Fayetteville Public Library now open after expansion

Photos: Todd Gill, Fayetteville Flyer staff

Today’s the day.

Fayetteville Public Library officials on Tuesday announced they have official reopened the library to the public after completion of a major expansion project.

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Officials said the new facility has been cleared by the City Board of Health to reopen, with limits on capacity and other restrictions in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The library will limit capacity to 200 patrons, with access to the building limited to only the library’s main entrance on West Mountain Street and South School Avenue. Patrons should limit their visits to one hour, and study and meeting rooms will remain closed at this time.

Library officials said policies and restrictions are subject to change depending on the state of the pandemic and other factors.

“After touring the space late last year and referencing CDC guidelines, we arrived at our recommendations that address most needs of FPL and its patrons,” said Marti Sharkey, Fayetteville Public Health Officer. “The space is large enough to allow for social distancing and has a state-of-the-art HVAC system. We feel very good about its ability to open during the pandemic while limiting the number of patrons.”

The facility, paid for in part by a $26.5 million millage increase approved by voters in 2016, is packed with more amenities including an expanded children’s library, a 700 seat performance hall, a test kitchen, an innovation center with a recording studio, photo studio, and video studio, a movement studio, more an 100,000 books, and countless others. We wrote about some of the new features last week.

“The reopening of the Blair Library and its expansion project marks the end of a venture that began as a dream almost a decade ago,” said David Johnson, executive director of FPL. “I look forward to welcoming the community back to its library and can’t wait to see people’s reactions and how they use these spaces in ways that we never could have imagined.”

Story times, book clubs, and other programs will remain virtual for now. Curbside pickup for all resources will continue, as well as book concierge services, officials said.

The library is open 9 a.m. until 8 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 1 p.m. until 5 p.m. on Sunday.

For more information, or to reserve items, visit faylib.org.