San Rafael, CA – Now that an agreement between the Marin County Free Library (MCFL) and the Novato Unified School District (NUSD) is in place, the South Novato branch of the library is closing May 23 and will reopen in a new temporary location nearby in late June.
The School Community Library at Hamilton is slated for a district-owned site on C Street, just less than a mile west of the current branch location in the converted Hamilton Field hangars. The so-called “pop-up” branch will be opened in a district-owned modular classroom at 931 C St. and operate with the same hours as the old location. A larger permanent modular structure, under state review now, is slated for a September opening and will be approximately 6,000 square feet, or double the size of the existing branch at 6 Hamilton Landing.
The novel partnership was approved February 3 by the school district’s Board of Trustees and February 10 by the Marin County Board of Supervisors. At the time, MCFL Director Sara Jones called it “an excellent example of government agencies working collaboratively for a common community purpose.”
The County’s lease at 6 Hamilton Landing expires May 31, and the library staff plans to close the existing branch for good by 5 p.m. May 23. Novato library patrons will be encouraged to use the main branch at 1720 Novato Boulevard during the transition. A small exterior book drop depository will remain at the old location so that library material can be returned conveniently for Hamilton residents. The old branch location will no longer be a material holds pickup option after May 20; any outstanding holds will be sent to the main Novato branch after May 23.
The new School Community Library will be adjacent to two school buildings that will offer educational and community programs. The branch will have a dedicated youth area, a model classroom, a media center and a “makerspace” area where kids, teachers and families are encouraged to experiment with creative projects and inventions.
The new location is just a few steps from the Hamilton K-8 public school, the North Bay Children’s Center, the Novato Charter School and the future commuter rail station for the Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit line.
The MCFL dedicated $1.485 million to find an alternate space for the Hamilton library branch in November 2014. The County’s contribution is $1.1 million and NUSD’s is $484,000. The County’s ongoing lease payments for School Community Library at Hamilton would be dramatically less than the previous lease for the old South Novato branch.
The YMCA location at 3 Hamilton Landing #140 will host summer programs in partnership with MCFL in addition to two classrooms at the new library site. Check the
www.marinlibrary.org for the latest information on library events.