The Beaufort County Library’s sixth and newest branch, located in the Town of Port Royal, will open its doors to the public at 2 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 21.

The public is invited to a Grand Opening and Ribbon-Cutting Celebration on Saturday, Aug. 24. The Ribbon-Cutting will begin at 10 a.m., with a storytime and refreshments to follow. Guests are invited to tour the building, talk with library staff, register for a library card, and check out materials.

“Public libraries are the heart of democracy and reflect the best of our society,” Beaufort County Councilwoman Alice Howard said in a news release. “The Samuel E. Murray Library will reflect and enhance its unique community and will continue Beaufort County’s Libraries’ mission to support learning, leisure, and life. We learn best when we all learn together, and we are thrilled to see the collaborative vision for this project realized for the benefit of Port Royal residents.”

The branch boasts child, teen and adult collections of more than 5,000 materials, including books, movies and more. The facility includes dedicated meeting and conference rooms for the community to use and technological resources, including public computers and a self-service scan, fax, and email station.

“The Library Board of Trustees are extremely happy to see this project come to fruition and bring an additional source of knowledge, education, and entertainment to the Port Royal Community. A big thank you to the County Council for all their support with this project,” said Lynne Miller, Chair of the Library Board of Trustees.

The branch’s regular hours of operation will be Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. It will be closed on Sundays.

“We’re delighted to welcome the residents of Port Royal to our beautiful new branch library in a facility named for beloved mayor Samuel E. Murray,” Library Director Amanda Brewer Dickman said. “We designed this branch to meet the needs of our community, providing access to information, technology, and programs that inspire and educate.”

For more information, visit https://www.beaufortcountylibrary.org/.