Meet Asha Abdulahi, Dakota County Library

Asha Abdulahi is the Teen Services Coordinator at Dakota County Library’s Galaxie Library in Apple Valley. This is a new job for Asha, who started last October. She has a Master’s degree in Social Work, and has worked for nonprofits and government agencies.

Asha grew up in Michigan and moved from Michigan to Minneapolis last fall.  Her search for job opportunities working with youth — teens in particular — led her to the Teen Services Coordinator role at the library.  She’s always loved libraries; growing up, her local library was right behind her school, and she went there almost every day after school.    

In her role as Teen Services Coordinator, Asha transformed one of the larger rooms at the Galaxie branch into a space teens can gather on Tuesdays from 3:00 – 8:00 pm.  The space features a Nintendo Switch video game console, coloring activities, games (including Uno and other card games), and a white board that teens can use to work on homework together.  It’s a multi-use room where teens can study and take breaks to play on the Switch or do other activities, including hanging out on the inflatable couch. Asha also makes sure healthy snacks are available for teens using the space/participating in the program since many teens come directly to the library from a long day at school. The snack packs typically include a beverage, a piece of fruit, chips, and a cookie.  It’s no surprise that teens have said they’d love to use that space on other days as well!  There are typically between 20 and 40 teens using the space on Tuesdays.

Asha values connecting with teens and finding out their interests, which helps her work with vendors on events and programs for teens. She has been involved with planning the Teen Job Fair that’s coming up at the Galaxie branch on April 12, 2025. For more information on that, visit https://tinyurl.com/DCLibraryteenjobfair2025

In addition to her work with teens, Asha spends a lot of time assisting visitors of all ages in the iLAB. Dakota County Library’s iLABs are spaces designed for people to explore various technologies and work on creative projects. The iLABs are equipped with a variety of equipment and software, including 3D printers, Mac computers, VHS to DVD converters, and sewing machines. 

For the immediate future, Asha is focused on continuing to learn about all things library. She also hopes to create a Teen Advisory Group, and she’s looking forward to working with the “Volunteens” who help with the library’s summer learning program.  Down the road, she could see herself going to library school for a Master’s degree in Library and Information Science (MLIS).  She’s also interested in programming and user experience (UX) design. 

Asha loves reading psychological thrillers and inspirational books, so she’s making good use of her library card and her proximity to so many great reading options.

For more information about the Dakota County Library, visit http://www.co.dakota.mn.us/libraries   

For more information about the more than 100 public libraries in the seven-county Twin Cities metro, visit https://www.melsa.org/member-libraries/