The Ramsey County Board on Tuesday voted to move the Arden Hills Library collection to the New Brighton Family Service Center in 2011.
Commissioners spent more than an hour discussing the proposal before voting 6-1 to approve it.
Last year, the county directed the Library Board to find a new home for the aging Arden Hills Library. Otherwise, the branch would be closed at the end of 2010.
The Library Board considered proposals from Presbyterian Homes in Arden Hills as well as the New Brighton site. The board chose the New Brighton proposal in part because of its accessibility to schools, senior- and low-income housing and public transportation.
The partnership with the New Brighton Family Service Center will save the Library Board $150,000 annually in operating costs.
"Anytime you close an existing library it's an emotional issue; it's like closing a school," said Commissioner Jan Parker, whose district includes New Brighton. "I believe the process we've gone through has gotten us to a very good solution."
Arden Hills City Council Member Fran Holmes urged the county to spend more time analyzing numbers and also made a case for keeping the library in her city.
"I don't want to see this turned into a turf war; we're looking at the benefit of the community," said New Brighton Mayor Dave Jacobsen. "I think it's time to make a decision."
