At the April 1 Hastings Council meeting the Pleasant Hill Library manager Jill Bambenek introduced herself and discussed recent developments and program updates.
“Hello everyone… I started here on July 31. I'm new to the community. I grew up in Minneapolis and my dad was from Winona, so, we came through Hastings all the time and I always loved seeing all the historic buildings on the way down to Winona. It felt really good coming here.”
A glance at the Pleasant Hill Library from 2023 showed 83,998 visits, 241,026 checked out items and 58,370 people attended programs throughout the Dakota County Library system.
“We went fine free this year. No more fines. You can come back in the library if you were worried about books you had overdue from second grade. I'm looking at you,” quipped Bambenek. “We have had those conversations and studies have shown that fines do not make people return things more. They just don't. And what we were spending money and time on to get that money back really wasn't even worth what we were bringing in on fine revenue. So, we went fine free. And we went fine free on youth materials a couple years ago and the people were so happy. It's such a good thing to do for the community. I can't tell you how many people have come in and said ‘I haven't come in for a couple of years because I owed like $3. The thing is that if you lose the material, if you lose a book, if you lose a DVD, you still have to pay for that.”
Educationally, says Bambenek, the library offers curriculum support, classroom visits - they are at all the school events throughout the community. The library provides databases and study rooms and they try to be present in every school in Hastings.
“We have a brand-new library [Kasposia Library] in Dakota County, which doesn't happen very often. It's a beautiful new building. It's state of the art,” said Bambenek. “The community is just in love with it. They're in there all the time. They have rooms where you can take the walls away and bring them back. They have a reading room. I don't know if you've noticed, but libraries really aren't quiet anymore, so, they offer quiet spaces within that library space so everyone can feel welcome. And everyone has a space where they can work in the surroundings that they like.”
As far as community engagement, they now have a library on the go van which is not a book mobile rather a community resource center that travels to events. It doesn't have books, but it has resources and swag. It has information about programs for people and connects people with resources in the library. Bambenek said it showcases the library and it's good for people that can't physically make it to the library.
“Self-service hours started last Monday which opens up the library from 6 a.m. to 11p.m. For instance, the Pleasant Hill Library is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, what that means is from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. you can come in the library with an access card,” said Bambenek. “You can check out books, you can use the internet, you can use a meeting room, if you have your condo board, and everybody's at work so they have to meet before work or meet after work. What it would mean that on the holiday is if the library is closed you could come in the library all day. What I have mostly heard from was college students is, ‘I live in a really noisy place. I can't get any studying done. I want to come in the library. I want to do my homework and I don't want to be interrupted.’ We just started the process, you have to apply online and it takes about a week to get your card. You can come from another library too, it doesn't just have to be Pleasant Hill. You can get an access card, you know, in Burnsville or in another, Dakota County Library and come in, it doesn't just have to be the Hastings area.”
More specially, to get an access card you must be 18 or older, have a valid library card, complete an online application, watch a video and then attend an orientation. There are security cameras in the library and automated announcements. If anyone's in the library after 11 p.m., alarms go off and the police will show up.
Bambenek discussed highlights of the iLab. “We have sewing machines, a 3D printer, a laminator, you can come and bring your old film and digitize it. We have a volunteer there every Tuesday who's happy to help you with any of that or you can make an appointment. We have a teen sewing group that meets. There's so much technology in there for you to utilize. I just always like to showcase the iLab.”
Summer discovery will be June 10 to July 12, which will include all kinds of activities.
“We're going to have mighty machines where they bring all the giant tractors and stuff into the library parking lot. Storytime at the park, we will be out in the community. We have a pride event. We have a kickoff event. It's going to be a very busy summer. And then we have crafter-noons one Wednesday a month with all kinds of crocheting, knitting, we have a solid group that comes for that, and we have a youth craft fair.”
“One thing we're really proud of is our art rail. We have featured art from incarcerated persons, book covers, it was brilliant. It was absolutely beautiful. Right now, I believe it's a middle school class with all kinds of space pictures. It is so fun to see the kids come in with their parents, and they say, ‘my art is on the wall!’ They take pictures.”
Bambenek is committed to using the outdoor space in the library more. “I'm trying to look into getting the patio bookable. And then another example is that we did a skateboard art program. I've never seen teens that quiet in my life. They were sitting in the meeting room enraptured by this guy showing them how to draw art on a skateboard. So that's just an example of some of the things we do.”
Mayor Fasbender congratulated Bambenek on a great update.
“I love our library,” Fasbender stated. “I don't go a lot but when I do go there, I love to see people utilizing it. I've been in the community room for multiple meetings and it's always just such a warm, friendly welcome. I have been to the Kaposia Library, I had a mayor/manager meeting there a couple of weeks ago and it is lovely, but you know what… ours is lovely also. So, thanks for the updates and your energy that is creating new programs for our community. I appreciate it.”
