Future planning
The City of Irvine is proud to announce the official opening of its new public library system Monday, August 4. Along with the return of book checkouts and engaging programs, the City is also looking ahead — planning for the future of library services in Irvine.
Upcoming opportunities to share your thoughts
Throughout the planning processes, members of the community will have opportunities to share their ideas, insights, and experiences that are essential to shaping the future of Irvine Public Library (IPL). Check back here or subscribe to our eNewsletter to stay informed about community input opportunities.
The following community meetings will focus on updating the community about the current library facilities planning study and requesting feedback on preliminary plans for future library branch locations, sizes, programs, and collections:
- Tuesday, August 5, 6-7:30 pm, Quail Hill Community Center
- Thursday, August 7, 6-7:30 pm, Deerfield Community Center
IPL welcomes feedback about this and any other library-related topic by email at irvinepubliclibrary@cityofirvine.org
Why is Irvine engaging in library planning efforts?
Irvine residents have been underserved by the City's three small library locations for many years. Of the three libraries, University Park and Katie Wheeler are in County-owned buildings. They will be returned to the County by 2030, requiring Irvine to identify replacement locations as well as new sites for additional branches. Now that library management has been transferred from Orange County to the City of Irvine, the City has the opportunity to establish a world-class public library system. The first step in this process is understanding community needs, which will inform future collections, programs, services, and locations. Along with community input, planning processes will include research and analysis of best practices, trends, data, and other relevant information to ensure Irvine ends up with a library system that best serves the community.
What has happened to date?
In April 2025, the Irvine City Council instructed staff to conduct a high-level facilities master plan to identify possible sites for future library locations and validate target numbers and sizes for branches and a central library, as well as high-level anticipated construction and operating costs.
In June 2025, City staff and consultants conducted a series of community meetings to introduce this planning effort. The results of the analysis, incorporating this input and other information, will be presented in August 2025. See below to learn more about what was presented in June.
This study considered specific criteria in determining potential sites for future libraries, with the goal of:
- Identifying available sites on City-owned land that would result in there being a library location within a two-mile radius of home for the majority of Irvine residents.
- For each candidate site, consider impact on existing uses of the site (park activities, etc.), transportation corridors, and relation to residential neighborhoods.
- Ensuring each candidate site is feasible for this use, with sufficient space for building, parking, and access routes.
The target sites presented at the June meetings are listed below. Please note this is a preliminary assessment and the Irvine City Council has made no decisions as to whether to pursue libraries at these locations.
- District 1: Irvine Ranch Conservancy land at Orchard Hills and Portola Parkway (proposed to become City land under a memorandum of understanding first presented at the May 13 City Council meeting)
- District 2: Great Park, northern sector. (See a previous feasibility study on a library in this location, completed in 2023)
- District 3: Heritage Park (the City owns the current library building, and plans are being considered for renovation as part of the Heritage Park Master Plan)
- District 4: A suitable candidate site has not yet been determined.
- District 5/6: Colonel Bill Barber Marine Corps Memorial Park
Based on current and future population, industry standards, and community needs, the future library system is expected to expand from its current 40,000 square feet to approximately 220,000 square feet. This proposal includes a 110,000-square-foot main library at the Great Park, a 40,000-square-foot library at Colonel Bill Barber Marine Corps Memorial Park, and 24,000-square-foot libraries in the other three locations. These libraries would provide space for larger collections, expanded programming areas, meeting rooms, study spaces, makerspaces, local history exhibits, art galleries, Friends of the Library bookstores, and other amenities.
At community meetings on August 5 and 7, staff and consultants will present results reviewing the proposed sites based on the criteria listed above. The resulting study will be presented to the City Council in fall 2025. The study presents a set of recommendations based on analysis, rather than a final plan.
To see more details about each candidate site, review this slideshow.
Watch the complete information presented in June.
What else is coming up?
Libraries are not just about buildings! Today’s libraries and library staff are innovative and flexible in ensuring that services and collections reach the people who need them. To this end, IPL will be conducting a strategic planning effort in the late summer/early fall.
Sign up for our eNewsletter to ensure you are notified of how to participate in the strategic planning effort, which will include a survey and other opportunities to share your vision of the future IPL. The final strategic plan will be made available in 2026.
Pending the results of these planning efforts, the City Council may request additional studies and will schedule discussions at future meetings before moving into the design or construction phase for new buildings.