Hennepin County Library – Hosmer Library

Hosmer is my home office away from home. It’s perfect for bringing your laptop to get work done or have a study session. Expect to hear quiet conversations and tutoring sessions. If you need absolute quiet, this is not the library for you. But if you like to be among children reading and using the computers and other community members, this is the neighborhood library for you.

Absolutely beautiful library building in South Minneapolis. A sense of Castle. Many wonderful nooks around this building. Staff very helpful. It feels like a throwback to an earlier time, although many of the important contemporary aspects are available. If you live in the neighborhood or are stopping by, this is highly recommended.

This is a GREAT library!
If you want to get something accomplished (work/​study/​write Unilocal reviews), this is the library to come to!
It’s one of the few historically-​charming libraries in the area and is on the historic registry to be preserved for years to come (or one can only hope… you heard about what’s happening to Nye’s in Nordeast Mpls even though that’s on the historic registry… but enough about that, I sense bitterness and resentment starting to creep in).
I discovered this library back in November of 2014 to meet up with a friend for the sake of accountability for both of us to make progress on some projects (our accountability fizzled out after about 1 ½ months, but it was a good run, while it lasted, you might say). Since then, I come here to work on projects and take in the a-​step-​back-​in-​time atmosphere. I also like to come here for the sake of the lighting that floods into the windows when sitting at a table in the back left side of the library. Sunny days at Hosmer make you feel like you’ve got everything going for you.
While the library and book selection is on the smaller side, as long as you plan ahead, you can grab a hold of any book by requesting it through the Hennepin County Library website (it’s money and clutter-​saver if you’re a hopeless bookworm).

With all of the renovations that have been going on in the Hennepin County Library system, do you crave a library that seems like it hasn’t been renovated in ages? Hosmer is the place for you.
Any of the modern upgrades and conveniences in other area libraries are completely missing here. Where do you return your books? Just on the counter with a plastic covered sign that says ‘return books here’. Why does a neighborhood library need a series of automated conveyor belts to transport books to the back room?
Hosmer is absolutely simple, straightforward, and has some of the most helpful human staff of any library in Minneapolis. I feel lucky to have Hosmer as my neighborhood library.