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Established in 1969, Dakota County Library has 10 branches spanning the southeast metro area of the Twin Cities. The libraries offer plenty of family-friendly programming both in person and online.  We list our top 10 below.

Get a Dakota County Library Card

Library cards are FREE to residents of Dakota County and are easy to obtain. With your card, you can access the library’s digital collections and physical materials. Register online here and have your card mailed to your address or bring some sort of photo ID and proof of address to any branch to get your card.  To obtain a card for your child who may not have a photo ID or proof of address, just bring your own ID and proof of address. Note that all the Metropolitan Library Service Agency (MELSA) Libraries have reciprocal agreements. You can borrow materials from any public library in the Twin Cities area with your home library card and return materials to your own library.

Related Articles:

• • Twin Cities Libraries: Play and Learn Spaces
  • 101 Twin Cities Libraries – Mapped.

10 Family-Friendly Offerings at Dakota County Libraries:

1. smARTpass from Dakota County Library

This library system is part of the MELSA library system, so it offers the smARTpass program, where library cardholders can checkout tickets to shows and museums. You can read a more detailed review of the program at the link above.

2. Storytimes at Dakota County Library

The various branches offer story times for babies and preschoolers with their favorite adult. Programs include age-appropriate stories, songs, and activities. While visiting, parents can pick up tips for fostering early literacy skills. Storytimes can be found on the libraries calendar of events. While gatherings are discouraged, find Online Storytimes at the library’s Facebook page.

3. Dakota County Library’s LUCKYU Program

All branches keep a LUCKYU book collection for both adults and kids. The collection includes high-demand books by popular authors. If its on the shelf with the LUCKYU label, you can check it out without waiting in line and keep it it for one week — no renewals or holds.

4. Stream On Demand or Download Television Shows

If you are thinking about cutting the cord on pay-TV, a Dakota County library card can be another tool in the growing options for free entertainment. With Hoopla, card-holding patrons can instantly choose from thousands of titles to stream television shows, movies, music, e-books, comics, and audiobooks on their own device. You can also download something to watch when you are not online. You can also borrow DVDs and Blue-Rays.

5. Book Group Kits

Check out enough books for your whole club. The library has titles for kids, teens and adults. Besides 10 copies of the book, you’ll get discussion questions to get your conversations started, author information and hints on how to start or improve a book club. Kits can be kept for up to six weeks. Learn more about Book Group Kits here.

6. 2Go! Kits for Exploring New Interests

Learn a new skill, try a new workout, explore nature or STEM subjects, learn about a historical period or even check out a kit to interview your grandparents. Borrow a kit for three weeks and then borrow another one!

7. Vox Books – Narrates Children’s Books

Another early learning tool. These hardcover books come with an audio player that narrates the books while kids follow along. The library has 100s of Vox book titles to explore.

8. WiFi Hotpsots & Chromebooks

Borrow the internet. Wi-Fi hotspots and Chromebooks can be borrowed for up to six weeks.

9. Check out Seeds for Your Garden

The seed library is available to all Dakota County residents whether or not you have a library card. It is located at the Farmington Branch. Get some seeds to grown in your garden and if you are able, save and share some of your own seeds.

10. Online Research and Learning Tools Available with Your Dakota County Library Card

• BookFlix – Scholastic BookFlix is one of our favorite tools – this online literacy program let’s you read books on your computer. Bookflix pairs video storybooks with related nonfiction e-books and then adds on some literacy games after the stories. I love this tool for reading-together time when I’m exhausted.
• Early World of Learning – Interactive learning site with games and beginning reading activities.
• Explora Kids – Elementary school-appropriate magazines, encyclopedias, dictionaries, and images.
• Explora Teens – Tween & Teen-appropriate magazine, journal, encyclopedia articles, and primary source documents, reference books and multimedia.
• Britannica Online Library Kids Edition – Articles and learning materials for upper elementary school students.
• Britannica Online Middle School Edition – Articles and learning materials for middle school students.
• Britannica Online Preschool Edition – Articles and learning materials for preschool students.
• Kids InfoBits – Gives K-5 children easy access to age-appropriate magazines, reference books, and newspaper articles.
• Mango Little Pim – Using video and practice cards, online courses provide building blocks for kids age birth–6 years to learn up to 10 different languages, including French, Spanish and Japanese — all with just your library card.
• Middle Search Plus  – Contains full text for more than 150 popular, middle school magazines.
• TumbleBook Library – A collection of animated, talking picture books for kids. It also includes puzzles, games, audiobooks, and language learning.

Dakota County Library YouTube Channel – Indoor Fun Anytime

Dakota County has its own YouTube page with a ton of fun materials. Not only does the library share online activities, but you can find activities from Arts in teh Park, STEM Learning, virtual tours of family-friendly places and more. Bookmark these three library playlists for when you need something fun to do at home with your kids:

• Tips for You and Your Baby: Created for the parent, librarians offer fun tips and strategies they’ve used during baby story times. Get ideas for how to sing, play, talk, read, and write with babies and toddlers ages 0 to 24 months.
• Children’s Programs: These are recordings of full story times that were originally live. Each video is 14 to 40 minutes long.

Find all of Dakota County’s videos here.

Dakota County Library Branches:

• Burnhaven Library (Burnsville)
• Farmington Library
• Galaxie Library (Apple Valley)
• Heritage Library (Lakeville)
• Inver Glen Library (Inver Grove Heights)
• Pleasant Hill Library (Hastings)
• Robert Trail Library (Rosemount)
• Wentworth Library (West St. Paul)
• Wescott Library (Eagan)
• City of South St. Paul Library (Soon to be Kaposia Library in Late Winter 2024)

Useful Links:

• • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • Dakota County Library Login for Cardholders
  • Search the Dakota County Library catalog
  • Find and Register for Events
  • Dakota County library hours & locations.