In December 2006 the Southeast Community Library was temporarily closed and discussions to designate it as a local landmark emerged. When the library reopened a year later following the merger of the Minneapolis and Hennepin County Library systems, concerns for the library were kept at bay. Despite having survived the 2006 system-wide Minneapolis Public Library budget crisis, the Rapson structure could again be under threat. According to Hennepin County Capital Projects project manager Kelli Koob, the Southeast Library is undergoing a facility and site assessment to gain a thorough understanding of current conditions. We anticipate that the county will discuss the outcome of the assessment with community members as part of the community engagement process in the fall.
Stay tuned to the Hennepin County Library Building Projects page for developments as they are posted. We encourage you to contact Docomomo US/MN if you wish to get involved and make the significance of this Rapson building known.
Read the MN Daily Article.