Chatfield Public Library
🏢 Southeastern Libraries Cooperating (SELCO) · Chatfield, Minnesota
Chatfield Public Library
Built in 1915 with a $6,000 Carnegie grant and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982, the Chatfield Public Library has served Fillmore County readers for over a century from its Main Street building — now expanded to nearly double its original size and offering Minnesota State Park passes, a seed library, and Thursday evening service until 8:30 p.m.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | Closed |
| Tuesday | 10am–6:30pm |
| Wednesday | 10am–6:30pm |
| Thursday | 10am–8:30pm |
| Friday | 9am–5pm |
| Saturday | 9am–2pm |
| Sunday | Closed |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 314 Main Street South, Chatfield, MN 55923
Phone: (507) 867-3480
Website: chatfieldpubliclibrary.org
Plus Code: 86M9RRV7+W2 (Chatfield, MN)
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👋 Use the Library Online
📖 About Chatfield Public Library
The Chatfield Public Library traces its roots to February 1911, when local volunteers conducted a house-to-house campaign in a single month and collected 1,000 donated books — the founding collection supplemented by 125 volumes from the Minnesota State Library Commission. The library opened March 9, 1911, and within four years had outgrown its quarters: the Library Board secured a $6,000 Carnegie Corporation grant, architects Claude & Starck of Madison, Wisconsin designed a dignified brick building, and the formal opening took place February 15, 1915, with Mrs. Etta Dickson as first librarian. That Carnegie building was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. In 1974 Chatfield became the 21st public library to join SELCO (Southeastern Libraries Cooperating). A later philanthropic windfall — three anonymous donations totaling $410,000 later revealed as the gift of Alice Groen — funded a $600,000 addition and renovation completed in September 1998 that more than doubled the library's floor space and added full accessibility. Today the library lends Minnesota State Park passes (2 available, 7-day checkout) through the Minnesota DNR library program, maintains a seed library, and provides the full SELCO digital catalog to Fillmore and Olmsted County patrons.
⭐ What makes this library special
- 1915 Carnegie building designed by Claude & Starck — listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1982
- Community-founded in 1911 from 1,000 donated books collected in a single month by local volunteers
- Expanded to more than double its original size in 1998 thanks to the $410,000 gift of Alice Groen
- Lends free 7-day Minnesota State Park vehicle-entry passes to cardholders through the Minnesota DNR library program
- The 21st library to join SELCO (Southeastern Libraries Cooperating) in 1974, now sharing resources across SE Minnesota
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
Chatfield cardholders have free digital access through the SELCO cooperative's statewide and regional resources:
📚 Services
- Minnesota State Park 7-day vehicle-entry passes for checkout (2 available, through MN DNR library program)
- Seed library — free vegetable, herb, and flower seeds
- Public computers and free Wi-Fi
- Printing, copying, and scanning
- Online catalog at cha.selco.libdiscovery.org
- Interlibrary loan through MNLink
- Friends of the Chatfield Public Library volunteer organization
🎸 Programs
- Summer Reading Program (all ages, free)
- Community events and educational programming
- Seed saving presentations and gardening programs
- Children's and youth programming throughout the year
📍 Nearby Libraries in Fillmore County
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
All libraries in Chatfield · Browse all Minnesota libraries →
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What is the history of the Chatfield Public Library's Carnegie building?
The library was founded in 1911 from 1,000 books collected by community volunteers. By 1914 it had outgrown its original home, so the Library Board obtained a $6,000 grant from the Carnegie Corporation. Architects Claude & Starck of Madison, Wisconsin, designed a new brick building that formally opened February 15, 1915. The Carnegie building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. A major $600,000 renovation and addition in 1998 — funded largely by a $410,000 gift from Chatfield resident Alice Groen — more than doubled the library's size.
Does the Chatfield Public Library offer Minnesota State Park passes?
Yes. Through the Minnesota DNR's library pass program, the Chatfield Public Library lends two free 7-day vehicle-entry passes to any Minnesota state park or recreation area. Check out a pass with your library card for one week, place it on your dashboard, and access any state park without paying the vehicle entry fee. Camping and other park fees are not included.
What are the library's hours and when is it open in the evening?
The library is closed on Mondays. Tuesday and Wednesday hours are 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Thursday is 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. — the latest evening in the week. Friday hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday is 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The library is closed Sundays.
What library cooperative does Chatfield belong to, and what does that mean for cardholders?
Chatfield Public Library joined SELCO (Southeastern Libraries Cooperating) in 1974, becoming the 21st member of this southeast Minnesota regional cooperative. SELCO membership means your Chatfield card unlocks access to books, eBooks, audiobooks, and databases shared across SELCO member libraries throughout Fillmore, Olmsted, and surrounding SE Minnesota counties, plus statewide ELM resources.
🖨 This library offers printing, copying & fax. See how library printing, copying, scanning and fax services work — costs and mobile printing — and find other libraries that offer them printing & fax by state.
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✓ Hours & details last verified from official sources in September 2026.