Riviera Beach Library To Hold Farewell Event

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Celebrate 48 years of the Riviera Beach Library with activities and cake during the branch’s farewell open house event on September 28 from 2:00pm-4:00pm.

The community is invited to share memories, and take a sneak peek at the future building.

“We’ll have several things going on,” said Dan Ramirez, the library’s branch manager. “A historic timeline will be available along with some old photographs of the branch. We’ll have a look backward, but also a look forward. We’ll be showcasing some of the new design - internal and external design photographs.”

The new facility is one of two major projects for libraries in Anne Arundel County, according to Skip Auld, the county public library chief executive officer.

“The new building will replace the nearly 50-year-old current facility and provide double the amount of space for customers and for the community at 20,000 square feet,” Auld explained in the latest edition of Anne Arundel County Public Library’s quarterly magazine, Library Happenings! “The modern library, prominently placed on the corner of Fort Smallwood Road and Duvall Highway, will offer an expanded children’s area, a large public meeting room, four individual study rooms, a teen area, cafe and prominent outdoor views.”

The new facility will reside at the same location but occupy a different and much larger footprint.

“The forecast of the new building is to be almost twice the size of our current location,” said Ramirez. “We’ll still be on the same property, but the length and breadth of the building will be closer to Fort Smallwood Road.”

Ramirez expects to close the doors to the current facility by early next year, with construction slated to begin in winter 2020 and continue through summer 2021. His team will continue to serve the community throughout the process, with a temporary library location that is being secured to serve customers during the branch’s closure.

“We are downsizing our collection of items because, generally speaking, with a temporary facility, you’re just not going to have as much space,” Ramirez said. “We intend to have a core group of materials available at the facility and the aspiration is to have electronic and technological capabilities.”

When the current building was built in the 1970s, no architect could have envisioned Wi-Fi and all of the technological devices that people would use. The new library features many elements that aim to directly answer community needs including meeting rooms, individual study rooms, and a space designated for children’s programs.

“It will be a well-lit, easily accessible facility,” said Ramirez. “You’ll be able to easily see this beacon of cultural enrichment and education and always be invited to come in.”
For more information on the new Riviera Beach Library, email newriv@aacpl.net or visit www.aacpl.net/newriviera.

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