Wentworth Library reopens;
grand opening celebration set for May 6

Wentworth Library reopens; grand opening celebration set for May 6
By Jake Spitzack | Staff Writer | May 2026

Books won’t be the only thing to check out on your next trip to Wentworth Library, 199 Wentworth Ave. E., West St. Paul, when it reopens May 6. A yearlong, $7.4 million renovation project recently transformed the Dakota County facility to meet modern day standards and add meeting rooms, interactive play features and a calming room to the children’s section. A grand opening celebration is scheduled for 5:30-7:30 p.m., with a ribbon cutting at 6:30 p.m. Kids will be able to get a free book while supplies last.

All nine study rooms were made handicap accessible and are now located in the center of the space rather than along the window-filled southern wall. This will allow for better temperature control, let staff see inside the rooms more easily, and provide more daylight for other library users. Meeting rooms were also updated and another large conference room created.

The remodel includes what is called a “program room.” Program rooms are a new concept that the county first launched at the Kaposia Library in South St. Paul, which opened two years ago. They are multifunctional spaces designed for arts and crafts and other activities. The one at Wentworth will be reserved for staff-led programs, such as book clubs and “crafternoons,” and is outfitted with a button maker, sticker maker, sewing machine, and furniture that can be reconfigured for groups of varying sizes. The library has a 3D printer in the public area, as well as 24 public computers with internet, printing, copying and faxing capabilities. The library also has five laptops that can be checked out for use in the library.
The revamped children’s area is designed to be more welcoming for older kids in addition to toddlers, and the teen area remains.

An enclosed “quiet zone” has been added, and the multi-stall restrooms were moved from the entryway to further inside the building. Other work for the project included plumbing and accessibility upgrades and replacing furniture. A patio will be made on the east side of the building by the end of the year. It’s being funded through grants and donations.

Last renovated in 2008, Wentworth Library is one of 10 branches of the Dakota County Library system. The County seeks to upgrade libraries every 15 years to keep them up to date, and Wentworth is the first completed in its newest cycle. Kaposia Library, the newest branch, will be the last. Dakota County project manager Trish Bremer said libraries are continuing to adapt to user needs, which change over time. She said there’s been less demand for books and other printed materials and more requests for meeting rooms, socializing spaces and electronic devices.

There are no late fees for books checked out from the library but items not returned within 42 days are considered lost and the cost of their replacement is added to the user’s account. If the book is returned, the replacement cost is waived.

“We are thrilled to see years of thoughts from staff, comments from the community and ideas from the design team realized in the remodeled building,” said Wentworth Library branch manager Stacy Lenarz. “We hope our community loves the space as much as we do. We are really excited to share it with our patrons.”

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