The South Irving Library, 601 Schulze Drive, will open in just a couple of months on March 21. The south location is the third library constructed in the city since the council and the Irving Library Board developed the master plan in 2006.
“South Irving Library will be the largest branch in our city and its completion will be tremendous,” Mayor Beth Van Duyne said in a news release. “The South Irving Library is an investment that will benefit library customers of all ages and will hopefully help set the stage for increased private investment in the community.”
Funding for the library upgrades described in the master plan stem from bond sales authorized by voters. About $9.7 million has been invested in the construction of the two-story, 52,570 square-foot South Irving Library. Factor in the 2007 opening of Valley Ranch Library and the 2011 opening of the LEED-Certified West Irving Library, the city has invested approximately $30 million into library construction within the past seven years.
Amenities at this location include a surplus of electrical outlets, improved Wi-Fi connectivity, new computers, several tech-ready study and meeting spaces and a digital creation lab for teens. The building is eco-smart. Designed to be a LEED-Certified facility, the library features glass with electronic tinting to help cool the building.
The city encourages patrons to take photos at the Central Library until it closes Jan. 31. Post using the hashtag #MyIrvingLibrary.
Following the Jan. 31 closure of Central Library, library staff will label and move more than 200,000 items for seven weeks. Customers may continue to return items to the book drop until March 31. Because Central Library receives 38 percent of all Irving Public Library traffic, other locations will adopt special hours until the South Irving Library opens. West Irving Library will stay open until 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday until the grand opening of South Irving Library. As well, East Branch Library will open for an additional day from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday.
