Minneapolis Business and Municipal Libraries Records

Minneapolis Public Library operated two business and municipal libraries over the course of its history -- the Business Branch (later Business and Municipal Branch) from 1916 to 1960 and the Municipal Information Library from 1972 to 2003.

In 1916, the Minneapolis Public Library opened a Business Branch at 508 2nd Ave. S in downtown Minneapolis. One of the first public business libraries in the U.S., the branch provided reference assistance, business resources, and local government information to the workers and business leaders in the city center. In 1942, the library moved to rented quarters at 217 6th St. S. Five years later, Library Board President Archie Walker (son of T.B. Walker) purchased the building and donated it to the Minneapolis Public Library. The Business and Municipal Branch remained in that location until 1960. Under Library Director Ray Williams, the Minneapolis Public Library was reorganized into subject-based departments. The staff and resources from the Business Branch moved to the new Minneapolis Central Library as the business and economics department.

In 1972, after a decade without a dedicated business and municipal library, a Municipal and Information Library opened in the Minneapolis City Hall. A collaboration between the Minneapolis Public Library and the city clerks office, the new library included reference resources for city staff and the public. The space also housed the city archives. Due to state budget cuts, the Municipal Information Library closed in 2003. Many of the collection items moved to the Minneapolis Central Library in the Government Documents and Special Collections departments.