuss Valley Library, members of...

Participants review themes, library images at second community meeting

Around 35 community members participated in the second community engagement meeting for a building study at Valley Library on Tuesday, April 10. 

Tim McILwain of HCM Architects, briefly reviewed the findings from the first community engagement eve...

First community engagement meeting for Valley Library held

Approximately 30 interested community members attended the first community engagement meeting for Valley Library on Monday, March 12. Architects Tim McIlwain and Jerry Hagen asked residents to share how they use the library now, and what ways they believe...

Community engagement events scheduled for Valley Library

Community engagement events will occur in March and April. 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 for Valley L...

Architecture firm selected for Valley Library building study

The Washington County Board of Commissioners approved a contract with Hagen, Christensen & McIlwain Architects for architectural design and community engagement services in January 2018. 

The architectural firm will work with the community and...

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...

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...

Commissioners review plans, progress on Wildwood Library

On March 19, the Washington County Board of Commissioners held a workshop to receive an update on the status of the Wildwood Library project.

County building services and library staff have completed the design development phase of the project. The cost fo...

Community participates in final Wildwood building project event

Visitors who stopped by Wildwood Library Tuesday, Nov. 13 had a chance to look into the future, in a way, as design concept boards were displayed projecting what a new Wildwood Library could look like.

Tim McIllwain, of HCM Architects, offered a few words ...

Final community engagement event held for Wildwood Library

The public is invited to review updated design renderings for a new Wildwood Library at a community engagement event on Nov. 13, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Wildwood Library. These drawings were created by the architecture firm, Hagen, Christensen, McIllwain. ...

County Board scheduled to hear Wildwood Library project update

The Washington County Board of Commissioners is scheduled to receive a Wildwood Library building project update on Tuesday, October 9 during a regularly scheduled workshop following it full meeting. 

Washington County Public Works will present the...

Common themes emerge for the future of Wildwood Library

Nearly 40 people attended the second community engagement meeting for the Wildwood Library building project on Monday, April 23. 

Tim McIlwain with HCM Architects opened the meeting by sharing the common themes that emerged through the first commu...

First community engagement meeting held for Wildwood Library

Approximately 15 interested community members attended the first community engagement meeting for Wildwood Library on March 19. Architects Jerry Hagen and Dan Lawrence of HCM Architects opened the meeting by sharing some information about the current buil...

Community engagement events scheduled for Wildwood 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:

Monday, March 19, from 6:30 - 8 p.m. at the District Educ...

Architecture firm selected for Wildwood Library project

The Washington County Board of Commissioners approved a contract with Hagen, Christensen, McIllwain to design a new building for Wildwood Library. 

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...

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...

Minnesota libraries launch statewide author contest

Minnesota libraries are looking for the state's best self-published books in adult fiction and young adult fiction through the Minnesota Author Project. 

The 2019 contest kicked off on April 1, 2019, and submissions will be accepted through May 31...

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...

Save broken items from the trash at an upcoming Fix-It Clinic

Give broken items destined for the garbage a second chance at one of our upcoming Fix-it Clinics at R.H. Stafford Library in Woodbury. 

We have four more Fix-It Clinics scheduled for 2019: April 20, June 15, August 10, and October 12. All Fix-It C...

Teens invited to Mini Hackathon at Park Grove Library

Washington County Library hosted our first Teen Hackathon last November. Around 100 teens, volunteer mentors, and library staff spent the day playing with code to develop projects around wearable technology. 

Next month, we're inviting teens to co...

Love and snow: Our most popular checkouts of February

February in Minnesota was about two things: love and snow. Thanks to Galentine's Day, Valentine's Day, American Heart Month, and National Library Lover's Month, it was easy to have love on the brain. And with record-setting snowfall in the Twin Cities, it...

Beat the winter blues with some good eats!

As winter hangs on into another month, we’ve got food on the brain. Whether you want to hunker down with creative comfort foods, help your kids develop a love of cooking, or become an expert on a kitchen gadget (Instant Pot, anyone?), our collec...

New titles added for Instant Book Club Kits

This winter, we’ve added new titles to our Instant Book Club Kits, including several of our most checked out fiction and nonfiction titles of 2017 and 2018. New kits include: 

• Being Mortal by Atul Gawande

• Killers of the Flower Mo...

Our most popular checkouts of January 2019

Curious what readers in Washington County have been into for the early part of 2019? Here's a peek at WashCoLib's most popular titles of January across the many different types of materials we offer here at Washington County Library. 

First, here'...

10 awesome LEGO books for Master Builders of all ages

With the release of The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part, we've got all things LEGO on the brain. Luckily, we have a ton of awesome LEGO books in our catalog that can inspire your next project, connect you with other LEGO fanatics, or teach you the best way ...

Spotlight On… African American History

Pay homage to the contributions and service of great African Americans during the month of February at Washington County Library. 

African American History month is a nationally recognized observance of influential African Americans who were leade...

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...

Get creative this January

The start of a new year is the perfect time to get those creative juices flowing! Washington County Library has the tools, materials, programs, and resources that can help you tap into your creative right brain. Whether it’s trying your hand (li...

Check out our new events calendar!

We’re excited to be starting the new year with a new events calendar! It has all the good features from our old calendar in a system that looks cleaner and is much easier to use on mobile devices. 

When you visit the new calendar, it def...

Create Space grand opening set for Saturday, January 26

Washington County Library invites creative thinkers and dreamers to come turn their ideas into realities with the brand new Create Space at R.H. Stafford Library in Woodbury, at the grand opening Saturday, January 26 between 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. A ribbon cut...

Our most popular kids and teens titles of 2018

We're continuing to close out the year with a look at the most popular titles of 2018! Today's we're looking at the books and series that were most popular with kids and teens this year. 

Teen Fiction

1. Scythe by Neal Shusterman (231 checkouts)
2. The Ha...

Our most popular nonfiction of 2018

As the year winds down we're continuing to look back at 2018 at Washington County Library by rounding up our most popular titles of the year. Today's list is all about adult nonfiction, and features a mix of memoirs, biographies, and books on current tren...

Our most popular adult fiction of 2018

As 2018 winds down, we're taking a peek back to see this year's most popular titles among Washington County Library users. We'll be sharing those books over the next several days, dividing the lists by adult fiction and nonfiction, kids and teens titles, ...

Find your next favorite book using NoveList

One of the bookish secret weapons you can access using your Washington County Library card is NoveList Plus, a digital tool that makes finding your next favorite read a snap.  

After you sign into NoveList Plus with your library card, you can acce...

Books we thought we'd hate, but actually loved

Book clubs, reading challenges, professional development, recommendations from well-meaning relatives – many readers will, at some point or another find themselves in a situation where they have to read a book that just... doesn't sound like the right fit...

Our most checked out (and most requested) books of November

Curious what other Washington County readers have been checking out or hoping to read this month? We've got you covered! Today, we've rounded up our most checked out and most requested titles of November! 

Most Checked Out Titles 

Adult th...

Spotlight On...Our Favorite Things

The holidays drum up plenty of wish lists full of favorite things, and Washington County Library is no exception. No matter how you celebrate, we want to share in the joy by giving you a whole bunch of our top choices from WashCoLib's many materials, tool...

Our most popular picture books of the year (so far)

For the last several years, book-loving people around the world have celebrated National Picture Book Month in November. And there's a lot to celebrate! Here at WashCoLib, we have 29,585 picture books in our collection, and we're adding more every day.&am...

Celebrate Black Friday at the Library!

Skip the big box stores this weekend and head out to your favorite Washington County Library branch for all of our great Black Friday* deals! 

This weekend, we're offering 100 percent off all library materials. That's right, we're offering 100 per...

Meet Michele, the new Lake Elmo interim manager

Michele Cornelius is a familiar face at Washington County Library, but now you can catch her most days at Lake Elmo Library as the interim manager (instead of her usual haunt – Park Grove Library). She’s been with WashCoLib for four an...

Our most checked out (and most requested) titles of October

Curious what other Washington County readers have been checking out or hoping to read this month? We've got you covered! Today, we've rounded up our most checked out and most requested titles of October. Let's dive in!

Most Checked Out Titles

The titles on...

Spotlight On...Writing

Everyone has a story within them. Scribble, scrawl, and scribe yours by unleashing your inner author this month with our Spotlight On…Writing. Washington County Library has the tools and materials that help you put pen to paper (or blinking cursor to Word...

Literary costumes to inspire you this Halloween

There's no better place to draw costume inspiration from than characters from your favorite books. We asked Washington County Library staff to share their Halloween get-ups from years past that were created with a little literary inspiration. If you don't...

9 books to read if you love Frankenstein!

This year marks the 200th birthday of the publication of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, a classic horror novel that was, quite literally, conceived on a dark and stormy night all the way back in 1816. 

Shelley, then just 19 years old, was ...

Wildwood Library patron winner in self-published author contest

B.K. Parent, a writer and patron at Wildwood Library, is one of two winners in a self-published author contest organized by Minnesota libraries. 

Her novel, Journey's Middle, was the winner in the young adult fiction category. Parent is a retired ...

Happy “birthday” to our video game collection

Patrons checked out video games in the Washington County Library collection more than 5,000 times in the 12-month period they were first made available.

The collection of more than 100 video games, compatible with PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, and Wii U console...

Our best tips for better genealogy research

Getting started on the path to mapping your family history can seem daunting. A number of librarians at Washington County Library have dug deep into their own family histories and helped community members start building their own family trees. We talked t...

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...

Our most popular teen reads of 2018 (so far)

Here at Washington County Library we celebrate Teen Read Month every October with our annual Book Ballots program. Since we've got young adult fiction on the brain all month, we thought it would be fun to take a look at our most popular YA titles 2018 (so...

Job fair concentrates on healthcare positions

Washington County Library, in partnership with the Workforce Center, will host a job fair on Tuesday, October 30, from 1 to 3 p.m. at R.H. Stafford Library in Woodbury. This is the third job fair the two organizations have collaborated on, offering a chan...

Techie teens invited to create the next big thing

Washington County Library invites teens to test and tinker with wearable technology at its first-ever Teen Hackathon on Saturday, November 3, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Central Park in Woodbury.

The hackathon is a free, all-day event for techies of all abili...

Our favorite mysteries to celebrate Mystery Series Week

Mystery Series Week is celebrated annually in the first full week of October. It seems somewhat appropriate to start off the spookiest month of the year recognizing the detectives, sleuths, and sidekicks that we love reading and revisiting in book after b...

Spotlight On...Genealogy

Perhaps the most interesting story you’ll ever encounter branches from your own family tree. Genealogy, or the study of exploring your family history, opens up a world of information specific to you as the researcher. Washington County Library has tools, ...

"Read" all 15 Teen Read Month books in under 2 minutes

We'd never encourage you to judge a book by its cover, so use this quick video instead! Our helpful micro-summaries give you a feel for the 15 great books that make up the 2018 Teen Read Month choices at Washington County Library. Start reading and vote b...

Library offers free, digital college test prep services

College test prep can be stressful and, at times, costly. But never fear! Washington County Library offers several free tools to help students prepare for college admission tests like the PSAT, ACT, or SAT – everything from tutorials to timed pr...

How much is your library card worth?

This post was submitted by Washington County Library’s social media specialist Kim Ukura, a voracious reader who recently unearthed her award certificate for reading 40 books during her library’s kids summer reading club in 1996.&n...

Our most popular checkouts of summer 2018

While reading is great during all seasons, there's something about summer reading that's extra special. As we looked back on the summer, we thought it would be interesting to calculate which books were most popular at each of our locations during June, Ju...

Peggy Orenstein to visit R.H. Stafford for Club Book

Washington County Library will host author Peggy Orenstein on Tuesday, September 25, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at R.H. Stafford Library, 8595 Central Park Place, Woodbury. This event is part of Club Book, a program of the Metropolitan Library Service Agency (ME...

Your library card -- 3 ways!

There’s a famous catchphrase about another notable card that tells you “don’t leave home without it,” and that’s pretty much how we feel about your library card. In fact, we feel so strongly that ...

Smart Travel series kicks off Sept. 12

Washington County Library's Smart Travel series features knowledgeable presenters who will share their tips, tricks, and tidbits about a variety of travel topics: home security, Disney trip planning, exploring Italy, and journeying as a Road Scholar. Smar...

5 things you can get with your library card (that aren't books!)

It’s a pretty natural word association to think of ‘books’ when you hear ‘library card,’ but rest assured that a Washington County Library card empowers you with access to much more than just our physical ...

Spotlight On...Back to School

As you gather up your school supplies for a new year, don’t forget to grab your library card! Whether you’re starting a new grade, or you consider yourself a lifelong learner, Washington County Library has tools, events, and materials ...

What's in store for fall storytimes?

New this fall, Washington County Library will offer additional Saturday morning and weekday evening storytimes at select branch locations. Storytimes are a great opportunity to connect with your child and lay the foundation they will need to be a successf...

A librarian's perspective on Summer at Your Library

Alaina Johnson is a youth services librarian at R.H. Stafford Library in Woodbury. Now that summer is drawing to a close (and she has some time to think!), she's sharing her perspective on why summer at the library is such a big deal. 

There&r...

Nonfiction that blew our minds!

As summer winds down and the back-to-school season begins, we got to thinking about great true stories that have taught us something new. This month our staff shared some of the nonfiction we've read, loved loved, and felt like changed our perspective abo...

Park Grove Library Kid's Lab makes the movies

Elementary-aged directors used our Microsoft Surface GoLab! and LEGOs to create stop motion videos during Park Grove Library's weekly Kid's Lab. 

Participants are between 5 and 10 years old, and this was their first time trying stop motion video p...

WashCoLib Staff Picks: Apps to Simplify Your Life

WashCoLib staff compiled a list of apps they recommend to help you make your life simpler. These apps are used regularly by our staff, and have been put through their paces to make sure they do what the promise, so you don't have to worry about wasting ti...

Life Event Kits can help simplify your life

Libraries have always been places where people can get answers and find resources to make positive changes in their lives. 

Studies show 65 percent of Americans believe libraries help them grow as people. Forty-three percent think libraries can he...

Our most popular checkouts of July

We're going back to basics this month with a look at the most popular fiction and nonfiction for adults, teens and kids. Scroll down to see what books Washington County readers are checking out, then click through to put titles you're interested on hold. ...

Washington County Library hosts Karin Slaughter

Washington County Library will host author Karin Slaughter on Tuesday, Aug. 28, from 6:30 to 8 p.m., at R.H. Stafford Library, 8595 Central Park Place, Woodbury. This event is part of Club Book, a program of the Metropolitan Library Service Agency (MELSA)...

Spotlight On...Simplifying Your Life

Time is a precious commodity in today’s busy pace of life. Simplifying your life can help streamline your time, and give you some breathing room in your day-to-day activities or long term planning. You know you really should find ways to make li...

“Club de Lectura en Español” coming to Park Grove Library

Thanks to a patron’s suggestion and the keen eye of a Park Grove librarian, the library will begin hosting a Spanish book club, conducted in Spanish, and focusing on works by Spanish language authors.

The first meeting will take place August 11, from 10:30...

Weekly webinars help users get started with ReferenceUSA

Looking for accurate data about businesses in your state and community? The U.S. Businesses database available through ReferenceUSA has information on 52 million companies that can be used in job searches, business research, or planning and marketing for ...

9 books we want to see on the big screen

Conventional wisdom among book lovers is that the book is always better than the movie... but that doesn't stop us from wishing that our favorite stories could translate from the page to the screen. 

This year, staff around Washington County Libra...

Summer survival with smARTpass

If the last weeks of summer are going by a little too slowly for you (parents, am I right?!), add a little pizazz to your day by taking advantage of the smARTpass system to visit museums, nature sites, performances and more. It’s available throu...

A parent's perspective on Summer Adventure at Your Library

Even if you haven't grabbed a Summer Adventure activity card, there's still plenty of time to participate in our summer reading program. Washington County mom of three Elise Johnson caught our eye with her Instagram post, sharing that her youngsters had f...

VIDEO: Step into STEM Saturdays

Learning should be fun, especially when it sparks the opportunity to get exciting hands-on experience. STEM Saturdays are designed to give kids the chance to explore natural, scientific, and digital worlds in the encouraging atmosphere of the library. The...

You Scream, We Scream

We’d be hard pressed to find a more perfect summer scene than one that involves ice cream, live entertainment, and the Historic Court House in Stillwater, which is why we’re excited to take part in the 2018 Ice Cream Social on Thursday, July 19.

Stop by th...

How to use Lynda.com for free with your library card

You may have already heard of Lynda.com, an online education service that offers video tutorials for learning software, developing personal and professional skills, and creative art techniques. 

What you may not know is that you access everything ...

Our most popular checkouts of 2018 (so far)

Mid-way through the year is a great time to take a quick peek back at the most popular materials checked out from Washington County Library so far this year. The following list just includes the most popular titles in our physical collection (so no ebooks...

Bee-Bots causing a buzz at Park Grove Library

Did you know that Washington County Library has robots? Cate Triola is a library services assistant at Park Grove Library in Cottage Grove who has been working with our swarm of Bee-Bots! Here, she shares a bit about why they’re great teaching t...

Find encouragement and understanding at a Memory Café

Experiencing memory loss, or caring for someone with memory loss, can be overwhelming. A new monthly meeting held at R.H. Stafford Library in Woodbury aims to provide support to individuals with memory loss and their caregivers.

Stillwater-based FamilyMean...

Public computer upgrades underway

It’s out with the old and in with the new for the public computers at all Washington County Library locations. Work began in mid-June to replace the old desktop machines and monitors with newer versions for the public to use during library visit...

Spotlight On...STEM

The answers to meaningful questions about the world around us can often be found using science, technology, engineering, or mathematics – simply known as STEM. Using methods from these disciplines, people of all ages can ask “why?” and work to find the an...

Getting started with library audiobooks

June is Audiobook Month, which makes it a great time to give (free!) library audiobooks a try. 

Most library visitors know that we have an extensive collection of audiobooks on CD available to browse at every branch or search in our catalog.&n...

Paws...at the library

Let us be the first to wish you a happy National Take Your Dog to Work Day! While it’s rare (but not unheard of) that any of our library staff actually bring their pooches to work…

…it IS pretty common to see a furry, four-l...

Pop Up Library brings materials, technology to Arts in the Park series

Washington County Library will set up (temporary) shop at the Forest Lake Arts in the Park events with its Pop Up Library this summer, June through August. Arts in the Park is a free summertime community event which takes place every Tuesday from 5 &n...

Our favorite summer reading recommendations

Earlier this month, the Star Tribune gathered summer reading recommendations from librarians in Hennepin and Ramsey counties. We loved that idea so much we decided to borrow it, and turned to our own expert readers at Washington County Library for some of...

Washington County Library Events: June 19 to July 1

Curious what's happening at Washington County Library? Check out this list of select events coming up over the next two weeks, everything from kids character storytimes to learning about the art styles of the Cubist movement. 

For a full calendar ...

Community engagement events prove to be useful tool

Washington County Library offers many thanks to the community members who showed their support and interest during the spring community engagement events held for the library’s three building projects. The feedback and opinions shared allowed for the succ...

Most popular audiobooks of May 2018

Because June is Audiobook Month, we decided it would be fun to take a look at some of the most popular audiobooks of the last month! These lists include include both CD checkouts and e-audiobook downloads through digital apps like CloudLibrary and RBdigit...

Celebrate Summer at Your Library on June 9

Get ready to start celebrating Summer at Your Library at Washington County Library with kick-off celebrations at every library branch this Saturday, June 9. These events are open to all ages, and don't require registration. At the kick-off parties, you ca...

Spotlight On... Summer Learning

This month, we’re highlighting resources we have to help children and families to stay curious and keep learning throughout the summer.

We’re excited to be adding a new resource in our catalog – access to Lexile measures for o...

Underwater photos of the St. Croix on display at Valley Library

Underwater photographs of the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway will be on display at Valley Library in Lakeland through the end of June. 

“Under the Surface” is a collection of underwater photos from Wisconsin’s mos...

Get ready for Summer at Your Library!

With temperatures in the 90s in the forecast already, it can only mean that summer is just around the corner. (We're from Minnesota, of course we're going to start out talking about the weather!) 

This year, Washington County residents can celebra...

Take it from a librarian, it's all ok at storytime

While Washington County Library’s children’s librarians are taking a two week break from regular storytime to get ready for this year’s Summer Adventure at Your Library, Erica Myhre, children’s librarian at Hardwood...

Library resources to help better understand your health

Did you know the library has many great resources to help you find find reliable, accurate health information? Librarians aren't doctors, and therefore can't give medical advice, but can help point you towards resources with information on medical conditi...

Get free audiobooks this summer through SYNC

SYNC is back, which means teen readers can access free audiobooks all summer long!

Over the course of the program, which runs until July 25, SYNC will offer two free audiobook downloads each week consisting of pairs of high interest titles based on weekly ...

Our most popular DVDs of April 2018

Even though many people have access to more media than time to watch it, DVDs are still a popular item to check out from the library – especially newly-released titles that aren't available for free anywhere else. This month, we thought it would...

Share "One World, Many Stories" during Children's Book Week

Each year, libraries, bookstores, and schools across the country celebrate Children’s Book Week, a chance to commemorate great children’s books and the joy of reading. The 2018 slogan for Children’s Book Week is “One World, Many Stories,” highlighting the...

Spotlight On... Health

Don’t let your New Year’s resolutions to eat better, exercise more, or find new ways to relax fall by the wayside as the year has progressed – Washington County Library has a range of resources and programs to help you take c...

Job Corners help connect the library to the WorkForce Center

For the last year, Washington County Library and the Washington County WorkForce Center have been working together to provide better support for job seekers in the community, including plans for Job Corners at libraries in Woodbury, Cottage Grove and Oakd...

Minnesota libraries launch statewide author contest

Minnesota libraries are looking for the state's best self-published books in adult fiction and young adult fiction through the Minnesota Author Project. 

The 2018 contest kicked off on April 1, and submissions will be accepted through June 30. A p...

Finding the best business books at the library

This piece was submitted by Angie Noyes, collection development librarian for Washington County Library. She has worked at WCL since 2000 when she joined the staff as a librarian at Hardwood Creek Library in Forest Lake. 

Looking for books about j...

Join a conversation about the Vietnam War at Bayport Legion

Twin Cities Public Television, Washington County Library and Washington County Veterans Services invite you to a community conversation that explores the Vietnam War and its legacy from several points of view on Wednesday, April 25 from 6:30 – 8...

Celebrate National Poetry Month at the library

Ever wonder why “‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers”? Or who advised to “gather ye rosebuds while ye may”? Spend some time reading poetry, and you might be able to answer those questions! ...

Get started with Job & Career Accelerator

Washington County Library offers a number of databases and tools to help job seekers or career explorers get ahead. One popular database is Job & Career Accelerator, an online job search and training resource you can access using your library card.&am...

A Day at the Library: Kerri Maher, Hardwood Creek Library

Kerri Maher is a library services assistant at Hardwood Creek Library in Forest Lake. She has been working for Washington County Library since 2016.

Library Services Assistants, or LSAs, are the people who sit at the service desk, assisting with checkouts ...

A Day at the Library: Henok Fanta, R.H. Stafford Library

Henok Fanta is a library services supervisor at R.H. Stafford Library in Woodbury. He’s been working for Washington County Library since January 2018. Before coming to the library, Henok worked for the Washington County WorkForce Center.

11:45 a.m. | I che...

A Day at the Library: Kristin Jones, Park Grove Library

Kristin Jones is a librarian at Park Grove Library in Cottage Grove. She’s been working for Washington County Library since 2008. Before becoming a librarian, Kristin worked as a clerk and an assistant librarian.  

It’s 9 a.m. on a Monday, and bef...

Jobs, careers, and technology programs in April

As part of our April spotlight on the jobs and careers resources available at the library, we wanted to highlight the classes and programs we offer that can help you improve your job search, or just ad new skills to your resume when you go on the job mark...

Spotlight On... Jobs and Careers

Whether you’re considering a career change, job hunting, or just wondering what to be “when you grow up,” Washington County Library has tools, resources, and programs to help you navigate these important life decisions.

Tap in...

April community engagement events for building projects

In March, Washington County Library held the first round of community engagement meetings for projects at Park Grove, Wildwood and Valley libraries to gather community input on what residents hope to see in new library facilities.

Interested residents have...

Great reads for the armchair traveler in all of us

One of the great things about being a reader is that you can travel to exotic places (and times!) without ever leaving the comfort of your armchair. 

As part of our spotlight on travel resources this month, we’ve rounded up the lists of ...

Spotlight: Check out digital magazines and audiobooks

Save money, reduce clutter, or keep your carry on light the next time you travel by checking out digital magazines and audiobooks from the library using RBdigital. 

Washington County Library’s RBdigital magazine collection contains over ...

Spotlight: Use Transparent Language free with your library card

Getting ready to take a trip and want to learn a few simple phrases before you go? Need a refresher on the French or German you learned in college? Know a teenager who could use a little extra help in their high school Spanish class? 

Before you p...

Our most popular books of February 2018

February may be the shortest month of the year, but that doesn’t mean the readers of Washington County were any less active. Here are some of our most popular titles in romance, graphic novels, and children’s CDs from February 2018.&am...

ALLDATA is back!

Automotive do-it-yourselfers, rejoice. The ALLDATA database is back and available on library workstations once again to help you with your automotive repair and maintenance. 

ALLDATA is a comprehensive database resource that includes step-by-step ...

Spotlight: Explore the world with travel-themed storytimes

As part of our monthly spotlight on the travel resources available at the library, we'll be offering a number of travel themed storytimes this month. 

Join us at one of these fun programs to explore new places through stories and songs without eve...

Spotlight On...Travel

Washington County Library can help you explore new places, or prepare for a great adventure, all through tools and materials available to you as a library cardholder. If you plan to travel for an upcoming Spring Break, or just want to get away from it all...

Spotlight: New-ish book club becomes official

Nine members of the Friday Morning Senior Book Club gathered at R.H. Stafford Library in Woodbury on the second Friday in February to discuss their latest book, as they have for many years. But for the group that has been coming together since 2006, this ...

Spotlight: Book club picks available through Ebooks Minnesota

Book clubs interested in getting their next read through Ebooks Minnesota, an online ebook collection of more than 2,500 titles available to all Minnesotans, have a new resource at their disposal. 

Ebooks Minnesota has created Book Club Kits for t...

Community input sought on library building projects

Washington County Library is asking residents who live near or use the Park Grove, Wildwood, and Valley libraries for their input as the library system moves forward with individual building projects at each of these three locations. Community engagement ...

Spotlight: Why Ebooks Minnesota is a perfect tool for book clubs

Ebooks Minnesota is an online ebook collection for all Minnesotans. The collection covers a wide variety of subjects for readers of all ages, and features content from Minnesota's independent publishers, including some of our best literature and nonfictio...

It’s not too late to join in on Winter Reads

With two weeks left in our annual Winter Reads program, there’s plenty of time to add your book review to the entries for a chance to win a reward book pack. It’s easy to participate in the seasonal adult reading program. Simply stop b...

Spotlight: Checking out Instant Book Club Kits

Oh, book clubs. Love to be in one, hate to organize one? Well, look no further than the Washington County Library Instant Book Club Kits. Everything you need to get started for your own book discussion group is included in the kit’s canvas bag. ...

Our most popular books of January 2018

Curious what other readers in Washington County have been checking out so far this year? We’ve got you covered! Here are some of our most popular titles in nonfiction, audiobooks, and children’s fiction from January 2018. 

Nonf...

Spotlight: Finding book recommendations using NoveList Plus

Ever wonder how librarians are able to offer a perfect book recommendation in any genre you desire? In addition to being book lovers, many also rely on tools like NoveList Plus, a collection of read-alike recommendations that is also available to Washingt...

Read to Me totes offered to new and expectant parents

Thanks to a partnership between Washington County Library and Washington County Public Health and Environment, new and expectant parents utilizing the county’s Women, Infant, and Children (WIC) program will receive a tote bag full of useful reso...

Video games provide a gateway to the library

Last fall, Washington County Library launched a new addition to our physical collection – video games! When the games for PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, and Wii U began circulating in October, we hoped they’d be embraced by current library u...

New library cards designs unveiled

All Washington County Library patrons are invited to pick a card, any card from seven newly designed library card options (click HERE to see the designs up close). The recently redesigned library cards offer patrons a chance to choose a library card that ...

Spotlight On...Book Clubs

Washington County Library offers great resources to help you launch or sustain your book club. Our tools can suggest your next title based on your clubs’ preferences, or offer up books written by Minnesota authors. We have book club kits that do...

Behind the Scenes at the Library: Tech Services

This piece originally ran on Washington County's employee news site in December 2017.

They talk like a team, they work like a team, but, most importantly, they feel like a team.

Marti Nystrom, Char Haukom, and Luann Corcoran are the people behind the scenes...

County Board hires firm for Valley Library study

Read on...

Grand re-opening marks new chapter for Lake Elmo Library, Washington County Library

The hard work of many partners came to fruition on Saturday, Jan. 20, when the Washington County Library system opened the doors of Lake Elmo Library as its newest branch location.

Washington County Library conducted a grand re-opening to celebrate the tra...