After more than four years, eager library patrons will finally be able to hit the stacks at the Durham County Main Library branch. Located at 300 N. Roxoboro Street, with a main entrance on Liberty Street, the library shuttered in November of 2016, after a bond passed for a $44.3 million renovation project that took several years—and one long pandemic pause—to complete.
On Wednesday afternoon, the Durham County Library account tweeted that it would “reopen its doors to the public in late July.” The grand reopening of the library was originally planned for April of 2020, but was put on hold during the pandemic. It is the last Durham County library location to reopen to the public—all other branches, with the exception of the North Carolina Collection, have offered walk-in hours over the past few months.
The main branch of the Durham County Library was originally built at Five Points in 1897, later moving to East Main Street.
The sleek, newly remodeled Main branch opening this month was designed by Vines Architecture of Raleigh, with upgrades that include 20,000 more square feet of space, a large central staircase, and a rooftop garden. Other improvements to the space include a new technology center featuring public utilities like a MakerLab, more public computers, and 3D printers. Last year, during the early stage of the pandemic, the 3D printers were put to good use printing masks for first-responders.
The library has not yet announced an exact opening date, and a representative for the library did not return an immediate request for comment from the INDY.
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