The Mariners’ Museum Library will be closing its doors to the public Friday as part of a planned renovation to the building where it is housed on the campus of Christopher Newport University.
The library, which will remain closed until fall of 2017, includes the largest maritime history collection in the Western Hemisphere. It is composed of more than 2 million books, magazines, manuscripts, maps and charts, vessel plans, newspaper articles and photographs.
The collection will be moved from its current location in the Paul and Rosemary Trible Library at CNU as that space prepares to undergo a significant expansion this summer.
Though the relocation is only temporary, Mariners’ Museum Library staff caution that until it returns to the completed Paul and Rosemary Trible Library building, the collection will be inaccessible to staff and researchers as well as the general public.
“Preserving and protecting the Library’s world-renowned collection will always be our top priority.” said Elliot Gruber, President and CEO of The Mariners’ Museum and Park. “Arrangements have been made for the Library holdings to be stored in a secure, climate-controlled environment while work on the building continues.”
The Paul and Rosemary Trible Library is expected to reopen in early fall 2017, and the Mariners’ Museum Library collection will return and reopen at that time.
“I want to personally thank the entire Library staff for all of their hard work,” Gruber said. “During this transition, they will continue working on projects critical to the Museum and Library.”
