Ribbon Cutting Celebration Opens the Montgomery County Public Libraries’ Davis Branch

For Immediate Release: Saturday, April 8, 2017

A ribbon cutting ceremony was held today for the Montgomery County Public Libraries’ (MCPL) Davis Branch located at 6400 Democracy Blvd., Bethesda. The event marked the official reopening of the branch after being closed to be “refreshed” under the Library Refurbishment Level-of-Effort initiative in the County’s Capital Improvement Program.

 

County Executive Ike Leggett was joined by Councilmember George Leventhal, Director of Libraries Parker Hamilton, Department of General Services Director David Dise, Davis Friends of the Library President Robert Owen and members of the community.

“I am pleased to officially celebrate the reopening of this freshly renewed Davis Branch,” said Leggett. “This is the third ribbon cutting under the new “refresh” project, which is the innovative way we take care of our libraries to ensure they get significant and timely updates without having to close our branches for the lengthy time of a full renovation.”

 

“The refresh of the Davis Branch Library was overdue, “said Leventhal, Chair of the Health and Human Service Committee. “These upgrades will provide an enhanced experience for our visitors while also allowing the County to address ADA compliance issues.”

 

The improvements to the library include new circulation and information desks, new carpet/flooring and paint, addition of two collaboration rooms, ADA enhancements to the public restrooms on the main and lower levels, new bi-level water fountains, reorganization of shelving in the adult and children’s reading rooms, replacement of furniture in the adult and children’s reading room areas, creation of a café seating area and a small meeting room on the lower level, and lighting the exterior sign along Democracy Boulevard.  

 

“I am excited to cut the ribbon for this newly refreshed Davis branch, updated with many enhanced features and services,” said Hamilton. “The MCPL branch refresh program ensures that our libraries stay modern and current and the buildings' infrastructures remain safe, efficient and operationally effective.”

 

“It is a pleasure to reopen the Davis Library. This is the third library to be completed in the new Library Refresh program and includes new features in addition to a bright and better organized floor plan,” said Dise. “The Library Refresh program ensures DGS can efficiently improve and modernize more libraries with the most cost effective use of public funds.”

The library closed for the renovations on July 16, 2016. The cost for the Davis refresh project was approximately $1.4 million. Partial funding for the project was provided by the County Library Capital Grant Program, Maryland State Department of Education, Division of Library Development and Services, as authorized by the Maryland General Assembly and supported by the Montgomery County Delegation.

 

The library opened immediately following the ribbon cutting ceremony. For more information visit http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/library/.

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Release ID: 17-439
Media Contact: Judy Stiles 240-777-6507