The wait is finally over! The new Penn Valley Branch Library is opening on January 21st! The new facility is located at 11252 Pleasant Valley Road, in the Wildwood Shopping Center.

Children’s seating area and Penn Valley Library.

Although COVID prevents us from inviting the public into the facility, community members will be able to virtually visit the new library on our social media site at https://www.facebook.com/nevadacountylibrary. “We look forward to a more widespread come-on-in opening when COVID restrictions are lifted and we can have a grand opening event to show off the new space,” said Branch Manager Cindy Pawlowski.

The size of the library has more than doubled from 1,000 square feet to over 2,140 square feet and will be filled with a collection of over 6,000 books and other materials. In 2018, the library met with the residents of Penn Valley and globally-renowned architecture firm Gensler to determine the needs and interests of the community.

The library incorporated many of those ideas into the design including an expanded children’s area, window adjacent reading areas, living room-style seating, room for programs, outdoor seating, and a community room. The final design was captured in construction plans prepared by Wallis Design Studio Architects of Grass Valley.

“This facility is the culmination of years of work by countless folks throughout our community. I’d like to thank the County of Nevada, library staff, Friends of the Nevada County Libraries, and, most importantly, our incredibly supportive community,” said County Librarian Nick Wilczek.

The existing Penn Valley Branch closes on Friday, January 15th and library services will resume at our new location on January 21st. The library will continue to offer current pick-up hours between 12 pm-3pm Monday through Friday and phone service 12pm-5pm Monday through Friday.

The project was funded by ballot Measure A, passed in 2016, which created a 15-year, quarter-cent sales tax that raises approximately $4 million each year for library services. Additionally, the Friends of the Nevada County Libraries provided funds to assist in the construction and furnishings for the new location.

For the latest information on the opening, programming and future events or how to get a library card, call 530-265-7050 or visit us online at https://www.mynevadacounty.com/Library.