Montgomery County Library In Norristown To Be Rebuilt

NORRISTOWN, PA — The municipality of Norristown is working with Montgomery County to design and rebuild the county library in Norristown.

Officials, along with architects, are seeking public input on the plan. They're hopeful residents have a voice in what exactly the new library campus looks like.

“A lot has changed since the library was built in 1976, both in terms of the services libraries offer and the technology behind those services,” Montgomery County Commissioner Jamila Winder said in a statement. “We want residents to help us reimagine how the library campus can be reconstructed to serve the widest possible audience, regardless of socioeconomic status.”

Upcoming public meetings will be held in the current Norristown Library's community room, located at 1001 Powell Street, on Monday, April 29. Meetings will take place at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m.

Commissioner Tom DiBello called the undertaking a "huge investment" that the county wants to make sure it gets right.

The property surrounding the current library at Swede and Elm streets is owned by the county. Blue Bell-based Kimmel-Bogrette Architecture was selected by the county to lead the project, and they want to make sure they build a true community center that provides a wide range of public services.

It's hoped that the renovations to the 80,000 square foot building will be completed by 2027. In the meantime, the library will relocate for up to three years to the Logan Commerce Center at 1700 Markley Street.

“Our main library was built before there were computers in libraries, before the internet, and long before the most recent pandemic,” Karen J. DeAngelo, the executive director of the Montgomery County Library, told Patch. “People now flock to libraries to connect with the world and with each other. We envision the new library featuring, among other things, large and small meeting rooms, for job interviews, educational services, and group study.”

In addition to the county library, the county also runs multiple bookmobiles, and branch library locations in Conshohocken, Schwenksville, Royersford, and Red Hill.