Frederick County Public Libraries Begins Work on New Middletown Branch

Inspiration image to encourage ideas for the creation of the children’s area for the new Middletown branch library/Graphic courtesy Frederick County Public Libraries, Noelker and Hull, HBM Architects

Frederick County Public Libraries has begun work on the construction of its new Middletown branch, scheduled to open in 2023. Both FCPL and Frederick County Government are working with a Frederick-based architectural firm Noelker and Hull and library design consultant HBM Architects to create a library branch that serves the needs of the Middletown community of library users. When completed, the 15,000-square-foot facility will be located at 31 E. Green St.

During the planning process for the new Middletown branch, FCPL engaged members of the community in dialogue about the amenities and features they wanted to see in this new library branch. Some of the design highlights of the new library branch include the following:

  • Outdoor space.
  • A separate children’s area to reduce sound carryover into other areas of the building.
  • Flexible seating options with built-in outlets to power electronic devices.
  • Library staff service points in all major areas of the library.
  • South-facing windows to maximize the introduction of natural light inside the building.
  • An independent space just for teens.
  • Spaces dedicated as independent reading nooks.
  • Drive-through book drop.

When completed, the new Middletown library branch will join FCPL’s eight libraries and two bookmobiles that serve the Frederick County community. In its 2020-2022 strategic plan, FCPL states that it circulates nearly 3 million items, hosts more than 2 million visitors to its library locations and welcomes approximately 200,000 people to participate in library programming per year.

More information about FCPL and its services are available on FCPL’s website.