Falls Church library to close starting Sunday for move to renovated facility

The Mary Riley Styles Public Library will be closed for about a month starting this Sunday (July 11), as staff begin the process of moving into their newly renovated facility at 120 N. Virginia Avenue.

The City of Falls Church announced the impending closure in late June, stating that the new, expanded library building is expected to open to the public in early to mid-August.

“The library renovation and expansion project is coming to an end and the outside of the new library building is looking great!” the news alert said. “There’s still work that needs to be done on the inside including moving our entire collection into its new home and setting up public and staff spaces.”

The library has operated out of temporary trailers near Oak Street Elementary School (previously called Thomas Jefferson Elementary) since construction on the renovation began in February 2020.

In the works since 2017, the renovation will add about 6,000 square feet of space to the library, which was originally constructed in 1957 and had not been expanded since 1992, according to the project website. Other changes include a relocation of the Local History Room, larger conference rooms, and clearer distinctions between spaces for different age groups.

Once the temporary trailer closes, several library services will be suspended, including curbside pickups, pickups for reserved materials, and interlibrary loans.

Due dates will automatically be pushed back during the closure, but items can be returned through outdoor dropboxes that will initially be outside the trailer before moving to the front of the new building. A second drive-up drop will also be available at the new library.

Mary Riley Styles Public Library says response times to emails, text messages, and voicemails may be slower than usual because of the move, but staff will continue to communicate during the closure. They will also still make and mail out new library cards.

Once the new building opens, the library plans to continue providing up to two automatic renewals, as long as no other patrons have a hold on the material, and fines for overdue materials will not be imposed until 28 days after the due date.

Photo via City of Falls Church/YouTube