The Lanesboro Public Library is a full-service library located on the lower level of the Lanesboro Community Center, adjacent to Sylvan Park. The library offers comfy chairs, public computers, and free public Wi-Fi.
Materials available to check out include books, large print books, magazines, DVDs, CDs, audiobooks, Spark Kits, puzzles, seed packets, and more. The library does not charge fines for late returned materials. Lanesboro is a member of Southeast Libraries Cooperating (SELCO) and allows patrons to check out materials from across southeast Minnesota using Inter-Library Loan and even from other regions of the state using MN-LINK.
The Friends of the Lanesboro Library hosts a book sale year-round in the library lobby. The library offers printing, scanning, and faxing services for a fee. Family and educational programming are offered during the summer reading program and throughout the year.
Visitors are welcome!
Lanesboro, Whalan, and residents of the SELCO service area of southeast Minnesota
The Lanesboro Public Library Association was formed by a small group of women in 1927. At this time, the library consisted of two cupboards of books located in the women’s lounge of the Community Hall, eventually moving to the basement of the hall in 1938 and then the Village Hall.
In the early years of the library, funding came from both individuals and fundraisers. In 1939, funds were raised by creating a cookbook. In May 1941, tragedy struck. A fire caused the Community Hall to burn down, included all the library holdings that had been contained within it, around 4,000 books. As a result, the library moved to the Old Fire Hall. Support from libraries all over Minnesota as well as individual donations of books allowed for the formation of a new library collection.
Lanesboro Public Library became an officially recognized library in 1986. Funding comes from the City of Lanesboro, Fillmore County, private donations, as well as state and federal money provided through Southeast Libraries Cooperating (SELCO).
In 1994 the library returned to what is now its current location in the basement of the Community Center, which was also its location in 1932. The space was renovated in order to provide for the expansion of the library and its services- which now includes 6 desktop computers, a wide range of fiction and non-fiction for all ages, magazines, movies, and several programs for adults, teens, and youth.
