The second of two major library endeavors in Montgomery County is now well under way.
On Friday, the existing Germantown library will shut down so workers can move the facility’s materials to a new $19 million library site set to open in the spring.
County spokeswoman Donna Bigler said the construction project has been in the works since April 2004, when ground was broken.
The enhanced Germantown library — next to the BlackRock Center for the Arts — will come equipped with 50 personal computers, an extra 60,000 books and nearly 30,000 square feet more space than the former building in the UpCountyRegional Services Center. On the first floor, there will be a children’s room with specialized furniture for youngsters, while the second floor will feature an adult and young adult area complete with quiet and group-study rooms and a computer lab.
On the exterior, 160 parking spaces will be added behind the facility for visitors. That’s in addition to the 22 on-street parking spots already in existence. During the transition, the old Germantown library will stay open until Jan. 8 for book drop-off before closing for good, Bigler said.
Besides the transition in Germantown, 2006 was a big year for libraries overall in Montgomery County.
Last month, Rockville’s new $26 million library opened on Maryland Avenue. Construction on the book haven began in January 2005 and ended this past summer, which put it slightly behind schedule.
Like the upcoming Germantown library, Rockville’s library has more meeting room space, group study areas and computers than the former site across from the County Council office, as well as about 60,000 additional books.
Officials said the three-story library’s unveiling was especially exciting considering it’s the first finished component of a $350 million makeover of the city’s downtown, scheduled to completely change the retail and residential landscape of Rockville over the next year.
