Kimball Public Library Moves to New Location

Submitted by breannej on

Great River Regional Library

News Release

GRRL Headquarters

1300 W. St. Germain St

St. Cloud, MN 56301

320-650-2500

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:   Carla Asfeld

               Library Service Coordinator - Kimball Public Library

               320-398-3915

 

Kimball Public Library Moves to New Location

 

Kimball, Minn., Nov. 27, 2020 … The Kimball Public Library closed on Monday, November 30, to move to its new location. On Monday, Dec. 7, the library will open its new doors to existing and new patrons. This day marks a new chapter for the Kimball Public Library operated by the Great River Regional Library after 51 years in the community, two decades of dreaming, three years of active planning and fundraising and nearly seven months of construction and preparation for a new building. The 4,200 square-foot library and community space will allow for more lifelong learning through books, programming and activities, internet stations and community gatherings. 

“We celebrate this new asset in our community. From the pennies from school children to five-figure gifts donated to the project, all gifts have been important to our community,” said Mayor Tammy Konz. “We look forward to a more widespread ‘come-on-in’ opening next summer when we can have a GRAND celebration event.”

Great River Regional Library staff is responsible for moving and shelving a collection of 12,000 books and other materials, connecting computers and setting up its staff space. Because of Covid-19 and the need for more space and distancing, the community room will be offline to the community during December and will serve as a staging area for the move and set up.

The new library, 51 Spruce Ave. W., is located just around the corner from the existing library which has been housed in downtown Kimball in the historic city hall since 1962. The City of Kimball plans to move its offices into the current library space, allowing the Kimball Area Historical Society to move into the current city offices.

Carla Asfeld, Kimball’s Library Service Coordinator, said: “I look forward to celebrating Kimball's commitment to their community and the library with every patron who walks through the door. This new library is an especially welcomed bright spot at this time.”

Community members may visit the new library on opening day to view the new space, browse the bookshelves, and use the library computers. However, library services will follow Great River Regional Library Grab-and-Go guidelines but visitors are welcome to enjoy seeing the new space but not linger for long periods of time to keep each other and staff safe.

Planning and construction of the new library is a result of a local, regional and statewide partnership, including the City of Kimball, Great River Regional Library (GRRL), Kimball Area Friends of the Library, the State of Minnesota, Kimball Library Building Task Force, Kimball Library Building Committee and more than 300 donors and friends of the project. A grand opening event is planned for the summer of 2021 when it is safe to gather.

For the latest information on the opening, programming and future events or to get a library card, please contact the Kimball Public Library or visit us online at https://griver.org/locations/kimball. To learn more about the library building project, visit kimball-library.org. 

 

The Facts: The New Kimball Public Library

Location: 51 Spruce Ave. W., Kimball, Minnesota, on the corner of Spruce Avenue and Elm Street

Square Footage: 4,200 square feet, including a community room to seat 55 people (former library space is 1,010 square feet)

Owner: City of Kimball

Architect: Rice Companies

Builder: Rice Companies served as the construction project consultant working with city engineers and various local subcontractors on this public project

Cost: $1.2 million

Donors: 300+

# of Bookshelves: 40 sections

Size of Collection: 12,000 items (increased from the current 8,400 items)

Cool facts:

1)     City of Kimball was awarded a state grant of $439,512 and the balance of the $1.2 million projects was raised locally.
2)     Building was designed and built according to B3 Guidelines to meet sustainability goals for the site, water, energy, indoor environment, materials, and waste.
3)     Construction began in the early weeks of the Covid-19 pandemic but stayed on schedule throughout the summer and fall.
4)     Library shelves and some of the library furniture was donated by the College of Saint Benedict and repurposed to fit the needs of the new building.
5)     Library has two entrances – one to downtown Kimball and one to State Highways 55 and 15 – and one new self-serve checkout.

 

Hours:

Monday: 10:00 - 1:00, 2:00 - 6:00

Tuesday: Closed

Wednesday: 10:00 - 1:00, 3:00 - 6:00

Thursday: Closed

Friday: 3:00 - 7:00

Saturday: 9:00 - 12:00

Sunday: Closed

 

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