Redmond Library Now Open to the Public
Posted By: Tina Walker Davis
Date Posted: 1/28/2025
After six years of planning and 23 months of construction, the new, 40,000-square-foot Redmond Library is open to the public.
“We’ve been anticipating this opening for a while, and reactions from the public have been great,” said Deschutes Public Library Director Todd Dunkelberg. “I’ve heard from a number of customers that what they encountered when they came into the library exceeded their expectations. We appreciate how patient the community was with the transition period, and couldn’t be happier to welcome the people of Redmond into their new library.”
The Redmond Library is open with abbreviated hours through February 1 (noon–6:00 p.m. Monday–Thursday, noon–5:00 p.m. Friday–Saturday, closed Sunday). Regular hours begin on Monday, February 3 (Monday–Thursday, 9:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m., Friday–Saturday, 9:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m., closed Sunday).
New features include multiple meeting and study rooms, including a large, divisible community room on the first floor, as well as a children’s discovery space that encourages interactive play and learning amidst the books. Also on the first floor, a MakerSpace—the first for a library in Deschutes County—provides opportunities for hands-on creativity. The adult and teen collections are upstairs, as is a large co-working area with private study rooms and plenty of space for collaboration. Customers will find ample seating areas throughout the building, as well as public computers and a print station.
The Redmond Library features a growing public art collection. John Grade’s “Sage” floats over the central staircase; it was inspired by the structure within the stem of our local sagebrush as well as by regional obsidian flows. The bronze “Reading Girl,” who has been a beloved part of the Redmond Library for decades, will soon be installed under the stairs. Upstairs near the adult fiction section is Bill Hoppe’s “West Went,” a largescale oil painting that reflects the transparency and atmospheric perspective that are at the core of Hoppe’s work. And coming soon: an original work by Central Oregon artist Jason Graham, which will be installed on the second floor near the teen collection.
A public celebration of the new Redmond Library is planned for Saturday, March 8, from noon–3:00 p.m. Following a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 12:15 p.m., the public will be welcomed into the brand-new space, where they’ll find live music, artist talks, hands-on activities, a balloon artist, the GlinWood Fae, and plenty of free swag—including limited-edition book bags. A professional photographer will be on hand for a free, book-themed photo shoot.
In November 2020, Deschutes County voters supported the Library’s bond measure to expand and improve libraries across the county. In addition to updating existing libraries in Downtown Bend, La Pine, Sisters and Sunriver, the bond is funding the design and construction of the new Central Library at Stevens Ranch in east Bend to serve all Deschutes County residents. Bond funds were also used to construct the new Redmond Library.