The Castle Rock Library will close on May 22 as employees work to move inventory to the new location. A grand opening for the new location is slated for Aug. 26.

With the interior of the new library around 95% complete, library staff are moving into the 62,000 square foot building at 100 S. Wilcox Street, which is located directly in front of the existing facility. 

From May 22 to Aug. 26, neither library building will be open. Additionally, the Archives and Local History department closed on May 1. 

Castle Rock patrons can access all the same library services at other Douglas County locations. Story time and outdoor events will be at substitute locations in town during the closure.

On top of transporting the books, magazines, movies and various media, installation of a sorting machine will take place June 1. 

In a news release, Rick O’Dell, interim special projects manager at Douglas County Libraries, said construction remains on schedule because his team secured materials at the start of the project to avoid supply-chain issues caused by the pandemic.

“We warehoused those materials to avoid the risk of schedule delays due to something potentially sitting on a ship off the coast of California,” O’Dell said. “That locked in material prices and allowed us to get ahead of the inflationary curve and availability challenges post-COVID.”

The new library includes a drive-through book return, a children’s playscape, 10 study rooms, five larger meeting spaces and two outdoor plazas, and space for Douglas County Libraries’ districtwide services teams and the Archives and Local History Department, its collections, and the Sjostrom History Lounge reading room.

Douglas County Libraries contracted with Fransen Pittman General Contractors, of Englewood, for construction and OPN Architects, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, for library design.

Demolition of the old building will start on June 17 to make space for the parking lot, which will have 220 spaces for visitors and staff.

For ongoing updates, go to DCL.org/build.