Northside Library

Northside LibraryDrive Up Window Hours:
Monday: 1pm - 8:30pm
Tuesday - Thursday: 10am - 8:30pm
Friday & Saturday: 10am - 4:30pm

Inside Library Hours
Monday: 1pm - 9pm
Tuesday - Thursday: 10am - 9pm
Friday - Saturday: 10am - 5pm


Phone: 434. 973.7893
Fax: 434.973.5876
Email Us

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 Northside Library

Tier 2 Service at Northside

Northside Library is opening its doors to patrons with no appointment necessary. Patrons may browse for books and other materials, ask for assistance with questions, use a computer, read a magazine or newspaper etc. There is a limited amount of furniture available.

Patrons should be aware of the following:

  • Masks are required for all patrons ages 2 and up. Masks must cover the nose and mouth snugly. Bandana masks are not allowed.
  • The occupancy limit for the library is 48 patrons. If we reach the limit, we will ask incoming patrons to wait in the hallway until enough patrons have exited to allow others inside. The Children's area will have a limit of 25 patrons.
  • Visits are limited to 2 hours including computer use.
  • No food or drink including water bottles is permitted.

Services that are not available at this time:

  • Book Sale Donation drop-offs
  • Notary services
  • Access to the Quiet Room
  • In-Branch Programming
  • Meeting room and conference room use
  • Maker kits, Health literacy kits, and Toy Library kits
  • Maker Spaces

Drive Up Pickup at Northside

Northside's Drive Up window will be open for patrons to pick up holds Monday - Saturday during the hours listed above. No appointment necessary.


photo of exhibit

Monticello and the Legacies of Slavery

(Exhibition at Northside Library)

Monticello and the Legacies of Slavery examines the experience of slavery at Monticello and its painful legacies, among them the burdens of inequality still carried by many people of color in the United States. The exhibition draws heavily from material gathered through the Getting Word Oral History Project, amplifying the voices of descendants of Monticello’s enslaved community. In addition to the enslaved families of Monticello, including Sally Hemings and her children, the exhibition introduces the Monticello plantation, Thomas Jefferson’s attitudes on race and slavery, and stories from our ongoing oral history project – establishing a narrative arc from slavery to freedom and the continuing struggle for equity. Monticello and the Legacies of Slavery is presented with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities.


CONNECTING @ YOUR LIBRARY

Virtual Tech Tutorials

Need help with your device or downloading ebooks and audiobooks to your phone or tablet? Looking for assistance organizing photos, or just have general questions about using your device? Contact Chris at csmith@jmrl.org to arrange a Zoom tutorial with a JMRL Librarian (up to 45 minutes).

Programs at Northside

Looking for more programs? All JMRL programs are currently virtual, which means you can participate at any branch no matter where you live. Check the Programs Calendar to see everything available to you. Find previous programs and virtual storytimes on the JMRL YouTube Channel.

History of Northside Library

Northside Library
Original Northside Library
(circa 1991)

Albemarle County's first branch library to serve residents living north of Charlottesville opened in a rented 15,500-square-foot space at Albemarle Square Shopping Center in 1991. The building once housed a Drug Fair discount pharmacy. As a library, the building was an immediate success, becoming Jefferson-Madison Regional Library's busiest branch. By 1998 it was clear the library required more space, so the Library Board of Trustees made a larger Northside Library one of its top goals.

Phillips Building
Phillips Building Supply

Realizing the need for a larger library, and after pursuing several options, in 2012 Albemarle County entered into a contingent contract to purchase property owned by Martha Jefferson Hospital at 705 West Rio Road, formerly known as the Phillips Supply Building. In 2013 the contract was finalized, several community planning meetings were held, and HBM Architects was hired to design the new library. One of the reasons for the selection of HBM Architects was the firm's experience with re-purposing buildings to provide public library services.

Northside Library
Northside Library

Renovation of the Phillips Supply Building began in March 2014 and was completed in February 2015. The new library opened March 16, 2015. Highlights of the new building include a maker space with a 3-D printer, a drive-up service window, dozens of Internet computers, and multiple public meeting rooms.

The library is open 56 hours a week and offers a collection of about 100,000 items.