By Mary Getchell, Communications Director
At its January meeting the Pierce County Library System’s Board of Trustees will get updates on the new University Place Pierce County Library, grand opening for the Milton/Edgewood Pierce County Library, plans for the Fife Pierce County Library, and discuss other issues. The Board of Trustees will meet at the Pierce County Library System’s Processing and Administrative Center, 3005 112th St. E., in Tacoma, on Wednesday, Jan. 12, from 3:30 to 6 p.m. Three of the issues the board will focus on include the following.
University Place Library update: Library managers will give the Board an update on the new University Place Library in the Civic and Library Building, 3609 Market Place W. On Dec. 30, the City of University Place gave the Library a temporary certificate of occupancy. Library staff is moving books and other materials into the new library in preparation for the library’s grand opening on Saturday, Feb. 12, at noon. Construction work continues in the building and library managers will discuss the current building status with Board members.
Milton/Edgewood Library grand opening: Thursday, Jan. 13, at 4 p.m., the public is invited to the grand opening of the Milton/Edgewood Library in its new location at Surprise Lake Square, 900 Meridian Ave. E., Suite 29, Milton. The grand opening will be a free community celebration; with a brief ceremony and ribbon cutting. Representatives from the cities of Milton and Edgewood will speak, along with the Library’s Board of Trustees Chair J.J. McCament and the Library’s Executive Director Neel Parikh. Members of a local junior high choir will provide entertainment. Lily the Ladybug Librarian will be on hand for photos; people may predict how many items will be checked out on the opening day and The Friends of the Milton Library will award the winner a prize; and people may tour the new experiences and surprises at the library and staff and volunteers will stamp passports.
Fife Library plans: The Library’s Executive Director Neel Parikh will update the Board on negotiations on a piece of property to build the new Fife Library. Based upon input from the public, the Library has been pursuing a site on 20th Street E., near 66th Avenue E. The Library has been negotiating with the developers and owners of a piece of property, managed by SGA General Contractor and referred to as Portside Business Center, on 20th Street E. The Library hopes to have a purchase and sale agreement on that parcel within the next week, pending the Fife City Council’s approval to remove the site from the development agreement on the property at its Jan. 11 council meeting. Architects will show design plans for the new library at the Board meeting. This year, Pierce County Library will open the first library in Fife. The Fife Library will offer full library services, six days a week.
Pierce County Library is the fourth largest library system in the state in terms of population served, serving 560,000 people with 17 libraries and three bookmobiles.