Augsburg Park Library — Attraction in Richfield

2024: Security guards are assigned to some libraries for "incidents" reported at the library. Augsburg Park Library has a security guard. You can look for a library that does not have a guard.

Some people at this library talk so loudly that I have to block my hearing to get anything done.

I am surprised to hear it will take 9 months to renovate this small building and property from July, 2024 to spring 2025.

(1) I returned a library item to Augsburg Park Library about 10:40 P. M. on April 30, 2018.

Shortly after I was back in my motor vehicle, a Richfield Police officer stopped me and he claimed:

"No one returns a public library item at 10:40 P. M. on a Monday night."

I am posting this report for other patrons who return library items after the library has closed, or after the library and park have closed.

I have driven into the Augsburg Park Library parking lot, after the library has closed, several times over the past few decades, seen one or two Richfield Police vehicles, with at least one officer in each vehicle, in the parking lot, and returned a library item without being stopped.

If you are stopped by a police officer, you may ask for the name and badge number of the police officer, according to an email I received from Richfield Deputy Police Chief M. Koob.

(2) A numerical rating is required to post a report here.

This library is small. This library rarely has an item of value to me. This library lacks subscriptions to the magazines of interest to me. Dividing the subscription prices by the number of articles I read shows me subscribing to the magazines makes little sense.

This library lacks a drive-up return option or a parking spot near to the return area reserved for patrons returning items.

Speech by other persons has been a routine disruption on this small property. These disruptions came from a distance away from me, and from out of my view. Sign of a person being spoken to has not been evident in many instances. Perhaps they were talking on a phone.

The adjacent park provides some welcome open space.

Update from a year or more after 2018:

When I called and asked if a person smoking on a bench near the library entrance could be asked to relocate to a bench in the park, a library employee dumped her "There is always a patron being a problem" attitude on me -- seeking some sympathy seemingly. This sounds like a library to avoid to steer clear of this hostile employee attitude. Returning items when this library is closed may avoid any employee hostile to patrons.

First...

Great library to visit for parents with young children. It is within Augsburg Park, which is good for outdoor play for the kids. The kids’ area is designed with the help of the Minnesota Children’s Museum, and has long been a favorite of our boys. The changing highlight displays throughout the library are helpful in suggesting new materials to explore. The open floor plan is helpful for parents keeping track of where there kids are but, as other reviews have noted, this also means that it is not the quietest library you will find. (Still quieter than the Nokomis library, in our limited experience with it.) It is a modest sized library, so the physical size means the collection available on the shelves won’t be as extensive as larger ones like Southdale or Minneapolis Central. If you are looking for something in particular, visit the Hennepin County Library website and, if you see that the item is not available there, check out one of the other libraries where it is indicated as checked in and on the shelves, if this is an option for you, or request a reserve on it, and visit the library when the item is available for you on the reserve shelves. That said, my most recent visit to Augsburg Park was when it had the book I wanted on the shelves- and the nearer Southdale library did not include it in its collection. If you are concerned about any one star reviews of this library, I would suggest reading the review and ask yourself if the gripe has anything to do with things under the library staff’s control, or sounds like a fair, respectful critique. In summary, this is a lovely, modestly sized neighborhood library, next to a nice park. It is especially well suited to families with young children, rather than those looking for a quiet place to...

I'm giving this 2 star review for a few reasons. I agree with one of the other reviews about the invasiveness of the children. They run around the entire library, and there is not a sectioned off spot for any kind of barrier as far as noise. It's difficult to concentrate with the background noise.

Also, The are now two "study" rooms that one can be in with doors that close and are pretty private. One as a computer set up. The one with the computer in it is oftentimes vacant. I went one day and sat in that room when it was vacant, as I was practicing for a speech. I needed to practice out loud, so the remainder of the library wasn't an option. A library staff person came to me and asked if I had checked in at the front desk about the room. I said no. She said "this room is for video conferences so you can't use it". So, I left the room. About an hour later, the room was still vacant. WHY can't someone use it if there is NO ONE else that needs it? I wasn't using the computer, either. Recommendation: Let someone use it UNLESS there is a person that does need it for video conferencing. I would be happy to leave the room if there was a need for that. This is a waste of a library resource that should be available to any...