Rosemary's dream, along with many others from her Lake Elmo community, has been realized. The new Lake Elmo Public Library is now in operation.

The new Library and the Grand Opening Ceremony:

Rosemary recently received some well-earned recognition for her efforts in helping to realize this dream. She was named Volunteer of the Month in the November, 2012, issue of the Lake Elmo Public Library Volunteer Newsletter:

"Volunteer of the Month - November, 2012

Rosemary Meier

   Rosemary Meier is a quiet anchor person in the Lake Elmo Public Library.

   She has lived in Lake Elmo since the 60's and raised her children here, teaching piano in her home to children and adults. She is one of the longest serving members of The Friends of Lake Elmo Public Library and has an extensive collection of materials that illustrate the history of the Friends and the fight to keep a library in Lake Elmo.

   She now serves on the Library Board and was recently promoted to be a voting board member after serving as an alternate for a year. Rosemary's gift is her deep commitment to Lake Elmo's library, in any

configuration. When the Rosalie E. Wahl Branch was in operation she went to the library nearly every day and was often the one who organized author visits and events. She says she has been a long-term book club member.

   Rosemary knows how to catalog, shelve books, work the circulation desk and can be seen everywhere there is work to be done around the library. Library Boarad President Steve DeLapp says that he will never forget Rosemary on her knees cleaning paint spots off the carpet.

   Rosemary's hobby is genealogy. Watch for her future workshop where you will learn how to search the 1940 census to find your family history.

Thank you, Rosemary, for your years of dedication to Lake Elmo's Public Library."

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The following was posted early in their effort to establish a new Lake Elmo Public Library:

   Rosemary Wolf Meier (’56) loves books. After Washington County announced her local Lake Elmo, MN library would be closing, Rosemary, along with the mayor, city council, city staff, Friends of Lake Elmo Library and concerned citizens went into action. They have become the driving force in opening a new library. They have received many donations of books, subscriptions, DVDs, audio books, CDs, VHS tapes, furniture and tech equipment from residents and other libraries. Read all about it:

Lake Elmo's New Library

    Lake Elmo has opened what is probably the smallest library in the state - with a 300-book collection.
    It's also perhaps the only library with no library cards, due dates or late fees.

   "We are on the honor system," said Judy Gibson, a member of the Friends of Lake Elmo Public Library and the city's library board. "If we lose a few books, we lose a few books."

   The library opened Tuesday as a stopgap until the city's official library opens in March.
    The temporary space is inside the Lake Elmo Arts Center, at Laverne Avenue North and 36th Street. Inside, patrons pick their books and are asked to write down what they take out. "It is all on trust," Gibson said. "You take it out, and you bring it back."
    The library has several newspaper subscriptions, one computer for Internet access and free Wi-Fi service.
    In its first day of business, it had five customers checking out books and one person using the computer, Gibson said.
    The hours, too, reflect modest ambitions: 24 hours a week, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 5 to 8 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays.
    Although the temporary library has a small number of books, the collection for the larger library has grown to 10,000 books.
    "It will be a lot of work to get them cataloged," Gibson said.
    The location of that library has not been determined.
    The city opted out of the Washington County Library system last summer, after the county announced plans to close the Lake Elmo library and two other small branches at the end of the year.
    Lake Elmo is taking the $260,000 in taxes property owners paid annually to the county system and using that money to fund its own library.

   Mary Cummings, a librarian from Bloomer, Wis., was hired Tuesday to work 20 hours a week, mainly on developing the new library.

Rosemary adds: “The above article said we had only 300 books in our Interim Library. We have many more than that. Also he didn't mention, we plan to be open 40 hours per week when we move into our larger building. 40 hours would be twice as many hours as the county had our branch open the last three years (no evening or Saturday hours). They also had stopped our storytime and magazines. Our Interim Library has magazines, copy machine and FREE COFFEE, in addition to the computer, Wi-Fi (sp.), etc.. A member of the Area Stillwater High School Honor Society was at the last week Library Board meeting. She said the Honor Society would like to be volunteers at the library, so things are looking up. Of course, there are always some people who don't think we need a library.”