NEW HANOVER COUNTY, N.C. – On Thursday, New Hanover County officially dedicated and opened the new Northchase Library at 4400 Northchase Parkway W, a $12.8 million investment that brings a full-service public library to the fast-growing northern part of the county. The 19,941-square-foot facility is the fifth branch of the county's public library system. 

The new library was constructed to help put library services within about five miles of every resident. Families in Northchase and across the northern part of the county previously drove to the Northeast Regional Library or the Main Library downtown. 

The branch includes a teen multimedia and gaming social room, a children's story time pavilion, study rooms for individuals and small groups, a tween area, a drive-up book drop, and shelving for approximately 50,000 books and other materials. 

"This library is an investment in this community and in the children who will grow up walking through these doors," said Board of Commissioners Chair LeAnn Pierce. "With the new Main Library downtown and now Northchase, we are delivering on our commitment to put libraries closer to home for families across the county." 

The project was designed by Little Diversified Architectural Consulting and constructed by Monteith Construction. Northchase is the county's second new library to open in less than a year, following the opening of the new Main Library in the downtown Grace District in October 2025. 

The New Hanover County Public Library operates five branches: the Main Library, Northeast Regional Library, Pine Valley, Pleasure Island, and Northchase. 

"A library is one of the most welcoming spaces a community has, open to everyone, with something for every age," said Melanie Morgan, director of the New Hanover County Public Library. "We can't wait to welcome the Northchase community in and show them everything their new library has to offer." 

For more information about the New Hanover County Public Library, visit Library.NHCgov.com.