SALISBURY, Md. - Wicomico Public Libraries is planning to maintain a presence in downtown Salisbury even as its main branch prepares to move to the former Ward Museum.
Library leaders say they are beginning the process of developing a smaller neighborhood library that would serve people living in downtown Salisbury and surrounding communities.
Wicomico Public Libraries are holding a community meeting Wednesday evening at the Paul S. Sarbanes Library to gather feedback on what people would like to see included in the future branch.
Aurelio Giannitti, development director for Wicomico Public Libraries, said the project remains in its earliest stages.
“We're really in the infancy, to be honest with you,” Giannitti said. “That is why we're doing this session, is because we really want to get feedback before we get started.”
No specific location has been selected, and library officials have not finalized the size of the building or what services would be offered.
Giannitti said those decisions could change based on feedback from the community.
“We're extremely flexible with it,” Giannitti said. “We have a general idea of maybe what the size is going to be, but we could scale that up or we could scale that down depending on what kind of feedback we're receiving.”
The neighborhood branch would be an additional location for Wicomico Public Libraries rather than a replacement for the new facility under construction at the former Ward Museum on Schumaker Drive.
Giannitti said the downtown branch would be designed specifically around the needs of the surrounding community, while the Schumaker Drive facility is intended to serve people throughout Wicomico County.
Library officials say maintaining multiple locations allows the system to make services more accessible and reach people in different parts of the county.
Construction at the former Ward Museum is about halfway complete, according to Giannitti. He said work is progressing well, including changes to the building's roof and the addition of large windows designed to bring more natural light into the facility.
The new flagship library is expected to open in 2027.
Plans for the downtown branch are further away. Giannitti said library leaders are currently looking at 2028 or 2029 as the earliest potential timeframe for opening the new location.
He said the planning process will continue as the library gathers feedback on what people want from the future downtown space.
