New Libraries

This Web page will keep you informed on the construction of new libraries in Fargo, as well as public meetings related to those projects.

The New Main Library

New! The donor wall has been approved. Take a look! (2 MB PDF)

Watch the construction live with our webcam.

In early 2009, a new main library will be completed on the current site at 102 N. 3rd Street. The new building, a two-story structure with 54,500 square feet, will allow the collections of the Fargo Public Library to expand to meet the needs of a growing community.

Demolition of the 1968 building was completed in September 2007 and construction of the new main will continue throughout 2008. The new main has been designed by a partnership of architectural firms: Meyer, Scherer & Rockcastle of Minneapolis and Image Group of Moorhead. The consulting engineers for the project are Solien & Larson, Obermiller Nelson, and Ulteig Engineers. There are three primary contractors for the new main. Meineke Johnson will be the general contractor, Robert Gibb & Sons will be the mechnical contractor, and Scott’s Electric has been selected for the electrical work.

Included in the plans for the new library are:

  • Large meeting room to seat 100
  • Two additional large conference rooms to seat 24
  • Children's theatre dedicated for children's programming
  • Family reading corner in the children's room
  • Teen library room
  • 6 study rooms
  • Quiet study room
  • Fireplace room
  • Friends of the Fargo Public Library sale room

The new structure will feature open spaces with multiple seating and study areas with natural daylight. The library will include many sustainable features including some sections of "green roof"--plants serving as roofing material to control run-off. Also, some of the building materials come from regionally-based agriculture products, including cabinet doors made from compressed sunflower husks and carpet tiles that include corn fibers.

The floor plans for the new main library have been approved by the library board and the building committee. View the first floor (1 MB PDF), second floor (1 MB PDF) and exterior (2.5 MB PDF) as seen from the corner of 1st Avenue and Third Street North.

Dr. James Carlson Library is now open!

The Dr. James Carlson Library at 2801 32nd Ave. S. officially opened its doors to the public on November 16, 2007. More than 1,300 people visited the new library on its opening day. At nearly 15,000-square-feet, the new Carlson Branch replaced the Southpointe Branch which was located in a nearby strip mall and was nearly four times smaller than this new facility. The full-service Carlson Branch is connected to the Fargo Park District’s Ed Clapp Park Senior Center, as the Fargo Public Library is in partnership with the Fargo Park District on this project. Located on the south edge of Ed Clapp Park, the new library facility will have access to the park for outdoor programming and activities.

Included in this new library is a community room with seating for 70, a conference room for smaller meetings, three study rooms to support collaborative learning, a teen space, as well as a greatly expanded children's area.

View photographs of the grand opening celebration in our photo gallery. Also, take a look at a PDF file of the floor plans for the Carlson library.

Northport branch

A new branch library in north Fargo opened on July 13, 2006. The branch is located in the Northport Shopping Center at 2714 Broadway. The Northport branch houses about 17,000 books in almost 4,000 square feet of space. The space is slightly larger than the current Southpointe storefront branch. Northport is also home to more than 3,000 DVDs, CDs, magazines, newspapers and audiobooks. Half of the branch’s collection is for children, while the rest is popular reading and reference materials for adults and teens. The Northport branch is the first library in our region to use a new state-of-the-art checkout system known as RFID (Radio Frequency Identification). This system will allow library staff to serve patrons more quickly and efficiently and will be a feature in all of the new library buildings.