White Oak Branch Library Re-Opens

The White Oak Branch Library re-opened Monday after nearly a year out of service for a “refresh” — a $2.5 million project that included two new collaboration rooms, a coffee shop and laptops that patrons can use inside the library.

In addressing a throng of people who arrived for the re-opening, Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett noted that the county continued to build and refresh libraries even during the economic downturn.

“More importantly, no library is successful without the patrons and the staff and the people who make it possible. We can provide the resources. And unless people are here, unless we are going through this process together, we will not realize the full benefits of what we have,” Leggett said.

With the refresh, the library has:

• ergonomic sit-stand stations at the information and checkout desks;
• renovated restrooms;
• new carpeting and paint;
• two new collaboration rooms;
• new roof and ceiling tiles; and
• new staircase railing.

“We’ve had a series of library openings over the last couple of years. That I think respond to the priorities of our community our needs and our desires to respond as quickly as possible,” Leggett said.

“I live 5 minutes from here,” County Council Vice President Nancy Navarro said. “And I would bring my children when they were middle schoolers at White Oak Middle School.”

Projects like the White Oak refresh add “useful years to these libraries,” she said.

On April 14, the county has a similar ceremony to re-open the Bethesda library. That facility will be renamed to honor Connie Morella who represented Montgomery County for 16 years in the U.S. House of Representatives.

About Douglas Tallman

Reporter with 35 years experience throughout Maryland. Reach me at dtallman@mymcmedia.org or via Twitter at @MCM-Doug

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