Nokomis Community Library
Encyclopedia
Nokomis Community Library is one of 41 branch libraries in the Hennepin County Library System. Formerly, it was part of the Minneapolis Public Library System as it is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota
, USA
.
was built in 1931. It was built to replace the former Longfellow Community Library that had served the Nokomis East
area for many years. In 1967, the City of Minneapolis had Buetow and Associates, Inc design the new library building which was modeled after a tepee from the poem The Song of Hiawatha
by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
. Additionally, the library was named for Nokomis
in said poem, making the branch the only library in the system to be named after a fictional character. The library featured a reading loft, basement meeting room, and 13,426 sq. ft. Construction on it began in 1967 and concluded the next year. The library opened in September 1968 and immediately doubled the circulation of the old Longfellow branch.
in a 25000 square feet (2,323 m²) space and close both Nokomis and Roosevelt. This would allow the library to design a state-of-the-art building at an undecided location.
None of these options were actually done.
with significant input from a citizens advisory committee, and features modern architectural features and materials. The renovation will
include expanding the size of the library by about 1/3 (to about 17760 square feet (1,650 m²)) and completely replacing the mechanical systems (heating, cooling, lighting, etc.) with high-efficiency ones. The basement meeting room will be replaced by a smaller main-floor meeting room, and the kids loft will be replaced by a reading 'nest'. The fountain will be removed, but parts of the mobile above it will be retained as wall decorations.
The library will close on September 12, 2009, for the renovation, which is expected to last about a year. (This was originally scheduled for 2008, but was delayed about a year, due to the merger with Hennepin Libraries and the renovation of North Regional Community Library which was done before Nokomis.)
, which was part of Longfellow's The Song of Hiawatha for which the library is named.
This fountain will be demolished in Fall, 2009 when the library is renovated.
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
History
Nokomis was the newest branch added to the Minneapolis Library System in 1967; the previous one was the Linden Hills Community LibraryLinden Hills Community Library
The Linden Hills Branch Library is a library in the Linden Hills neighborhood of southwest Minneapolis, Minnesota. The branch library originally opened in 1911 on the first floor of the Lake Harriet Commercial Club building. In 1931, under the leadership of Minneapolis Public Library's chief...
was built in 1931. It was built to replace the former Longfellow Community Library that had served the Nokomis East
Nokomis East
Nokomis East is a group of neighborhoods in the southeastern corner of Minneapolis, Minnesota. It consists of four neighborhoods: Keewaydin, Minnehaha, Morris Park and Wenonah. Nokomis East contains two schools, the Nokomis Community Library, and a post office. On its western edge is Lake...
area for many years. In 1967, the City of Minneapolis had Buetow and Associates, Inc design the new library building which was modeled after a tepee from the poem The Song of Hiawatha
The Song of Hiawatha
The Song of Hiawatha is an 1855 epic poem, in trochaic tetrameter, by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, featuring an Indian hero and loosely based on legends and ethnography of the Ojibwe and other Native American peoples contained in Algic Researches and additional writings of Henry Rowe Schoolcraft...
by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was an American poet and educator whose works include "Paul Revere's Ride", The Song of Hiawatha, and Evangeline...
. Additionally, the library was named for Nokomis
Nokomis
Nokomis is the name of Nanabozho's grandmother in the Ojibwe traditional stories andwas the name of Hiawatha's grandmother in Longfellow's poem, The Song of Hiawatha, which is a re-telling of the Nanabozho stories...
in said poem, making the branch the only library in the system to be named after a fictional character. The library featured a reading loft, basement meeting room, and 13,426 sq. ft. Construction on it began in 1967 and concluded the next year. The library opened in September 1968 and immediately doubled the circulation of the old Longfellow branch.
Outlook 2010 options
In July 1999, the Minneapolis Library Board proposed the following options of the renewal of Nokomis, which by then was becoming crowded and outdated. They published them in Outlook 2010, a plan to renovate all 15 Minneapolis libraries.Option A
Option A proposes combining Nokomis with the nearby Roosevelt Community LibraryRoosevelt Community Library
Roosevelt Community Library is one of 41 branch libraries in the Hennepin County Library System, originally part of the Minneapolis Public Library System as it is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota.-Early years:...
in a 25000 square feet (2,323 m²) space and close both Nokomis and Roosevelt. This would allow the library to design a state-of-the-art building at an undecided location.
Option B
Option B recommends moving Nokomis to a different site without moving Roosevelt. The new library there would be 18000 square feet (1,672 m²).Option C
Option C includes capital improvements to Nokomis, such as replacing carpeting, signs, and the roof.None of these options were actually done.
Planned reconstruction
Nokomis library is scheduled to get a $5.2 million renovation in 2009. The new library has been designed by KKE ArchitectsKKE Architects
KKE Architects is an architecture firm that serves in the fields of architecture, interior design and architectural planning. KKE is ranked one of the top 50 architectural firms in the country by Building Design & Construction and a Top 500 Design Firm by Engineering News-Record...
with significant input from a citizens advisory committee, and features modern architectural features and materials. The renovation will
include expanding the size of the library by about 1/3 (to about 17760 square feet (1,650 m²)) and completely replacing the mechanical systems (heating, cooling, lighting, etc.) with high-efficiency ones. The basement meeting room will be replaced by a smaller main-floor meeting room, and the kids loft will be replaced by a reading 'nest'. The fountain will be removed, but parts of the mobile above it will be retained as wall decorations.
The library will close on September 12, 2009, for the renovation, which is expected to last about a year. (This was originally scheduled for 2008, but was delayed about a year, due to the merger with Hennepin Libraries and the renovation of North Regional Community Library which was done before Nokomis.)
Art
Nokomis features a fountain called 'Wind and Water', designed by Doug Celender. The fountain represents the nearby Minnehaha FallsMinnehaha Falls
Minnehaha Creek is a tributary of the Mississippi River located in Hennepin County, Minnesota that extends from Lake Minnetonka in the west and flows east for 22 miles through several suburbs west of Minneapolis and then through south Minneapolis. Including Lake Minnetonka, the watershed for the...
, which was part of Longfellow's The Song of Hiawatha for which the library is named.
This fountain will be demolished in Fall, 2009 when the library is renovated.