HILLSBOROUGH -- Grand opening festivities for the new Orange County Main Library at 137 West Margaret Lane will take place at 10 a.m. Friday. The ribbon cutting will follow welcoming remarks and comments from county and state officials, including Valerie Foushee, chairwoman of the Orange County Board of Commissioners, and N.C. State Librarian Mary Boone.
The Friends of the Orange County Public Library will present a check for $20,000 that will be used to support the new facility. The public is invited and welcome to attend. Light refreshments will be served after the ceremony.
The grand opening will feature an art exhibition, "The Other Side of Orange County," by local photographer Kent Corley and a poem by Friends of the Orange Library member Max Preston, who will also present a special children's marionette program at 10 a.m. on Saturday dedicated to the new library.
The Main Library will serve all residents of Orange County and provide cultural, social and educational opportunities for all ages. The planning of a new library began nearly 10 years ago with the formation of the 2000 Library Task Force. After many years of discussion, the groundbreaking ceremony in April 2008 demonstrated the strong cooperation between the library, town and county officials and the greater community.
The 23,500-square-foot building will feature more than 16 public access computers, a dedicated teen center, a 90-person meeting room, a local history area and the capacity to hold more than 80,000 items in the complete collection. The first floor of the library is devoted to the library's youngest patrons' needs with an expanded collection, unique furniture and a special story time area.
"The new Main Library will provide excellent educational, recreational and cultural services, as well as being an asset for economic development and opportunity. Our County Commissioners and citizens support has been critical to this project from beginning to end," said Lucinda Munger, Orange County library director.
The Orange County Public Library system also includes a branch in Cedar Grove and two branches in Carrboro, the Cybrary in the Century Center and a joint facility in the Carrboro-McDougle Middle School. It is also part of the Hyconeechee Regional Library system, which includes Person and Caswell counties.
WANT TO LEARN MORE?
For more information about the new library and other available services, please visit our Web site http://www.co.orange.nc.us/library .
