David Foley

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Before long, parents in the Cave Spring area might hear their teens say they are going to meet their friends at the library and not be skeptical.

In fact, parents might bump into their offspring while meeting their co-workers at the same place.

Roanoke County plans to start construction on a 55,000-square-foot structure that could change the way people think about libraries. The new library, which is scheduled to be built on a 28-acre site near Penn Forest Elementary School beginning in July, will be much more than a place to find books. "This library is going to be the first 'contemporary' library in the Roanoke Valley," said Diana Rosapepe, director of library services. "Every person who walks through the door will see that they can be accommodated."

The South County library will include a small-business and career center, a teen center, an auditorium, wireless Internet, two computer labs, and even a cafe with a drive-through window.

"It will also have a library in there too," Rosapepe said jokingly after describing some of the proposed features.

There will also be a themed area for children's book readings, but the theme has yet to be determined, Rosapepe said. The theme might be trains because of the historical impact they have had on the community.

With the Virginia 419 branch library catering to more than 1,100 people each day and limited space for additional resources, the new project will provide a much-needed shot in the arm for Roanoke County's library system.

"We've run out of space for everything," said Priscilla Johnson, circulation manager for the Roanoke County Public Library. "We've got books piled on top of each other, and the parking lot is inadequate."

Johnson said she is so excited about the project, the wait has been almost unbearable.

"When I started working here 22 years ago, they were talking about renovating this building [the Virginia 419 branch]," Johnson said. "They made it much prettier and gave us a little more space, but I never dreamed of having something like this [the South County library]."

The design will provide several different areas for people to gather, slip away to study or just read a good book.

"Teens like being together and working together, and when you have large groups of people at any age you are going to have a lot of enthusiasm and noise," Rosapepe said. "The teen center will give them a space of their own where we won't always be asking them to quiet down."

Rosapepe said the location will also make the library a great place for people in the community to gather.

"It connects with all of the Greenway trails in the area so people can stop in, have a cup of coffee and read a book while they are out walking or riding their bikes," Rosapepe said.

Another benefit of the site is the adjacent wetlands. While other developers might see them as an obstacle, Roanoke County Libraries sees them as an opportunity to enhance the "library experience."

Plans for the library include a raised platform trail that meanders through the wetlands with plaques that describe the natural resources and wildlife in the area.

With most of the details being finalized, the project has seemed pretty quiet, Rosapepe said. But that actually means the project is in its final stages. The final decision is up to the Roanoke County Board of Supervisors, but if everything goes as planned, the construction should begin in July, and there will even be a webcam on site so members of the community can watch the progress.