Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the West Garland Library topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Garland sets Oct. 25 grand opening for West Garland Library as final work finishes
Summary
City staff told the Library Board the West Garland Library is nearing a certificate of occupancy and a curated opening-day collection has been moved from Walnut Creek; the board heard details on site features and final steps before the Oct. 25 celebration.
The Garland Library Board was told Sept. 8 that the West Garland Library is nearing completion and that a grand opening is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 25.
Karen Archibald, Director of Libraries for the City of Garland, said the project is part of the 2019 bond program and that the library should receive either a temporary or main certificate of occupancy “within the next… few days, maybe just a touch longer than that.” She said staff are installing computers, public-technology equipment and maker-space components and that a specially curated opening-day collection was prepared for West.
Board members were briefed on the logistics of moving the Walnut Creek branch collection into the new building. Archibald said staff have been working with Library Interiors of Texas to pack, move and put the collection back on shelves; the vendor “literally shrink-wraps everything, on-site,” she said. Walnut Creek will close two weeks before West opens so staff can finish shelving, technology installation and other final work.
The board also saw exterior features planned for the site, including large boulders and seating that staff said are color-coordinated with the adjacent recreation center and illuminated bollards at the entrances. Archibald said the site includes a maker space and study rooms and that staff “learned with central” to build in extra time for the final move-in and setup.
Members asked practical questions about bicycle parking and a playground slide on the adjacent rec-center site. Archibald said bicycle racks are provided and that the slide is being worked on for safety reasons; she said staff would report back when final approvals and repairs are completed.
Archibald and other staff described language offerings that will move to West: Spanish-language and Vietnamese-language printed materials and DVDs will be part of the opening inventory. Staff also said popular DVDs from Walnut Creek were kept in the temporary Walnut Creek shelves during the move because DVDs circulate heavily at that location.
Board members asked about final public access arrangements; Archibald said the library will continue to provide interbranch pickup and that patrons can reserve items from other locations for Walnut Creek pickup while the move is in progress.
The board received the update; no formal action was taken at the meeting.
