Brookdale Library552

Enhanced features at Brookdale Library - which reopened after an extensive renovation in 2004 - include floor-to-ceiling windows and enormous, playful sculptures.

The Children's Area is home to a huge purple dragon that also serves as book bin, a castle theater where kids can stage their own puppet shows, and a colorful 30-foot sculpture of a hippo, elephant and rhino climbing an acacia tree.

The large collection of books and audio-visual materials is enhanced by more than 130 computers, with stations for children offering LittleLinks and KidLinks. The recently-enlarged teen area offers more books, computers, study tables, and comfortable seating.

Multicultural programming for all ages, including free family storytimes, is presented thoughout the year in the library's StarDome. There's also an on-site coffee shop. Spanish and Hmong liaisons are available to assist customers, and the library's collection includes books and other resources in Arabic, Cambodian, French, Hmong, Laotian, Russian, Somali, Spanish, and Vietnamese.

Brookdale is one of the largest libraries in the Hennepin County Library system, and one of the few branches open on Sundays.