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At 44,803 square feet, the new Fairfield Area Library is twice the size of the old one. (Image courtesy Henrico County Public Library)
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The library's design features an open lobby. (Image courtesy Henrico County Public Library)
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A view of the main entrance during construction (Photo by Patty Conway courtesy Henrico County Public Library)
More than a year since construction began, a new public library is set to open in eastern Henrico County on Oct. 6. The $29 million facility, funded as the result of a 2016 bond referendum, is set to replace the old Fairfield Area Library that closed on Sept. 21. The new library is being built on a 10-acre site southeast of Laburnum Avenue and Watts Lane, near the Eastern Henrico Recreation Center.
“The existing Fairfield Library was built in 1976,” Library Director Barbara Weedman says via email. “Since then, the Fairfield community has grown, and what the community needs from their library has changed.”
The Fairfield community has grown since the old library opened in 1976. (Photo by Katja Timm)
Weedman says the community needs not only more space in its library, but also more types of spaces to support different kinds of learning.
“The library is in the business of learning, and learning happens in a lot of ways — through reading, the core of library service, but also online, through play, in groups, in classes and workshops, and through active creation,” says Weedman.
The new library is 44,803 square feet, almost double the size of the old library, allowing for added amenities, Weedman says.
The new Fairfield Area Library will have a dedicated teen space and children’s story room. (Image courtesy Henrico County Public Library)
“The new library will have large areas for collections, including a dedicated teen space and children’s story room, which the existing library does not have,” says Weedman. “The new Fairfield Library will also have study rooms for all ages, two conference rooms, a large meeting room, Digital Media Lab and a Creation Classroom for learning life skills.”
Charles Wray, principal in charge of Quinn Evans Architects, the firm that helped bring the new library to fruition, says that helping the community to learn life skills is a big part of the project.
“The major theme is to help people with life skills, to share information and to collaborate,” he says.
Wray says the project was created to serve the community’s needs, offering dedicated spaces and resources for adults, teens, children and families.
“There will also be 100 computers for public use,” says Weedman. “We know that having access to public computers, as well as a variety of spaces in which to learn and create, is important to our community.”
Weedman adds that the new Fairfield Library will be open on Sundays from 1 to 5 p.m. to serve busy individuals and families in the community, extending the previous library's Monday to Saturday schedule. The library will also have a drive-up window for returning materials and picking up items placed on hold, and parking for up to 220 vehicles.
Wray says he thinks the new library is going to be a great addition to the community's social infrastructure.
“Henrico County has been a pleasure to work with,” says Wray. “The community deserves something spectacular, and that’s what they’re going to get.”
The grand opening of the new Fairfield Area Library is set for 2 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 6, at 1401 N. Laburnum Ave. For more information, see henricolibrary.org.
