It is the only library in our area that primarily serves three jurisdictions — Manassas, Manassas Park, and Prince William County. And, it’s about to close for six months for renovations.
Those renovations come as both Manassas and Manassas Park look to pull out of a shared-services agreement with Prince William County and start their own libraries.
About the upcoming renovation, the Prince William County Government tell us:
The new strategically designed layout will offer patrons more open space for programming and allow for a better flow, a community room for civic organizations, one quiet study room and two study-conference rooms, each holding up to four people.
New inviting seating will be available, both in the study rooms and open-space areas. The library’s bathrooms will be renovated and expanded to be made compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Once renovations are complete, the library will have a redesigned, full-service, concierge desk with reference and circulation services, and will continue to offer a full-range of library materials such as books, children’s materials, audio-visual, and periodicals as well as access to the digital library and its resources through public access computers.
The library will offer dynamic programming and educational experiences in its Makerspace, including Cricut vinyl cutters, sewing machines and toys like Spheros, Ozobots, and Makey Makey which teach children the preliminary basics of coding. Programs will be offered in the Makerspace and open times for individual participation will also be available.
Better public access to computers, printers, copiers and scanners, mobile printing, and reliable Wi-Fi, will also be featured in the renovated library. There will also be access to U.S. passport services, making it the third library venue that offers these services.
A newly renovated Central Library is slated to reopen in June.
As for the cities of Manassas and Manassas Park, that shared services agreement I mentioned at the top of the post is set to expire the same month, just in time for the July 1 start of the 2020 fiscal budget year.
Manassas officials told us it plans to contract with a private contractor which would run a new library opened at Wellington Station, next to a Giant Food store.
Manassas Park officials don’t yet have a plan to open a new library, but deep in debt, pulling out of the shared-services agreement would be a cost-saving measure for the city.
All other Prince William County libraries will be open during the renovation, Prince William County Government adds.
