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Great River Regional Library reports rising use in Sherburne County, asks board to support Minitex funding
Summary
Library leaders told the Sherburne County Board that borrower counts and program attendance are increasing across the six-county Great River system; they requested the board consider a resolution in support of Minitex to preserve statewide interlibrary loan and database services.
Great River Regional Library officials on April 1 briefed the Sherburne County Board of Commissioners on regional and county-specific services, trends and local partnerships, and requested the board consider a resolution supporting Minitex, the state interlibrary loan and shared-resources program.
Karen Punsak, executive director of Great River Regional Library, told commissioners the six-county system has “almost a hundred thousand borrowers again,” with more than a million physical and digital visits reported last year. Punsak noted Elk River is the system’s second-largest Sherburne County location and that digital usage continues to climb.
Library staff described several local programs: Elk River’s “1,000 Books Before Kindergarten” early literacy initiative (with milestone prizes and an annual celebration); outreach and partnerships with schools, Friends of the Library groups and community education; and circulating items such as Wi‑Fi hotspots and “Try It Yourself” kits that allow patrons to test telescopes, instruments and hobby equipment without purchase. Staff said hotspot wait lists can exceed 200 patrons.
The board heard that Great River’s trustees passed a resolution in support of Minitex at their recent board meeting and asked Sherburne County to consider the same. Library staff explained Minitex supports interlibrary loan across Minnesota and administers shared databases; the system depends in part on federal funding that has been uncertain and on Minitex operational funds, which have run deficits. The requested resolution would express local support for continued Minitex funding and services.
Library staff also highlighted local volunteer and donor activities: Friends groups in Big Lake and Becker supported new furniture and programming; donors helped fund a STEM exploration station in Elk River through locally grown fundraising; and staff recounted examples where interlibrary loan and donated materials preserved local historical artifacts.
The board did not immediately take final action on the requested resolution; staff said they would prepare the text for a future meeting and provide the board with materials for consideration.
