With the 12th largest public library collection in the country and 5th largest circulation rate, the Hennepin County Library’s collection is in frequent and high demand. In 2010, nearly 17 million items were borrowed — that’s 14.9 books and other items per County resident! Hennepin County Library’s collection is carefully selected to respond to the community’s unique requests, reading preferences, and learning needs. The Library is constantly updating its collection by buying new books, replacing heavily circulated items, renewing subscriptions annually, and purchasing books in multiple formats (such as large print, eBooks, audio, and foreign language editions).

With the support of our members, corporate and foundation donors, and the local, volunteer Friends groups, the Friends of HCL has granted approximately $2 million in support of collections since 2000. The Friends of HCL is committed to maintaining our strong support of the Library’s collection.

Containing more than 5 million items, the collection serves as a major resource for the entire State. Highlights include more than 3.5 million books, the largest children’s collection in the upper Midwest, 150,000 pieces of sheet music, literature in more than 40 languages, the 2nd largest cookbook collection in the U.S., and a significant electronic collection including eJournals, periodicals, databases, and eBooks.