About Owatonna Public Library

Mission

The mission of the Owatonna Public Library (OPL) is to provide for the informational, recreational, educational, and cultural needs of the residents of Owatonna, Blooming Prairie, and rural Steele County through organized collections of various media and access through technology to other resources.

PVBLIC LIBRARY

The inscription over Owatonna Public Library's Elm Avenue door reads "PVBLIC LIBRARY". The inscription dates back to 1900 when the Library was built. 

The inscription was written using the ancient Roman alphabet (also known as the ancient Latin alphabet) which only contained 23 letters. This alphabet did not use lower-case letters or the letters J, U, or W. Learn more about OPL's history in Nancy Vaillancourt's book, Owatonna Public Library: Free to All, 1900-2000.

Donated Materials Guidelines

Donated materials are accepted with the following restrictions:

• the Library retains unconditional ownership of the materials
• the Library makes the final decision regarding the use of or other disposition of the materials

Please also keep the following guidelines in mind when considering donating materials:

• Recent publications (within the past 5 years)
• Like new condition: No torn, stained, or missing covers; no loose pages or writing/scribbling on pages; no materials that smell like smoke or are musty-smelling
• No Reader's Digest Condensed Books
• No Encyclopedias
• No Textbooks
• No VHS or audiocassettes
• No Harlequin novels
• Limit of 3 boxes per family per year

Donations not added to the collection may be added to the Perpetual Book Sale (if in like-new condition) or recycled.