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Murrieta library to close Nov. 3–7 for children’s-area renovation; curbside pickup available
Summary
Murrieta City’s library will close Monday–Friday, Nov. 3–7, to relocate materials ahead of an expansion of the children’s area. Curbside pickup will be offered Nov. 4–7; staff said construction of the children’s area is expected to continue through October 2026.
The Murrieta City Public Library will temporarily close Monday through Friday, Nov. 3–7, to relocate materials and furniture in preparation for renovations to the children’s area, staff told the Library Advisory Commission on Oct. 20.
“The library will be closed, as Melvin mentioned, for 5 days, Monday through Friday, November 3 through November 7, to safely relocate materials and furniture in preparation for construction on the children's library expansion project,” said Gretchen Sedlachek, assistant management analyst for the library.
During the closure the library will offer curbside pickup for holds from Tuesday, Nov. 4 through Friday, Nov. 7 next to the staff entrance on the south side of the building. Outdoor book returns will remain open, staff will be available by phone and email, and in-person programming, computer use and printing will be paused until the library reopens on Saturday, Nov. 8.
Library staff said mobilization for the children’s expansion has already begun: fencing is in place, site demolition and preparation are underway, and crews will complete grading and compaction through early November. Work on utilities is scheduled from October through mid-December, with foundation and slab work planned from mid-November through mid-January. Staff estimated construction in the children’s area will continue through October 2026.
The project has drawn local support: staff reported the Murrieta Library Foundation has raised more than $168,000, the Friends of the Murrieta Library is slated to contribute $104,000, and a water district has committed $110,000 for the exterior garden. Rosales said combined community and agency contributions exceed about $382,000.
To support fundraising, the library and the foundation are holding restaurant fundraisers: Chick-fil-A on Madison (Oct. 22) and Epic Wings (Oct. 28, donating 20% of sales). Staff said flyers and social-media posts with fundraiser and closure information are available on the city and foundation pages and at the library and City Hall.
Staff also described how some collections will be temporarily relocated within the building when it reopens Nov. 8: the current children’s area will be blocked off for construction and the children’s collection and seating will be temporarily placed in the current teen area; the teen collection will be partially moved into the adult area. Some furniture and shelving will be stored off-site during construction.
The library also reported recent staffing changes and program activity: internal promotions and new hires are onboarding, regular programs (story time, maker workshops, chess club and garden walkthroughs) have shown strong attendance, and the Teen Advisory Council will host the library’s booth at an Oct. 24 trunk-or-treat event.
The commission heard the update and posed logistical questions about outreach and printed materials; staff confirmed flyers remain available and that the city will post closure and construction updates on official channels.
The city advises patrons to check the Murrieta City and Murrieta Public Library websites and social media for the latest service updates during construction.
