“Everything was repaired yesterday [Friday, February 10, 2023], and Bull Run Library is open today, Feb. 11,” Prince William County public libraries spokeswoman Rachel Johnson emailed.
The library system reported the closure on Friday via social media.
Bull Run Library will be closed today, Friday, February 10 for water line repairs. We apologize for the inconvenience.#PWPLibraries
— Prince William Public Library (@PrinceWmLibrary) February 10, 2023
The library at 8051 Ashton Avenue is regularly open Monday through Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Thursday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, 1 to 5 p.m.
Last year, the library received a $1 million renovation. The library closed for about nine months during the renovation work.
On this episode of the Potomac Local Podcast, we’re talking about our local libraries.
Last year, 2022, was a busy year for libraries in Prince William County and Manassas Park.
In Prince William County, the region’s most extensive library system, construction crews renovated Bull Run Regional Library, giving it a new, larger study room, a maker space, and an overall modernization for the 30-year-old building.
Central Library, one of the oldest in the system, received a new outdoor green for community gatherings.
Manassas Park, which separated from the county library system and formed its library in 2020, opened a newly-constructed library inside a new city hall. It built what city leaders hope to be a new downtown neighborhood, Park Central.
Prince William County Libraries Director Deborah Wright and Manassas Park Library Director Holly Ritchie joined me on the podcast. A representative from the Central Rappahannock Regional Library, which provides library services to residents in the Fredericksburg region, could not join us on the podcast.
From the discussion:
Uriah asks about the new Manassas Park library building: What’s the reception you’re getting from the city’s citizens? Are they surprised? Are they happy…as the residents now not only have their own library for the first time…?
Holly Ritchie: They’re really liking that our programs are geared toward them. We always do surveys about what they are looking for. They all love [Central Library (the closest to city residents)]. We hear about it all the time. They still enjoy going to Central, but they’re also liking the fact that they have this additional resource in Manassas Park for them. So most of our pay trends utilize both Central Library and our Manassas Park.
Uriah on reopening post-coronavirus pandemic: We’re taking off our masks, and we’re getting back out in public… how has the transition been for you to reopen your buildings?
Deborah Wright: …as we started to learn a little bit more about the virus and what was maybe safe and navigable and what wasn’t. Yeah, our people did get pretty pushy, in the best way,[and said] ‘my children need to come in and browse the collection. I don’t want you to bring the books to me to the car. We need to come in and look.’
Here’s the full episode:
Prince William County will end a program that allowed residents to get free coronavirus test kits at area libraries.
The final day to get a free test kit is Saturday, January 14, 2023.
Prince William County government will end its free COVID-19 Test Kit Distribution program on Saturday, Jan. 14, 2023, while quantities last. Individuals may visit any @PrinceWmLibrary to pick up the free test kits. pic.twitter.com/2ZS6VofOt0
— Prince William County (@pwcgov) December 14, 2022
A public meeting will be held Thursday, November 9, at the existing senior center, 13850 Church Hill Drive, just off Prince William Parkway, at 1 p.m. It’s one of two meetings the government has held to solicit feedback about the new center.
So far, the county has not released conceptual drawings of a new center, said where it could be built, or what amenities it would include. All of that is expected to be unveiled at a Board of County Supervisors meeting in December.
The [upcoming meeting] will provide stakeholders with an update on what work has been done on the plan, an opportunity for them to provide feedback, and go over the next steps. It is anticipated the final master plan recommendations will go to the Board of County Supervisors in December,” said county spokeswoman Rachel Johnson.
Last year, Prince William County earmarked nearly $1 million as a downpayment to replace the Potomac Community Library and a senior center. Both buildings are less than 50 years old and are located in Woodbridge.
The Woodbridge Senior Center was built in the early 1980s The building received an addition and renovations in the early 2000s, along with work to make the senior center ADA compliant Though well-maintained, the Senior Center is also past its projected lifespan. Parking was deemed inadequate as early as 1983.
The space inside is inadequate for non-ambulatory patrons, and demand for more exercise, meetings, and classrooms has increased. Staff space is inadequate, says the county.
The county tells us The Potomac Library is well maintained, with a roof replaced in 2013. In 2011, an enhanced garden was put in, but the building opened in 1975 is beyond its projected useful lifespan.
The Potomac Community Library also lacks sufficient meeting space for community events and has insufficient space for the public to access computers.
Current and forecasted population growth in the Woodbridge Magisterial District shows that the district needs a new library and that the senior center and Potomac Community Library are hard-pressed to meet current demand.
Brendon Hannafin is the new development director for the Fairfax County Park Authority.
He will oversee the development and master planning for new parks and facilities in Virginia’s largest jurisdiction.
Hannafin took the job after retiring from the Prince William County Government, where he spent 22 years working on planning parks there and preserving a string of historic properties.
Hannafin began his restorations with Rippon Lodge in 2001. The home dates back to 1747, is one of the oldest homes in the county, and sits between the Potomac River and Neabsco Creek in Woodbridge.
It took one year to stabilize the lodge, peel back the modern walls installed over the years, and shore up leaky roofs. Historians then decided to restore it to its original setting and open it to the public for tours and events.
Over the years, Hannafin also restored the Brentsville Courthouse, Williams Ordinary in Dumfries, Bristoe Station battlefield outside Manassas, and the Ben Lomond House, a military hospital during the first Battle of Manassas in 1861.
“The biggest challenge we had is that [the properties] are sold old. They’re historic, and you had to be really careful what you did to them because if you damaged it, you couldn’t get it back,” Hannifon told Potomac Local News.
Hannafin said one of his most memorable restorations was the Barnes House, which stands outside the Montclair Library. The structure once stood near the Prince William County Landfill and was moved into storage when crews widened Route 234 from two to four lanes in 2004.
Initially serving as a tavern in the early 1800s, the cottage would eventually be the home of Eppa Barnes, a black farmer. He returned to Prince William County after the Civil War to manage a successful farmstead.
The home sat in storage at the landfill until Hannafin’s team restored it and placed it at the library when it opened in 2015.
“We got to tell the underrepresented history of the county. I’m going to miss it a bunch,” said Hannafin.
Hannafin was working as the planning and development director for the Prince William County Parks and Recreation Department at the time of his retirement. He will have many of the same responsibilities in Fairfax County.
Before working for the Prince William County Government, Hannafin worked as an assistant manager at Leesylvania State Park in Woodbridge.
The Prince William County Historic Preservation team is working on revitalizing the William Dawes House across from the Brentsville Courthouse. The Board of County Supervisors approved nearly a half-million dollars to restore the 200-year-old home once owned by Jane Williams, widow of John Williams, who had served as the county clerk from 1795 until he died in 1813. Jane filled in as county clerk until her brother Phillip Deveraux Dawe became clerk the following year.
Historic Preservation Manager Rob Orrison said crews must replace the roof and chimney and remove “lots of molds” and lead paint.
The new roof should be added by the end of the year. Afterward, crews will continue stabilization work and determine if new floors and a new foundation are needed to preserve the home.
The house sits on five acres and would be ideal for events and meetings, says Orrison. It takes about five years for the county to restore a historic property fully.
The renovation will include a new digital media studio equipped for video production, an updated children’s section, a new study room, and new furniture. To create a more open floor plan, the library will be planned to remove an information desk that currently sits in the middle of the building. A new service kiosk will be added, a library spokeswoman states.
The renovation of the 25,000-square-foot library, located at 8051 Ashton Avenue near Manassas, will cost just under $1 million.
The library is closed to the public for renovations on Saturday, December 11, 2021.
Bull Run Library, first opened in 1994, is one of two “regional” Prince William Public Libraries. Located at 8051 Ashton Avenue, the 25,000 square-foot building will be renovated to include:
We’re excited to announce that Bull Run Library will be reopening Monday, September 12!
Here are a few recent photos as we wrap up the renovation, including the lobby, Quiet Study Room, and the new Makerspace.
We look forward to seeing you on September 12. #pwplibraries pic.twitter.com/ZGatnUX00R
— Prince William Public Library (@PrinceWmLibrary) August 3, 2022
More on what the newly rennovated library will contain:
New Makerspace: The state-of-the-art Makerspace will include new technology and craft tools and equipment. A Digital Media Lab will offer a digital graphic design studio suite, animation studio, green screen, video and audio editing equipment, and more. Laptops and iPads will be integrated to provide a holistic maker experience. There will also be a Cricut, sewing machine, 3D printer, and more for residents to learn and express their creativity. The space will be open daily and will have a dedicated Maker Library on-site to help answer questions and provide technical support. There will also be opportunities to learn in both group and individual settings.
Additional Study Room: A new quiet study room will be added for a total of two reservable meeting rooms available to the public.
Updated Children and Young Adult Areas; New Dedicated Tween Area: These inviting, versatile spaces will be perfect for homework, homeschooling, tutoring, and book clubs. The designated areas will also be used for STEAM and craft programs.
Open Floorplan: The Information Desk that is currently in the middle of the library will be removed, allowing for a more open floorplan and natural flow to allow patrons the opportunity to explore all the library will have to offer. Staff will still be available to assist patrons at a single Service Desk.
New Furniture: Café seating will be placed in the lobby, giving patrons more options to comfortably enjoy reading, learning, and socializing.
It's been open less than a decade, and its air heating and air-conditioning systems failed.
Now Prince William County officials are scrambling for a fix at the Haymarket-Gainesville Library, where things have been heading up this summer, literally.
Library patrons have been complaining about the temperature inside the library for about a year. The system hasn't worked properly since March 2021.
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The Fresh Prince, known today as Will Smith, and DJ Jazzy Jeff summed up the perfect summer day in their 1991 smash Summertime: "Pop in my CD and let me run a rhyme, and put your car on cruise and lay back 'cause this is summertime."
Prince William County residents have until the start of summer to get the last remaining CDs at public libraries. By June 30, 2022, the library system will phase out all music CDs and books on tape in favor of streaming services.
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Another library in Prince William County will get a makeover.
Bull Run Regional Library will close for six months on Monday, December 13. The renovation will include a new digital media studio equipped for video production, an updated children’s section, a new study room, and new furniture.
To create a more open floor plan, the library will remove an information desk that currently sits in the middle of the building. A new service kiosk will be added, a library spokeswoman states.
The last day to use the Bull Run Library before it closes is Saturday, December 11. Afterward, any books placed on hold to be picked up at Bull Run will be moved to Central Library, five miles away, outside Manassas.
The renovation of the 25,000 square-foot library, located at 8051 Ashton Avenue near Manassas, will cost just under $1 million.
About this time last year, Central Library reopened after a six-month renovation. A new maker space lab was added. The county’s RELIC office focused on local history and genealogy, relocated to Central from Bull Run Libary.
Here’s the full press release from Prince William County Public Libraries about the upcoming building closure:
Bull Run Library is scheduled to close for renovations beginning Monday, December 13. The last day the library will be open to the public before closing is Saturday, December 11.
The renovations are expected to take at least six months. The projected costs for the renovation – covered by proffers – total $965,345.
“Bull Run Library continues to be a hub for local residents, bringing people together in their shared love of literacy, learning, and community,” comments Deborah L. Wright, director. “The upcoming renovations will help make the library even more inviting and welcoming, while also making it more functional for the public to enjoy.”
Bull Run Library, first opened in 1994, is one of two “regional” Prince William Public Libraries. Located at 8051 Ashton Avenue, the 25,000 square-foot building will be renovated to include:
New Makerspace: The state-of-the-art Makerspace will include new technology and craft tools and equipment. A Digital Media Lab will offer a digital graphic design studio suite, animation studio, green screen, video and audio editing equipment, and more. Laptops and iPads will be integrated to provide a holistic maker experience. There will also be a Cricut, sewing machine, 3D printer, and more for residents to learn and express their creativity. The space will be open daily and will have a dedicated Maker Library on-site to help answer questions and provide technical support. There will also be opportunities to learn in both group and individual settings.
Additional Study Room: A new quiet study room will be added for a total of two reservable meeting rooms available to the public.
Updated Children and Young Adult Areas; New Dedicated Tween Area: These inviting, versatile spaces will be perfect for homework, homeschooling, tutoring, and book clubs. The designated areas will also be used for STEAM and craft programs.
Open Floorplan: The Information Desk that is currently in the middle of the library will be removed, allowing for a more open floorplan and natural flow to allow patrons the opportunity to explore all the library will have to offer. Staff will still be available to assist patrons at a single Service Desk.
New Furniture: Café seating will be placed in the lobby, giving patrons more options to comfortably enjoy reading, learning, and socializing.
While the library is closed, the book drop will remain open. Any books placed on hold at Bull Run Library will be sent to Central Library to be picked up. Patrons can change their pickup location from Bull Run Library to the library of their choice through their online account. Updates about the renovation will be posted periodically on pwcva.gov/library.About Prince William Public Libraries:
Prince William Public Libraries consists of 12 branches throughout Prince William County and the City of Manassas, providing free access to books, e-books, e-audio, print and digital magazines, Digital Library, and CDs/DVDs. PWPL also offers free educational and entertaining programs for all ages.
