Eden Prairie Library — Attraction in Eden Prairie

Minimize your visits to this library is my advice.

This library has been too noisy for me to read at sensibly, so I have given up on reading there.

You may notice persons staring rudely at you here also.

Magazine issues of interest to me are checked out already often.

Books have been missing from the shelves here several times. Calling first to ask a librarian to check the shelf for your chosen title may be needed at this site. Placing an online hold on an item at this library may lead to a wait for the item to arrive from another library. Deliveries of holds take too long in this library system.

A reference librarian here told me the bathroom was out of paper hand towels because the library does not provide paper hand towels in bathrooms. I called the library system director to try to argue they should provide paper hand towels. Naturally, an astonished assistant to the director insisted the library does provide paper hand towels in bathrooms.

Relying on answers by librarians can lead one astray, apparently, so I avoid relying on librarians now.

I dislike much of the remodel of this library. The distinctive green color used is an irksome distraction. "Wood" tables with smooth corners would be much better than the hard surface and sharp cornered white tables in the redesign. The high back sofa size seats block views and look odd in a library. The singles chairs are uncomfortable to sit in and their color is displeasing. The south area of the library makes me think of a cave with its lower ceiling and too little natural light. There is too little artificial light over at least half of the book shelves.

My most memorable experience here is seeing a few users enter, check out holds, and leave immediately, looking around with a concerned expression on their face as if they are worried someone will accost and derail them. Rare and brief visits to check out many items may be the way to use this library. I first posted a review before the redesign of the library and I have updated the review since the redesign. 2024: There was a cheaply made sign at the entry banning "loud conversations" and several other actions. The tone of this sign seemed to me to be...

TLDR: EP Library Policy doesn't allow you to use your own laptop after spending millions of taxpayer $ just months ago. ... ... As many of you know already the Eden prairie library opened up a few months ago after an $18mil iirc renovation which was largely non-structural. Surprisingly, the interior is largely unchanged with the same beautiful wooden ceiling mosaic from when it was built 20 years ago for I would guess $30mil.

But that's not my issue, I understand that they had to shut down half of the usable space but if you look at my pictures even with six well paid employees that I could see virtually every bit of seating and all conference study rooms were closed.

They have 2 quad computer stations with sit stand desks. I was excited to use one of them which worked out because only 1of4 desks is open at each workstation. Why they then have all the computers powered on idk lol. So I sat down grabbed my laptop, adjusted the sit stand desk and proceeded to work on a bid that I had to submit within the hour. After a few minutes the Sup Diane Schanen came over and told me that I was more than welcome to use the computer but that I was not permitted to use my own laptop. Since I was on a deadline this was very frustrating. My personal beliefs are that much of this CoViD caution is extreme but of course reasonable caution is cardinal & perfunctory.(did I use that right? 🤷)

Diane was gracious and understood my frustration and permitted me to finish what I need to do while sitting on the floor in the lobby. 😟

Note: I have long been frustrated with Hennepin county library system because of their hours. Half the week they're only open till 5:00 p.m. and unless if someone is a stay-at-home parent this is not doing much to serve the community imo. I don't need babysitting I just need a quiet place to do my work and would appreciate at least one library in the city to be open till midnight especially considering that most all University libraries are open 24 hours a day 7...

An older female employee with glasses motioned for me to bring my books after we waited for other cars to go. (We arrived at before closing but waited in order to socially distance.) She said, “You know you can only drop off ten books!” rather harshly. So I said, “Sure” and started counting. (We had 13 children’s books in a bag). She actually told me to “Hurry Up,” and I tried to tell her we had a book due from Carver Co, but she interrupted me and told me she couldn’t take my bag. I tried to tell her I wasn’t giving her my bag but she interrupted me again and told me to “hurry up! We’re closing!” (And she gestured to me to come over!) She yelled “Come on!” And I gave up. I seriously have never had someone be so rude to me before at a library! Maybe anywhere! I told her “You’re being really rude to me, you know,” very politely and started walking away. She replied, “Well it’s kinda late!” Please please please tell your volunteers and employees that kindness and manners should be modeled. My children watched from the car. It was horrifying. I’m in shock. We had to have a long chat about why someone might behave that way. (Fear of virus, doesn’t want to work, someone above her is too critical etc.) and why we didn’t do anything wrong despite her reactions. Just a sad experience. I wouldn’t have walked over at all if she hadn’t told me to. And then wouldn’t even let me answer and yelled at me. Yikes! Libraries have always been a refuge to me in my life, but this is honestly one of the rudest experiences I’ve ever...