We've been driving by it for six years and all this time I've wondered what it looked like on the inside. It seemed huge: The building in which it sits is a few stories high and there's underground parking for library guests.
That's pretty impressive, if you ask me. This past week we ventured into Rondo Community Library (461 Dale Street North, Saint Paul) to see if it lived up to its looks.
Here's what you need to know:
Parking: Ramp
Seating: Benches around children's area
Bathrooms: None in children's area
Separate play room: None
Toys: Puppets, trucks, foam blocks, and construction costumes (a jacket and hard hat)
The Rondo Community Library is located right in the hub of Saint Paul. Naturally, we circled the block several times looking for parking.
The first time I parked we were in the back of the library. Unfortunately, it wasn't until we got out of the car that I saw the sign which read that parking lot wasn't for library visitors. Back in the car, another round around the block, and five minutes later we were finally in the library's parking ramp.
Even my kids thought that took ridiculously long.
So here's my first bit of insight if you're going to visit Rondo: Get on Dale Street and turn onto Aurora avenue. Drive behind the library, turn right on Saint Albans Street, and right again onto University Avenue. This'll help you avoid u-turns due to the light rail and bring you right to the parking ramp entrance.
The parking ramp entrance is tricky in itself. An "open" sign is lit beside closed garage doors. The first time I drove by I didn't know if it was really open or not.
The second time I drove by I was lucky enough to be behind someone who knew what they were doing. They drove right up to the closed door which automatically opened for them. I followed and quietly thanked the Lord for sending me some direction.
The ramp is small with narrow parking spots. At the very least, it's free and there's a huge set of windows from the bottom floor of the library letting in light and confirming you're in the right place.
Once inside the building, there's an elevator or flight of stairs you can take to the main floor. We had our wagon with us and opted for the elevator.
After returning our books (at an incredibly slow machine), we found our way to the children's section. It's tiny. There are several rows of fiction picture books and a couple rows of Easy Readers. All non-fiction (including dinosaur books [they had about 9 total]) materials are kept in one area.
There are benches on the enclosed side of the children's area. A shelf sits in another corner, housing trucks, dress up items, and foam blocks. Off by the picture books are a puppet theater and some puppets.
Considering where the library is, I imagine plenty of people come through the library on a regular basis. The books were in the right areas (i.e. Easy Readers were in the same area) but not necessarily organized properly (i.e. the box marked "Disney" had non-Disney books and etcetera).
Right next to the children's area is a well-furnished homework help room. There were several tables, chairs, computers, and staff inside.
As we were browsing, a staff member approached us and informed us about their summer programming. He also helped us find those evasive dinosaur books.
Rondo Community Library is definitely an important resource for its neighbors. I can imagine how central their programs are, especially for kids in the summer who rely on a safe place to be and snacks to get them through their day. This is probably their forte: providing such resources.
We're probably not going to go back considering the lack of play area and unorganized reading materials. Nonetheless, I'm grateful for their work with their surrounding community.
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