From the turn-of-the-century, with a few shelves in an old hotel and a closet in an attorney’s office, the city of Robbinsdale had a public library. In 1908 with the membership of 25 dedicated women the Robbinsdale Library Club was incorporated so it could legally owned property. A small building was moved on the lots secured by the club in November of that year. This one room structure which served the scattered city population and surrounding rural area soon became inadequate and the library club launched a campaign to build a larger one. The present library of tudor design was completed and opened debt free to the public in January, 1926.
With the consolidation of the local school district encompassing several neighboring communities, came the increased need for better library facilities in the city of Robbinsdale.Rapid home construction and the population explosion of the 1940s and 1950s contributed to a awaken the club members to the fact that “Something Had To Be Done!
After more than two years of planning and negotiating a new addition to the building became a reality. On August 25, 1960 ground was broken for $25,000 addition to the building and on March 21, 1962 that addition was dedicated. This building project was submitted to the Community Improvement Contest in 1962. For its efforts the Robbinsdale library club was awarded second prize in the state competition.
The “Something Had To Be Done!” of the first project was followed by SOMETHING MORE NEEDED! A report on the completion of a continuation of the building project herewith submitted. Increasing requests from community groups for a place to meet indicated in need for an adult community room. An idea was born! Here was a project to be considered!
A need for a small meeting place at no charge to small community groups was stimulus enough for library club members to create such a room in the basement of the 1962 addition. The county librarian also envisioned a time in the future when present magazine storage would prove inadequate. With this in mind club members considered the initial plans and kept them flexible to satisfy both requirements.
A committee from the club suggested the following projects:
1: Community room and concentrated library magazine storage.
2: Kitchen-new cup boards,refrigerator and sink.
3. Piano to replace the one no longer able to be tuned.
4. Landscaping around the building and repair to lawn.
5. Books especially needed by our branch library.
The need of the community room room seemed evident from request of groups for a place to meet. Our kitchen needed remodeling. A member of a club who owns a lumber company offered to furnish material the club members husbands offered to do the work. The club purchased a new sink, a used fridge and surfacing for counter tops. The Diggers Garden Club gave us a 85 cup electric coffee urn. Thus our new kitchen was ready for use by the organizations that use our clubroom.
Thus our improved kitchen is ready for use by the organizations who rent our clubroom. A piano was purchased through the many efforts of club members including an opportunity sale in which the public participated.
After the construction of 1960-62 major, work was needed it in the area of shrubbery and repairs to the lawn. The Diggers Garden Club, who rent our facilities for meetings offered to take over this project with the city of Robbinsdale repairing the lawn and arranging for their custodian to keep the shrubs and lawn watered so that they would surely grow.
Completion of this project is at the effect of improving the appearance of not only our land but of our building. Our local Lions Club was interested in a project for the betterment of the community and inquired about assistance we would use in the library building which is owned and maintained by the Robbinsdale Library Club.
A meeting was arranged with representatives of the following organizations to consider primarily the idea of the Community Room and the library magazine storage:
Hennepin County Library
Robbinsdale City Council
Robbinsdale Lions Club
Robbinsdale Fire Department
Robbinsdale Building Inspector
Robbinsdale Library Club
Acceptance of the plans for these two rooms was obtained, work was shortly started by volunteers from Lions Club and the rooms were completed in the keys to them delivered to the library club at an open house on February 15th, 1963.
-From the Scrapbooks of the Robbinsdale Library Club
We have to step cautiously when speaking about the Robbinsdale Library Club. This is a group of ladies who have born the brunt of keeping a Robbinsdale Library in existence. They’re not afraid at any time to tell the editor off although we happen to be much older than any of its members. The purpose of our visit to the library was to view the new addition. The addition is one deserved by the library club. It seemed nearly incredible as we inspected the new quarters to recall the that back at 1907 the organization started the promotion of better reading in a little building that was just a little larger than the average porch.
Then came the building which the club occupied so many years. The corners became crammed as the library began serving more and more patrons. The new addition was an absolute must. The fact that the addition has been built is far less important than the work of the members of the library club have put in promoting better reading in the community.
Had it not not been for this group a energetic, self-sacrificing women, Robbinsdale may today never had a library of any kind. As it is Robbinsdale today as one of the best libraries in the area. The library was not built overnight. These fine women have spent thousands of hours building it and we give credit to every single member of the library club. It hasbeen an active Robbinsdale unit and a credit to its community. It’s a club which is really perform the service.
-H.O. Sonneyson from his “Sonny Side of the Post” column
Thursday, March 9th, 1961