Project Highlights


View of Silver Spring Library from Wayne Ave.
The new Silver Spring branch opened June 2015. For up-to-date information about library services and programs, please visit the branch page.

Contractor: Costello Construction, Columbia, MD
Date of contract: December 2012

Partial funding for this project was provided by the County Library Capital Grant Program, Maryland State Department of Education, Division of Library Development Services.


Building Highlights

  • 90,000 square foot building
  • 5 floors and a basement
  • Library on 3rd, 4th, and 5th floors
  • Mixed-use office and retail space, and an art nonprofit organization on first 2 floors
  • 2 building entrances from Wayne Ave with access to library elevators and rest of the building
  • 1 building entrance on Fenton St with an escalator and elevators to the library
  • Public open space with paved and green areas on the corner of Bonifant and Fenton Sts.
  • LEED Silver building

Library Highlights

  • 3rd floor entrance
  • 4th and 5th floors to house the adult and children’s collections
  • Increased access to outlets for mobile-device users
  • Public use computers
  • Early literacy space
  • Computer training lab
  • Teen area
  • Media lab
  • Disability Resource Center
  • RFID technology to simplify material check-out and check-in and to prevent theft

54 comments:

  1. Such a beautiful building. You can see it taking shape right now! Struck me as the prow of a ship looming over Silver Spring!

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  2. People with low vision often are those who use audio books. In the current library, the titles are almost impossible to see because of the way they are stacked. Would you please pay attention to this issue when you are designing the new layout? I would so love to be able to really see the selection.

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    1. Thank you for your comments. They will be given to the appropriate staff.

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  3. Audio books are often used by people with low vision. At the current library it is almost impossible to read the titles on the boxes. Please think about how you display them in the new library. I would so love to be able to see the selection before choosing what i'll take home.

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    1. Thank you for your comments. They will be given to the appropriate staff.

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  4. Will there be a curbside book drop available? It's very helpful to have something in a location that doesn't require unbuckling kids from car seats for quick book return.

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    1. The drive up Library Lane from Bonifant to Wayne will have a drop off zone where a customer can get out of the car and put books into the book drop. It is not going to be a true drive up as the drop will be on the customer side of the car, not the driver side.

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  5. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  6. I was wondering, when this place opens, are you going to have any vaccancies for a library page job? I took the test for the job, and passed, so now I'm on the waiting list for 6 months.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you for your question about hiring pages for the new Silver Spring Library. Yes, we will be hiring for this position, and it would be a good idea to take the Page Assessment in November to be ready for our recruitment. You can get more information about these page positions on our website:

      http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/Library/about/pagejobs.html

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  7. Will there be an underground garage for parking or will patrons be forced to park (and pay) at nearby garages and meters?

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  8. Public parking will be in the Wayne Avenue garage across Wayne Avenue from the library. There will be a charge for parking at certain hours. Please see further information at http://www.silverspringdowntown.com/go/wayne-avenue-garage-garage-60.

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    1. Great, library users (unless downtown Silver Spring residents) will have to pay for parking to go to the library. Thank you, Montgomery County, for considering the impact upon the working folks in the area.

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    2. The link in the info above does not take a user to the information on the garage. It is a blank page.

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    3. Unfortunately, the blogger comment field does not allow hyperlinks, so you will need to copy and paste the link into another browser window to access.

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    4. In his FY16 Recommended Operating Budget, County Executive Leggett included funds for 2 hours of validated parking in the Wayne Avenue garage for customers of the new Silver Spring Library. At a work session on Tuesday, April 21, the County Council’s Health and Human Services Committee voted 3-0 against this recommendation.

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  9. They are making great progress on the construction. What is the schedule for completion? for closing the old library? opening the new one?

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    1. Construction on the new library is ongoing. The exterior work is progressing well but there is still considerable work to accomplish on the interior including (but not limited to) testing of the curtain wall windows, installation and testing of the elevators and escalators, installation of bathroom fixtures, completion of drywall and painting of all walled surfaces, and installation of all finishes (carpeting, tile, etc.). A closing date for the current Silver Spring Library and an opening date for the new Library have therefore not yet been determined.

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  10. This year? Next month? Ballpark dates?

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  11. I wanted to inquire if there would be any Librarian positions opening for this location? I am currently seeking employment in the area and would love an opportunity to apply.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you for your interest. Information about employment with MCPL can be found through our website: http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/library/about/employment.html

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  12. Why did the old library close long before the new one opened?

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    1. Now that the Silver Spring Library building, located at 8901 Colesville Road, has been closed to the public, branch staff can begin the process of packing books, materials, supplies, equipment and other resources needed in preparation for opening the new library at 900 Wayne Avenue.

      Once the building on 8901 Colesville Road has been completely shut down, the same branch staff will move to the new building to begin the final preparation needed to open that facility to serve the community, including:

      Transferring materials from the old branch and adding new books and materials;
      Organizing and shelving materials;
      Organizing staff work areas and furnishings in public areas;
      Becoming familiar with the facility; and
      Training on new equipment.

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  13. What will be the capacity of the largest meeting room and when will it be available to rent?

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  14. When does it open ?

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    1. No opening date has been announced for the new building. We will announce as soon as we know the date.

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  15. I'm such a library nerd and I can't wait until this new location opens!📚📖🇺🇸😀

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  16. Where will the parking be for the library?

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  17. Where will the parking be for the library?

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  18. Where will the parking be for the library?

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  19. Let's hope it doesn't become a homeless shelter like so many libraries. They should post a code of conduct like the new Tenleytown/DC library does. Esp. w/a shelter a cpl. blocks away I'm afraid that's what will happen. That's to say nothing about the large population of young men w/few social skills who flock downtown.

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    1. Montgomery County Public Libraries are excited about the latest, state-of-the-art Library to become part of the MCPL system in Silver Spring later this spring. It is always the goal of MCPL that all library facilities are safe and welcoming environments for the diverse group of customers who visit us by the thousands every day. Because thousands of customers visit MCPL facilities on a daily basis, Guidelines governing the use of Montgomery County Public Libraries and Guidelines for Behavior are posted in each Montgomery County Public Library facility. Both of these documents can be found on our website by clicking on About Us on the MCPL homepage then choosing “Policies” from the drop-down menu. Library staff and administration are committed to providing the highest quality public library service available; thank you for sharing that concern with us.

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  20. Your website just announced the Silver Spring Library will be available on June 20 at 11:00 am ! It is going to be neat nearby the snack stores. I'm always thirsty.

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    1. Thank you! We are glad you are excited. We are also happy to be working with Kefa Café to offer a cafe in the new building.

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  21. Is there going to be a chess club? the one I got to is all the way in Twinbrook and is too far away for me too attend on a weekly basis. I would be really glad if it did.

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    1. They do plan to have a chess club. Check for more details after the library opens.

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  22. Lets hope it has a chess club... a good one too. A lot of libraries do not have them these days.

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    1. They do plan to have a chess club. Check for more details after the library opens.

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  23. Hello! I was wondering if the new library will be hiring any more employees? I would love to work there. If so, who can I contact? Love the progress!

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  24. Please check our website for employment opportunities: http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/library/about/employment.html

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  25. Will the statue of the lion and mouse be inside the new library?

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  26. Can a high school student volunteer at the Silver Spring library to get service hours? If so, how does one apply?

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    1. Thank you for your interest!

      You can contact the Silver Spring Library after it opens on June 20 at 11 am to see if they are accepting volunteers.
      http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/library/branches/silverspring.html

      Here is information for interested volunteers:
      http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/library/about/volunteer.html

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  27. This library is not accessible to individuals with disabilities. I brought my 83 year old mother who has just moved in with us to get a library card. Both the elevator and escalator were broken. The library just opened last week! Parking is in the Wayne Avenue garage, but the ramp is a block away on Bonifant. The steps and the escalator are both very steep. My mother frequently takes out 8 books at a time for the month, she always has. How could she ever carry them to the car? Elderly readers who actually use books, and don't do their reading online are precluded from using the new library. This is really a shame, we won't be returning.

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    1. Thank you for contacting us with your concerns. The 900 Wayne Ave building is accessible by ramp. The Library entrance is on the third floor and we offer two elevators at each of the Wayne Ave and Fenton Ave entrances to the building.

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  28. Are there study rooms available for long periods of time im in med school and I live close to the silver spring area it would be convenient.

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    1. Thank you for your interest in our study rooms. For information about the rooms, including how to reserve a room, please copy this web address and paste it in your browser: http://montgomerycountymd.libcal.com/booking/silverspringstudyrooms

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  29. Why don't they update the mcpl link to this address, the library is open but this STILL says (future). Very midleading and confusing.

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    1. Thank you for your comment. We have added a note that the branch is now open to this page. The page itself is being maintained for archival purposes. Please visit the branch page for information about programs and services: http://montgomerycountymd.gov/library/branches/silverspring.html

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  30. I live in downtown Silver Spring and I want to comment on this building. I often walk by this building and honestly I don't like it. There are neat aspects of the building like the big open area but I think it failed to achieve the positive aesthetic look. The building is hard to look at. It doesn't flow or look nice in that corner. The triangular shape is sharp and uncomfortable. It looks like a cheap steel frame was put up and wrapped in glass and just basic building materials. I don't enjoy the way then building looks. The open space looks like an apocolytpic wasteland with large rocks in the middle of nothing. This was a building fail.

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    Replies
    1. I will send your comments about the building to our Public Services Administrator, Rita Gale, who is in charge of Space Management for MCPL.

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