HCPL Tour Series #2: Glen Allen

Located on Staples Mill Road, Glen Allen Branch Library is one of our four branch library locations, and one of our busiest! Some of its highlights include a courtyard with tables and chairs to enjoy during warm weather, a fireplace to enjoy during cold weather, and tons of study space. Read on to discover more about Glen Allen!

Below are some additional highlights of our Glen Allen location:

• If you are a history buff, we have a dedicated collection of primary and secondary sources about the US Revolution and Early Federal period.
• Hung throughout the library is a collection of historic prints of Glen Allen by artist Edith Schermerhorn.
• Glen Allen library was the first General Government building in Henrico County to attain the U.S. Green Council’s LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program) Silver certification. You will notice certain features such as sensor activated lighting and faucets, and water conservation landscaping in the parking lot that are part of the environmental design.
• The children’s area has a vibrant rainforest theme, alive with an array of birds and animals.
• PUP Readers! We have not one, but two therapy dogs who children in grades K-5 can read to in person! Wiley and Dolly are great listeners!
• Glen Allen is home to a magical herd of Unicorn library staff! If you’re lucky, you might catch a glimpse of them!

What makes our library extra-special? Our patrons and staff! In their own words, here’s what they have to say about Glen Allen:

• Lisa, manager and chief Unicorn has been at Glen Allen for 6 years and loves the interesting questions she gets from patrons. She also loves the fireplace!
• Kimberly has been with us for 1 ½ years. She appreciates the intimate feel of the library and says it “feels more like home”. One of her favorite memories is the time a mother brought in her young son who was celebrating his fourth birthday by getting a library card. Mom took a picture of him holding his new card with one of the books he checked out and the expression of delight on his face was adorable!
• Crystal has been at Glen Allen for almost 6 years. What she finds unique about our library is that, “all of our personalities stand out, the mix keeps things interesting, and there is always someone willing to help out.”
• A comment from a patron upon returning to the library with her children after more than a year: “From the moment walking in the door, the first person we encountered welcomed us and directed us to the children’s area and the information desk to answer question about the summer reading program… The staff went out of their way to make my kids feel special and excited about reading this summer.”
• These words from a frequent patron: she really appreciates all that we have done for her during the pandemic. She said "It wasn't just what you did with curbside pickup, it was how you did it. It was a lifeline for me, and you made me feel like I was calling up a friend whenever I would come visit.”

Come visit us and discover our wonderful library for yourself!