New Hanover County’s library system has changed significantly over the past few years, with the addition of two new branches. 

The new downtown library branch, which opened in October 2025 as part of Project Grace, ushered in a new era for the public library system. 

"Since opening the new Main Library in October, we’ve received an overwhelmingly positive response from the public," said Alex Riley, New Hanover County communication coordinator, on Thursday. "Patrons have been so excited to see the new space, commenting on the natural light throughout the facility when contrasting it to the old building, which, of course, had no windows on the second or third floors.

According to Riley, the new downtown library has seen a 66% increase in library cards issued since opening, as well as a 16% increase in materials checked out. The 35,900-square-foot space shares a building with the Cape Fear Museum, which is set to open this summer and is expected to bring even more foot traffic to the downtown library, according to Riley. Together, the facilities total about 90,000 square feet. 

Northchase nearing completion

The newest addition to the county’s library system, the Northchase Library, is set for a grand opening in early summer. The 19,941-square-foot building, 4400 Northchase Parkway NE, sits on a 3-acre tract that the county has owned since 1996, according to property records. 

"The northern portion of the county has seen significant growth in recent years. Based on location, residents in that area have either driven to either the Northeast or Main Library in downtown to utilize library services," said Riley. "As an organization, the New Hanover County Public Library system has a goal to make a library available within approximately 5 miles of every county resident, and the opening of Northchase will help in making that mission possible."

The library will be the fifth branch of the New Hanover County Public Library and is expected to include a teen multimedia and gaming social room, according to county officials, plus room for 50,000 books and library materials and an outdoor reading pavilion. 

Monteith Construction Corp. and Little Diversified Architectural Consulting are heading up the $9.378 million budget project. In addition to construction and design costs, the total budget for the new library is $12.8 million, which includes allocations for public art, outfitting and furniture.

New Hanover County also announced recently that Melanie Morgan would replace Dana Connors as director of the New Hanover County Public Library system, after Connors became director of the Durham County Library in January. Morgan is set to start March 31. 

“With our beautiful new Grace District facility in the heart of downtown, amazing programming and staff in place at our Pine Valley, Northeast and Pleasure Island branches, and the Northchase Library scheduled to open later this year, it’s an opportunity to engage with our residents and showcase what makes libraries so vital to the community," said Morgan in the release.
 

Pender County’s upcoming library

More than a decade after the location for a future library was designated, commissioners greenlit the construction of a new library in Pender County. The new library, expected in 2027, will be located at 15146 U.S. 17, next to the Pender County Government Annex in Hampstead. 

“The existing Hampstead Branch Library, at 7,800 square feet, is too small to meet the needs of one of the fastest-growing counties in North Carolina,” said Brandi Cobb, Pender County communications manager. “Demand for children's services has grown particularly sharply: attendance at children's programs increased 45% between 2022 and 2025.” 

The new building will total 20,000 square feet and is slated for completion in spring 2027. According to Cobb, the new space will include expansive public meeting spaces, with two large community meeting rooms at 1,485 and 620 square feet. The design also includes a children’s courtyard space. 

The total project budget, for design and construction, is $10.8 million. Goldsboro-based Daniels & Daniels Construction placed a bid on the project approved in February. Leading architectural design is Sawyer Sherwood & Associate Architecture, and library consulting firm ReThinking Libraries, which collaborated on New Hanover County’s downtown library. 

Funding for the project includes $1.2 million in proceeds from the sale of the current library, $1.5 million in donations, a $62,400 state grant, a $186,400 capital reserve donation, and $7 million from the county’s general fund.