🏢 Hennepin County Library — Minneapolis, Minnesota

East Lake Library

On busy East Lake Street in the Longfellow neighborhood, East Lake Library opened its glass-and-metal building in 2007 as the first green branch in the Minneapolis library system — a light-filled space with public art and a zine collection at the heart of a diverse commercial corridor.

📖 About East Lake Library

East Lake Library serves the Longfellow neighborhood and the surrounding Lake Street corridor at 2727 East Lake Street in Minneapolis. Library service on this stretch dates to February 1924, when the original branch opened during the area's manufacturing boom; the current, third building opened March 10, 2007. Designed by KKE Architects, it was the first "green" branch library in the Minneapolis system, with a distinctive glass and metal exterior. Inside, patrons find a children's area, meeting room, public computers, automated checkout and a zine collection. Two commissioned artworks are woven into the building: Zoran Mojsilov's granite sculpture Zoomorphy in the rain garden and Janet Lofquist's etched-glass installation Pages. The branch sits along one of Minneapolis's most diverse commercial streets and was damaged by arson during the unrest in May 2020 before being repaired and reopened.

⭐ What makes this branch special

• First green branch library built in the Minneapolis system, opened 2007
• Designed by KKE Architects with a glass-and-metal exterior
• Public art: Zoran Mojsilov's granite "Zoomorphy" and Janet Lofquist's etched-glass "Pages"
• Circulating zine collection alongside a children's area and meeting room

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