Silver Spring Library
| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| Type | Public library |
| Established | 1931 |
| Location | 900 Wayne Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20910 |
| Branch of | Montgomery County Public Libraries |
| Access and use | |
| Population served | 76,716 |
| Other information | |
| Budget | $4 Million US |
| Director | Fran Ware |
| Website | http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/library/branches/silverspring.html |
Silver Spring Library is part of the Montgomery County Public Libraries (DCPL) System. It opened to public in 1931 and is currently located at 900 Wayne Avenue in Silver Spring, Maryland.
History
Silver Spring Library began service in 1931 at East Silver Spring Elementary School. In 1934, the library moved to Jesup Blair Community House, where it operated for 23 years until the inauguration of its location on Colesville Road in 1957.
Colesville road location
The library opened a building of its own at 8901 Colesville Road in 1957, on land donated by the Hecht Company. At this location, the library occupied a building dedicated exclusively for the library's use for the first time.
Ellsworth Urban Park was created in an area covering 3.6 acres beside the library in 1979. The park has two playground areas where parents can take their children to play, and a tennis court.
In 1990 the sculpture "Lion and the Mouse", by Marcia Billig, was installed in the grass of the library.[1][2]
A celebration of 58 years of service was held on Sunday, March 15, 2015, the last day of service at the Colesville Road location. An arts center was planned for the building by Montgomery County Council.[3]
Current library
The current library location at 900 Wayne Avenue in Silver Spring was inaugurated on June 20, 2015.[3] This facility was built at a cost $64 million, including the acquisition of 1.46 acres of land, preparation of the site, design, construction, furniture, equipment and funds to enhance the collection.[4] A $23 million contract was originally planned for construction of the new library, but the project was reduced by $3 million to provide funds for the new Filmore building. The completed structure stands seven stories tall. It has a coffee shop and a Metro platform for the future Purple Line.
- 1st and 2nd floors: Drop off window, Kefa Cafe, county offices, meeting rooms and artists studios.
- 3rd floor: Customer service, movies, teen books, conference room, meeting rooms, Mac lab (teens), study rooms, pick up area, drop off area. The floor also has 1 restroom for men, 1 restroom for women and 1 family restroom.
- 4th floor: Books, audiobooks, CDs, newspapers and magazines room, conference and study rooms, computer rooms. 1 restroom for men and 1 restroom for women.
- 5th floor: Children's floor. 1 restroom for men and 1 restroom for women.
- 6th floor: On planning.[5]
Collection
The library has a collection of 90,000 books, magazines, downloadable music, ebooks and a World Language Collection in Amharic, Chinese, French, Spanish and Vietnamese.
Facilities also include:
- 42 all-in-one computers with Core i5 Processor at 3 GHz, 8 GB RAM, 1080p/23" screen, a intel HD Graphics 4600, 256 GB Solid-state drive and 30 Mbit/s download/105 Mbit/s upload Internet access each one.
- Six iMacs,
- Two 3D printers and a business center with a fax, scanner, and copier/printer.[4]
Accessibility
The library follows Accessibility regulations:
- Wheelchair ramps at both entrances.
- Four ADA computers that follow the Americans with Disabilities Act for persons with visual impairment or physical disabilities.
- Two wide elevators. The elevator located beside Kefa Cafe has access to the 1st, 3rd, 4th and 5th floors. The west-side elevator has access to 1st and 3rd (main) floor.
- 7 restrooms, each with baby changing stations.
- Air conditioning to cool the library in summer, heat pumps to warm it in winter, and ventilation on every floor.
Other Services
Library cards
Library cards are free for Montgomery County and D.C. area residents and students and are valid for 1 year. Money can be added to library cards to be used for printing of documents.
Study rooms
The library has 14 study rooms with space for up to 8 people. Study rooms can be reserved online every week, and can be used once a day for up to 2 hours every day.[6]
Printers and Scanners
Silver Spring Library has two multi-function printers that can be used with a library card. Scanning of documents is free and can be stored via USB flash drives. Documents can be printed from any computer in the library and have a cost of 15 cents for black and white pages and $1 for full-color pages.
Hotspot
The library also has a free Hotspot (Wi-Fi) with up to 10 MiB/s of internet speed for visitor that use their personal laptops, tablets or smartphones.
Courtesy Charging Station
Two courtesy charging Station with 8 lockers and connectors where visitors can charge cellphones and tablets.
See also
- Montgomery County Public Libraries
- Silver Spring, Maryland
- Culture of Maryland
- Montgomery County Public Schools
- Montgomery College
References
- ↑ Lion and the Mouse
- ↑ http://www.marciabillig.com/
- 1 2 Michelle Chavez (January 16, 2015). "Negotiations for Arts Center at New Silver Spring Library Fall Through". 4 NBC Washington.
- 1 2 "Silver Spring Library Fact Sheet" (PDF). Montgomery County Public Libraries. Retrieved February 1, 2016.
- ↑ http://www.tbd.com/blogs/tbd-neighborhoods/2010/08/new-silver-spring-library-3m-over-budget-916.html
- ↑ "Silver Spring Library Study Rooms". Montgomery County Public Libraries. Retrieved February 2, 2016.
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