MARINE CORPS BASE QUANITCO, Va. – The Quantico Base Library celebrated its grand re-opening after months of renovations for service members and their families here Jan. 24, 2024.

“When you think of a library, you think of community,” Col. Michael L. Brooks, the commanding officer of MCB Quantico, opened the library with. “It took three and a half months of renovations to do it, but it’s long overdue.”

Service members, their families, and other DoD ID card holders saw improved spaces designed for children, teens and adults during the grand re-opening.

To celebrate the improvements, the base library hosted with a guided tour, various games and crafts, a scavenger hunt, children’s reading sessions, snacks, and door prizes.

“We're hoping that visitors will see it as a space that they can hang out outside of home,” said Katelyn McManus, a library technician for the Quantico Base Library. “We want people to know that the library can be used by homeschoolers, school groups, and maybe even a book club.”

She explained that the renovations help make the space more inviting and family friendly. The floor redesign includes a new children’s space for learning and reading, small reading nooks specific for adults and teens, a new food and beverage area, and ergonomic shelving to accommodate the various age groups welcome to the library.

Aside from books, the library offers other programs and amenities for DoD ID and library cardholders; weekly interactive story times for toddlers and babies are available, summer reading programs, computers, free printing, and online language learning databases are just some examples. Patrons can even borrow sewing machines.

If desired, DoD ID and library cardholders can reserve private study rooms at the front desk with the GRC.

“Come here and hang out,” McManus expressed, “check out the new space and have fun! It’s not the same old park everyone goes to. Bring your kids and come see our new space!”

To get your library card, visit the Quantico Base Library with your DoD ID card and speak to the front desk assistant, and for more information on the library and its upcoming events, visit https://grc-usmcu.libguides.com/gray-research-center or their social media pages.