Northside Library

Northside LibraryDrive Up Window Hours:
Monday: 1pm - 7pm
Tuesday - Thursday: 10am - 7pm
Friday and Saturday: 10am - 4pm

Appointment Hours
Monday - Thursday: 1pm - 7pm (last appointment begins at 6pm)
Friday: 1pm - 5pm (last appointment begins at 4pm)
Saturday: 10am - 2pm (last appointment begins at 1pm)

Phone: 434. 973.7893
Fax: 434.973.5876
Email Us

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 Northside Library

Appointment Service at Northside

Northside Library is opening its doors to the public for 45-minute appointments only (along with Drive Up Pickup for holds). We will allow five (5) people to make a 45-minute appointment beginning on the hour during the hours listed above. Appointments can be made for computer use, browsing the stacks, making library cards, and copying/scanning/faxing services. Other services may not be available (see list below). Individuals can make one (1) appointment per day by phone, and appointments can be scheduled seven (7) days in advance.

To make an appointment: Call the Northside Library at 434.973.7893 and Press 8. A staff member will make an appointment for you and verify the details of your visit. If a staff member does not answer, please leave a message and we will return your call at the first opportunity. You must agree to wear a mask and practice social distancing at all times during your appointment. Each appointment will start on the hour, will last a maximum of 45-minutes, and only one appointment can be made per person per day. If you cannot come to your appointment as scheduled, please call and cancel.

Showing up for your appointment: Please park behind the library and wait in your vehicle until your appointment time. At your scheduled time, line up on the socially distanced marks near the rear doors and wait for a staff member to check you in, confirm that you will wear a mask, and verbally verify that you are not sick. If you arrive late, you will be admitted only for the remainder of your appointment time. All appointments end at 45-minutes past the hour.

Services that are not available at this time:

  • Book Sale Donation drop-offs
  • Notary services
  • Proctoring services
  • Meeting room and conference room use
  • Maker kits, Health literacy kits, and Toy Library kits

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.