VIRGINIA BEACH — The city is slated to begin renovations of four Virginia Beach Public Library locations in December.
Two of those libraries, in Kempsville and Princess Anne, will need to close for up to six months “due to the type and scope of renovations,” according to a news release from the city.
The exact start dates of the renovations were not immediately known.
The Bayside and Special Services Library, as well as the Meyera E. Oberndorf Central Library, will remain open during the renovations.
The projects are funded by $5.8 million allocated by City Council in 2016 to renovate eight of 10 library branches in the city — except for the Joint-Use Library, which was constructed in 2013, and the Wahab Public Law Library, where renovations were completed in January 2018.
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During the Kempsville and Princess Anne closures, patrons are encouraged to visit other library branches for full library service, according to the news release. Residents may also visit the city’s digital library for around the clock access to e-books, music downloads and other materials.
As all four locations prepare for renovations, patrons may notice impacts immediately, even at the branches that are remaining open:
- No programs will be offered at Kempsville as of Dec. 1, or at Princess Anne as of Dec. 10; patrons may find options at other branches by visiting the city’s library events page.
- Some books and materials may be temporarily unavailable as they may be moved, covered, or stored.
- Meeting rooms at Central, Kempsville and Princess Anne libraries will not be available.
- Kempsville and Princess Anne libraries are not able to accept donations of used books, and residents are asked to take their used materials to any other library branch.
The remaining four libraries slated for renovations — the Great Neck, Oceanfront, Pungo-Blackwater, and Windsor Woods locations — are expected to undergo their remodeling in 2019.
