CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The Kanawha County Public Library has begun its transition from its Town Center mall location to its downtown Charleston branch in anticipation of reopening the Capitol Street location.
The library closed its mall branch on Friday for the move. Assistant Director Sarah Mitchell jokingly described the moving process as “an adventure.”
“I think when you are moving, there’s finding a new groove, and it’s also a lot of new excitement with everything we are going to be able to offer in the new building,” she told WCHS-AM.
Crews have been renovating the downtown Charleston branch since June 2020; the project includes 28,000 square feet of new space, community rooms and technology enhancements, an expanded children’s section, and a bridge connecting the library to the Summers Street parking garage.
Patrons will be able to rent tools from the downtown location as well.
Mitchell noted the mall location will reopen in March, but with a smaller selection of items.
“We’re keeping a small collection at the mall and moving the rest to the new library,” she said. “In addition to that, all the items that were placed in storage, we’re getting back into the new library. We’re having to merge all those collections in order to give a great new offering.”
People who have items on hold at the mall location cannot pick up items until the Capito Street library reopens. Patrons can change their pickup location to another library branch.
The library system hopes to open the renovated downtown location in early May. The mall branch will reopen in March.