Hairston Crossing Library to Reopen April 18

The Hairston Crossing branch of the DeKalb Public Library system will reopen April 18, and the public is invited to a dedication on April 16.

The library was closed about 20 months ago for renovation, and budget cuts have delayed its reopening. The board of trustees recently decided to cut hours at branches throughout the county, freeing up resources so that Hairston Crossing and others could reopen.

Hairston Crossing, on Redan Road, has been enlarged to 18,000 square feet from 4,000. It will offer meeting and conference rooms, 10,000 volumes, a youth and teen area, more parking and more computers than it had before the renovation.

The library will have reduced hours, open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday. Wednesday through Saturday, the hours will be 10 a.m to 5 p.m., DeKalb County Library said in a press release.

The board this week reversed an earlier decision to close the Scott Candler branch, and it will remain open at least until the end of June, which is the end of the fiscal year for the library system, according to a separate press release. 

"Because they were concerned about the negative impact it would have, the Board revised an earlier vote to close the branch temporarily as part of its plan to deal with severe budget cuts which have restricted hiring," the press release said.

The Hairston Crossing dedication will be at 11 a.m. on April 16 at 4911 Redan Road, Stone Mountain.