The Columbus Metropolitan Library (CML) will open its new Hilliard Branch on Thursday, June 21, with a dedication ceremony and grand opening celebration that is free to the public. The Hickory Chase location is CML’s largest, triple the size of the previous Hilliard Branch location at Cemetery Rd.
The new branch will feature expanded children and teen areas, a homework help center, three large meeting rooms, and 11 small study rooms. The library will also include a café operated by The Public Perk, a three-season pavilion with floor-to-ceiling windows and doors, and of course a wide selection of books and other materials.
The new branch, transformed by architecture and design firm DesignGroup, also incorporates colorful “wayfinding,” natural lighting, and numerous sustainable and environmentally friendly building elements to reduce energy costs.
The new Hilliard Branch is just one project of many in phase one of CML’s building program. CML has transformed and upgraded six urban branches (Driving Park, Whitehall, Parsons, Northside, Northern Lights, Shepard) along with the Hilliard Branch and Main Library in Downtown Columbus. Construction is underway on a new Martin Luther King Branch and a new Dublin Branch scheduled to open in 2018 and 2019, respectively.
The new Hilliard Branch dedication and grand opening celebration will take place at 4500 Hickory Chase Way on June 21, from 3:30-6 p.m. For more information about the Columbus Metropolitan Library, visit columbuslibrary.org.