Summer happenings at the Eden Prairie Library

Eden Prairie Library is one of 41 libraries in the Hennepin County Library system and is one of the system’s busiest libraries.

An average of 33,000 items are checked out every month, including DVDs, audiobooks, magazines, graphic novels, world language books, and large print books. This doesn’t include the digital eBooks and audiobooks you can borrow using the Libby app on your mobile device.

In addition to borrowing material, folks can use one of our 27 computers or free Wi-Fi in the library. When using your library card, printing is free, up to $5 weekly. We have a B&W photocopier that also offers free faxing. Drop in on Thursday afternoons for tech help on library service-related tasks using your own device or a library computer.

Summer learning for children, teens

We know that keeping kids engaged during the summer by learning, reading, and playing helps them maintain their academic, social, and emotional skills.

Here are some fun activities offered at Eden Prairie Library this summer. Registration for kids’ and teens’ events can be done on the Events page on our website.

Connect and Play allows kids and their caregivers time to play together and learn early literacy skills. Pride-themed storytime celebrates family and self-expression using books, rhymes, and music. After storytime, families can explore the back patio by following a story stroll in our Reading Garden. Speaking of the Reading Garden, Carlson’s Llovebale Llamas will visit us there in June.

Families can watch popular picture books come to life on the big screen at the Book to Movie Matinees.

The Kids Junior Book Club covers short chapter books or graphic novels each month. The Kids Book Club offers the chance for kids to read a book, then discuss it and have a fun activity based on the book.

For teens, the Design Lab offers artistic and scientific exploration, Anime and Fandom Club lets kids get geeky, and the Teen Graphic Novel and Comics Book Club explores titles in this popular reading genre. Game Zone Fridays lets teens play digital and tabletop games in a friendly space.

For adults

Adults are welcome to join the Adult Book Club, which meets for a casual book discussion on the first Monday evening of each month. PROP and other organizations offer a career counselor to help navigate creating resumes, applying for jobs and preparing for interviews to help you achieve career success.

The best news about the library is that we no longer charge late fees for items returned past their due date. We will eventually charge a replacement fee if we don’t get an item back, but please know that we no longer penalize you if you need an extra day to find out whodunit in your murder mystery.

Library cards and replacement cards are free, so if you need one, stop in with something that shows your address. Visit us at Eden Prairie Library, and we’ll get you started on a summer full of reading and fun activities.

Editor’s note: This seasonal column provides news and events at the Eden Prairie Library. The writer, Carrie Brunsberg, started as a librarian at the Minneapolis Central Library of the Hennepin County Library system and has been an adult services librarian at the Eden Prairie Library for 11 years.