Hennepin County Library – Walker Library

This library was completely torn down and rebuilt, and opened recently. There are big windows and lots of light, public computers and plenty of chairs and tables to use. I mostly use the library to request books and pick them up, but there’s a decent browsing selection.
I wish it were open more evening and weekend hours, but I’m sure they’re doing what they can with their budget.

Nice and quiet but there is not a very large selection. I thought of 3 popular fiction books that I wanted to read and none of them were here.

Who doesn’t love the library? It’s free books!
The older man at the front desk is very helpful for finding books or just figuring out how the library works (I needed help).
This location isn’t very big and doesn’t have too big of a selection but I’ll tell you a trick. Use their website and request your books from the other libraries. In a few days you’ll get an email that they are ready for pick up. Couldn’t be easier! I breeze in and out of quite frequently trying out cookbooks before I decide to buy them.
It’s kind of dark and dingy inside so it’s not exactly a library you’d hang out in. Nonetheless it gets the job done which makes me happy.
Park in the lot, pay your meter for a few minutes, or use the drop box. Couldn’t be more convenient.

I’m torn on this library. I want to like it really bad because it’s small and quaint and is close enough to ride to on my bike, but it’s really small and has a poor selection of books. I’ve seen better book selection (and quality) at thrift stores. Also it’s smells pretty strongly of piss and mold and the fact that it’s underground makes it vaguely reminiscent of a subway station. It’s really seems like more of a hub that is used mostly for the computer stations which take up about 65% of the library. The nice thing is I can have books delivered there for pick up from the other libraries in the county so I’m not stuck just reading Grisham and Clancy novels. In the end I’d rather have this library to go to than none at all so Walker Public Library I am glad you are here.

Braved the coldest day this winter (–10) to go to a MacPhail Center «Sing, Play, Learn» for little kids at the library. But it was very worth the freezer-​burn; the teacher from MacPhail was fantastic. For 45 minutes she lead songs, activities, dances, parachutes and more. She had lots of instruments, toys, and props which everyone, adults included, got to use.
She was so liked, that after every activity, all she had to do was ask for the instruments/​toys back, and all the kids, even my 19-​month-​old, dutifully cleaned up. My kid had a blast, and was congratulated by the teacher for her monkey noise (oo-​oo-​ah-​ah).
I’ve also been to some fun and educational story times here put on by the resident librarians.
It’s Free!

Being just down the street from my apartment, Walker is a convenient place to go to work for a few hours when I need to get out. There is nothing impressive about it at all (in fact it’s a little dank and depressing, and «bumbish» people are abundant at times), but its a free place to go with books, magazines, movies, music, and fast wifi. Nothing to complain about, especially considering the small budget they must have with which to operate.

Walker Public Library is awesome if you want to read some graphic novels (they have the entire Strangers in Paradise collection, which is just lovely), get some test prep books (very extensive collection for the Praxis series and GMAT, though I’m not sure about the rest), or read some travel books (incredible collection). I can’t really speak to the rest of the collections, though they seem on the small end. That being said, what a wonderful place to rent some movies, get some books, or get a free pass to your favorite local museum! Additionally, the mall is super-​nice for sitting and reading while people-​watching in Uptown.

Walker library is not an impressive building. It has a small public mall on top with nice iconic silver letters. At various times of the year there are people with bullhorns protesting badness of various sorts: wars, poverty, and so on. I sympathize with such people, but also avoid them.
The library itself is underground, not too large, somewhat musty smelling. Minneapolis has threatened to close it several times due to a lack of money for the library system, but a recent merger with the Hennepin county library system probably leaves its position more secure.
What I like about Walker is I can walk to a library and get books, DVDs, and CDs. That is the miracle of every library. Since I can order things online and I get emailed when they arrive at Walker, it is my library.
The people who work there are quite nice and helpful. It’s too bad they probably are constantly pressured, as we don’t seem to have enough public money for libraries nowadays.