A few weeks after the Cleveland Park Library closes to begin its 1.5-year reconstruction, it will reopen in its temporary location: Van Ness. The interim library will open its doors on Monday, October 31st at 9:30 a.m. at the UDC law school building (4340 Connecticut Avenue).
The Cleveland Park Library’s Design/build team of Gilbane and Perkins Eastman began construction at the UDC space on August 15th, and George Williams, DC Public Library’s media relations manager, says it will cost $265,000.
He also tells us the library’s Public Services staff is evaluating how much of the existing collection will be relocated to the interim library. Priority will be given to the high-use, high-interest parts of the collection.
The items from the old library will not be swapped in and out at the temporary library. Items that are not going to the interim library will be placed in long-term storage.
What will not be available are meeting rooms and sit-down computers. Story time for the kids is still a work in progress.
“The library is working to rent a community space to be able to offer regular children’s programming. Until written agreement is in place, we are not able to offer much in the way of programs,” Williams told us.
The final community meeting on the $19.5 million library project will be Wednesday, September 21st at 6:30 p.m. – at the Cleveland Park Library, of course. The library will close on October 8th.