Discovering the St. Cloud Public Library: A Look Inside [AUDIO, GALLERY]

The weather's cooler, the kids are back in school, and it might be the right time to explore the St. Cloud Public Library.

Since the construction of a large new new building in 2008, the St. Cloud branch of the Great River Public Library System has been been able to offer a lot more than just books.

You may not know the the library now offers large rooms that are rentable for seminars, meetings, and even musical performances. Chris Mallo is the Patron Services Specialist for the St. Cloud Public library. She says the spaces allow for events that were previously unimaginable.

Mallo says these rooms are usually booked months, even up to a year in advance.

In addition to community space, the library has more computer stations, private reading/study rooms and a larger children's section, which has resulted in a higher number of people frequenting the library on a regular basis. Eric Blotkamp is a circulation assistant at the library. He says people underestimate the amount of different resources the library offers.

And check this out; you can now get books from the library and not have to physically bring them back. The St. Cloud Public Library recently announced that its digital library is now compatible with Kindle devices. After downloading the Kindle app for their tablet device, the user will be able to browse the library selection, check out what they want, and then have it until the expiration date.

The Great River Regional Library System is made up of 32 libraries around Minnesota, providing over 1 million books, CDs/DVDs, and 250 public computers.

The St. Cloud library is located at the corner of West St. Germain and 14th Avenue North.

Spent much time in the library? Curious to see more? Take our photo tour!