Recently it has been a small point of frustration since my home branch, the Walker is now closed for a two year renovation. I have toyed with a few other branches to decide which will be my adopted home until then. None are horribly awry, but most are far enough away that they don't cross my normal beaten paths. This has resulted in more than a few overdue fines and missed reserves.
However the one I am partial to is the very small Hosmer branch on 36th in S. Minneapolis. It is so small and quaint with its concrete lions out front and grand wooden stairs that it reminds of the vintage library I grew up with in Erie PA. Today was an especially sweet visit when I stopped to hunt up some work CDs. I was greeted by a friendly face asking me if I wanted to attend a birthday party. It seems that James K Hosmer, the namesake, would have been 179 years old today. There was a great archive display telling me all about his days in the Civil War, as a Universalist minister (a plus in my book), and a very early and distinguished head of the Minneapolis Public libraries at the turn of the century. He threw lavish dinner parties of lobster and pastries. And this branch, a Carnegie building, was named after him in its very first decade of existence.
It was very sweet to be greeted with balloons, cupcakes and punch by a very eager staff who were delighted in sharing the knowledge with me.
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