Our next stop was at the Arrowhead Library System headquarters just a few miles down Route 169 in Mt. Iron.
Meeting with us were Shelley Rogers, the Technical Services Librarian, Mark Koukol, the Application Support Librarian, Sharon Kangas, the Mail-a-Book coordinator, and Rebecca Patton, the Public Library Consultant.
Arrowhead serves 29 libraries from Baudette to Grand Marais in the seven counties of Northeast Minnesota – making it the largest such operation in the country. It offers a range of services including a regional online catalog, online newspaper and magazine databases, video/audio formats, and even a print shop. Most of its libraries subscribe to CatExpress through its Compass Group. For area residents that don’t have a library, Arrowhead provides a bookmobile service and books by mail.
We toured their building which was constructed within the last few years. It’s spacious with plenty of windows. The staff offices are roomy, and there’s a big, well-furnished conference room. The Bookmobile and Mail-a-Book operations have their own sizeable spaces.
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