Above: The engineering firm’s conceptual drawing of the proposed South County Library. Along with expanded space to host the library’s growing collection, amenities will include more public computer access, meeting rooms, and comfortable seating areas for work and study.
Roanoke County and the Friends of the Library hosted the
South County Library Groundbreaking for October 22, 2009 at 10 AM.
Groundbreaking Photos
See more photos of the Groundbreaking Ceremony on our Facebook page...
Additional Images (click on a thumbnail below for a larger version)
(October 2009) After a lengthy bid and design process, groundbreaking for Roanoke County's South County Library is scheduled for October 22, 2009. The new library will be located off Merriman Road, across from Penn Forest Elementary School. For artist renderings and more information, see the Library's South County Library page.
(May 2009) - The Roanoke County Board of Supervisors got their first glance at revised plans for the County’s newest library during a May 12 work session. The South County Library was redesigned by architects after bids for the facility came in higher than expected last year. The library will be rebid in June. Construction is expected to cost approximately $12 million.
The new design is smaller than the original presented to the supervisors. The new design has a footprint of 49,000 square feet, with an additional 5,000 square feet proposed for an auditorium/community meeting space. During the afternoon work session, the new design was described as more geometric than the original – incorporating more straight lines than curves. The latest design also includes less exterior glass and a revised interior design to maximize available space. It retains a planned coffee shop and bookstore to be operated by Friends of the Library.
The library will contain an array of inter-related, balanced systems, including HVAC, that will produce longterm savings and still be "gentle with the earth." While the new library will be a large, extremely busy public building adjacent to Federally protected wetlands, this complex structure has been carefully planned to avoid impacting the surrounding environment. In fact, the terrain will be enhanced instead.
The first floor main entry will prominently display popular books, DVD's and other materials while featuring a copy center and self-checkout stations for patrons. The design also includes a children's area and storytime room, computer stations for adults and children, meeting rooms, and a variety of comfortable seating options. The Friends of the Library bookstore and coffee shop will round out the first floor plan.
The second floor will feature the adult collection, an additional copy center, reference materials and research desk, seating areas, a quiet study room, a Young Adult room with projection screen, study areas and booths. In addition, the second floor design includes a board and conference room area.
Roanoke County’s newest library will be located across from Penn Forest Elementary School in Southwest County. The revised plan calls for the new library to be constructed farther back on the property in order to put more distance between the library and wetlands located on the property. Entrance to the library will be through a roundabout to be constructed at the intersection of Meadowlark Road and Merriman Road.
Construction on the roundabout is tentatively scheduled for completion on or before September 2010 and will be scheduled to minimize traffic disruptions on Meadowlark and Merriman roads. The new library is expected to open on or before June 2011.
Milestones for the new South County Library's development:
- Bid Period Begins June 15, 2009
- Construction Period: 20–22 months
- Building Completion: On or Before June 2011
- Roundabout Construction Completed: On or Before September 1, 2010
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Since its opening in 1972, Roanoke County's 419 Library has weathered many changes in public library information access, storage needs and media. As demand for modern library services far exceeds the 419 Library's ability to serve its community, a new headquarters library has been proposed for the south area of the County.
In addition to more space for books, computer work stations and new media, the proposed South County Library will have more space dedicated to community use, which can be closed off from the remainder of the library for after hours use. This section will include a large meeting room that can be subdivided into smaller rooms, a proposed auditorium, a coffee shop with a drive-up window, a large computer lab, and the Young Adults section.
The library will contain a themed children’s area, a quiet reading room, individual study rooms, a variety of computer access stations, as well as the traditional fiction, non-fiction, audio-visual, and reference sections.
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The Headquarters/419 Library Is a Busy, Outdated and Overwhelmed Facility
Your headquarters library near Cave Spring is the busiest public library west of Richmond. Originally designed to support 500 visitors per day, the library now averages more than 1,100 visits a day, with an annual circulation of 524,309 items, a 5% increase over the previous year.
With a public area of approximately 17,000 square feet, the 419 Library is less than 40% of the size specified by standards. It is also the only County library that serves two magisterial districts, Cave Spring and Windsor Hills, and is a major resource to the small businesses located along the County’s prime commercial corridor.
The 419 Library is overcrowded, with a disjointed layout that compounds congestion during peak periods. Long lines for service are common and shelves are at 120% of capacity. There is no archival or storage space for the collection, so the acquisition of any new materials means that less-used books must be discarded.
The majority of the furnishings and fixtures date from the original construction nearly four decades ago and are heavily-worn. Parking spaces are hard to get on a typical day, and the lot is completely overwhelmed whenever a public program or event takes place.
The 419 Library Predates the Information Age
We have experienced a radical transformation in the way public library information is accessed since the 419 Library opened in 1972. Libraries used to offer only printed material, but now CD’s, DVD’s, videos, audio books, computers, databases, WiFi, electronic books, kits, educational games and software, and more information resources are in demand by the public.
Roanoke County prides itself on being an award-winning, high tech locality, but outdated libraries designed exclusively for books still struggle to accommodate new technology and new media.
Public computer stations, which are in constant use, actually require more square feet than books. Every PC added means shelves of books have to give way. Library staff members now need meeting and classroom space to teach library users how to access the latest information technology, software, and databases.
While some worry that a new library also would quickly become outdated, the new facility is designed with flexible building systems that anticipate the evolving information technology of decades to come.
It's Not Just About the Building
As the Citizens Review Team for Capital Improvements Projects has repeatedly confirmed, there is an acute need to update the inadequate and outdated Roanoke County Public Library buildings. The space limitations of the congested Cave Spring facility restrict the library's ability to meet public demand on every front, from parking to programming. The administrative and operations spaces are so overcrowded with overflowing books and jammed-in desks that it's hard even to navigate. For the public, nothing can get added or expanded or improved, because there's literally no place to put it, or do it, or present it.
Your Library Needs This One to be Built
Every year, more than 30,000 items are cataloged and processed in the tiny workroom of the 419 Library and then sent out to Bent Mountain, Glenvar, Hollins, Mt. Pleasant, and Vinton. More than 800,000 items annually are sorted and routed out through the closet-sized delivery room behind the circulation desk.
Every library system requires a "Mother Ship" to house the behind-the-scenes operations and services that sustain its community libraries. It’s the most economical way to provide support to each of the five other libraries which depend on the collections, staff, and services at 419.
Library users who never go to the 419 Library are, nonetheless, constantly drawing upon the many resources housed there. That's true each time you take a brand-new book off the shelves; put in a special book request; use the catalog; use a database; get reference or research help (in person, by phone, or online); enjoy youth or family programs; and on and on.
It's Good for the County
Locating a new state-of-the-art library in the midst of one of the most densely populated areas of the County is a smart move. New libraries with vibrant public spaces have proven a huge draw for locals and visitors that stimulate surrounding retail, cultural, and residential areas. And not only can the library and its community center stimulate the local economy, it can help attract major employers that scrutinize and rank the County’s quality-of-life and educational resources.
There is an added bonus: Making the new library the anchor between the County recreational and educational services offered on either side is an opportunity to enhance and strengthen all three aspects of our community.
It's A True Community Resource
The new library will be able to accommodate the current collection and its future growth and host nearly double the public-use computer stations, while offering separate spaces for quiet study and research, lively children's and youth programs, and community meetings. In short, the new library will become a viable and vibrant community center.
You'll Want to Go There
Typically, a new library is projected to attract upwards of 40% more users (currently the 419 library serves more than 1,100 a day). They'll be drawn to the library for its collection and information resources – plus community meetings, cultural programs in an auditorium, a small-business and career center, a cafe, and expanded programs for families, children, and young adults. People will want to come to experience the handsome architecture on a natural site, with ample parking. The County's new library will be a vibrant destination – with a few quiet nooks.
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