The James City County Library is throwing itself a party — and the whole community’s invited.
The free event runs from 2 to 4 p.m. Aug. 18 at 7770 Croaker Road and will include treats, face painting, children’s crafts, games and giveaways. Jonathan Austin, a juggler who has entertained library visitors for years, will perform at 3 p.m.
The celebration caps three decades of service as the community has nearly doubled in size since the branch opened.
“The James City County Library has been bringing people together for 30 years,” Williamsburg Regional Library Director Sandy Towers said. “Some of the children who came to some of our earliest storytimes and magic shows are now bringing their own children through these doors. That’s a remarkable legacy for a community library.”
The library opened in July 1996 as the second branch of the Williamsburg Regional Library system. The $5.5 million facility was built to serve the growing Norge area and opened with a collection of 75,000 items and more than 30 public computer terminals.
Technology was a major focus when the library opened. In a July 3, 1996, Daily Press article about the grand opening, librarian and online technology specialist Sherle Abramson said the library would teach people about technology and how libraries would work in the future.
Thirty years later, technology remains part of library services, but the facility has changed with the community. Space once devoted to public computers has become flexible gathering space, while additions such as the Teen Room, Kiwanis Kids Idea Studio and Library Natural Playground have expanded the ways residents can use the library.
James City County’s population has grown from an estimated 42,500 residents in 1996 to more than 83,000 today.
During the same period, the library has welcomed 4.3 million visitors and circulated 11.7 million items. Its collection has grown to more than 88,000 books, movies and other materials.
The library now offers programs and services for residents of all ages, including storytimes, homework assistance, teen programs, job skills resources and family activities.
