As a special 2018 holiday season treat, the Marin County Free Library (MCFL) and San Rafael Public Library have partnered to create a temporary pop-up library space at the Northgate Mall in San Rafael.

Working with Merlone Geier Partners, the new mall owners, and MCFL Director Sara Jones, the San Rafael Public Library staff arranged to occupy an empty space in the mall during the month of December.  Merlone Geier Partners provided the available space – a former shoe store – as of December 1 at no cost for the month of December, and MCFL provided library materials from its distribution center and assisted with staffing the location.

Patrons may check out books and other media, pick up items on hold, drop off checked-out materials, use the 3D printer and participate in some other programming options. Henry Bankhead, San Rafael’s Interim Library Director,  plans to staff the location during peak mall hours to maximize the pop-up library’s impact.

The library hours are:  Mondays through Thursdays, Noon – 8:00 pm and Fridays through Sundays, Noon – 5:00 pm.

Although the planned final day for the location is Sunday, December 31, organizers said they would pursue a longer stay if the experiment is deemed a success.