About Us :
The Sun Ray Branch, Saint Paul's easternmost library, was built in 1970 and remodeled in 1985. In 2000, the agency was completely recarpeted and painted, and an addition to the building was created to house the Materials Management Agency, bringing the total square footage for the entire building from 12,098 to 20,015. The library is located one block north of the Sun Ray
Shopping Center, across the park from the Conway Recreation Center and houses a collection of approximately 77,500 items in both print and nonprint.
Sun Ray's service population, consisting primarily of St Paul's Planning District 1, is diverse and includes Southeast Asians, Hispanics, African-Americans, as well as immigrant populations from Southeast Asia and Africa. Residents from Washington and Ramsey Counties also use Sun
Ray, and a large number of Sun Ray service area residents use the suburban systems. Books on cassette, compact discs, DVDs and VHS videos are all in demand at the agency. And, of course, access to the Internet adds to the agency's appeal for patrons both young and old.
Sun Ray works with teachers to augment student curriculums by hosting class visits from local schools during the school year and collecting books for teachers to use in their classrooms. In 2003, the SUNSPOT Homework Center opened and is available to students Sunday through Thursday afternoons. For younger children and child care providers, a toddler storytime, a baby lapsit storytime and Read 'n' Play are offered on a weekly basis throughout the year. Summer Reading Program is also offered each year, with weekly performances and prizes awarded for reading achievement. For adults, a monthly meeting of the East Side Book Club meets at the Sun Ray Library and, beginning in 2006, Sun Ray will be hosting Internet classes for seniors on a biweekly basis.
