Glendale finds temporary home for library after fire at downtown branch

The City of Glendale is preparing to relocate the Velma Teague Library to a temporary home at the Civic Center Annex while officials assess long-term infrastructure needs at the branch’s original building following a fire.

The new temporary location, situated at 5752 W. Glenn Drive, near 59th and Glendale avenues, is expected to fully open by Dec. 1.

The move comes after the Velma Teague Library closed in July when a fire caused significant damage to the building’s electrical systems. According to city officials, setting up a temporary branch gives the city time to evaluate total capital and maintenance needs beyond immediate short-term repairs.

“Libraries are an integral component of our community and the temporary relocation of the Velma Teague branch to the Civic Center Annex is an excellent solution to continue serving patrons in downtown Glendale,” Kimberly Hall, Glendale’s Community Services Director, said in a release.

“The space allows the library and staff to continue offering all the resources and services our community enjoys.”

What services are available now?

Although the building won’t officially open as a full temporary branch until December, programming is already underway at the Annex, located just one block north of the closed branch.

Weekly events for all ages have been held at the site since Aug. 24.

Once fully open, the roughly 10,000-square-foot space will offer standard library amenities, including:

• Books and physical collections
• Public computer access
• Meeting spaces
• Community program spaces

Transit access and digital services

The Annex will remain easily accessible for visitors who relied on transit to reach the original location. The site is served by the Glendale Urban Shuttle (GUS), maintaining the same route access patrons had at Velma Teague.

In the meantime, cardholders can use Glendale’s other library branches or access materials online through the city’s digital collection.

Glendale officials plan to confirm the official opening date via email and on the city’s website.

Updates on hours, programming and temporary operations can be found online.

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