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.