The original North Branch Library at 2181 Main Street, built with funding from a Carnegie grant, opened in 1918. In 1995, it was replaced with the current North Branch Library and Community Center, located in Puglio Park in Bridgeport’s North End.
The library has 19,800 square feet and the exterior resembles a lighthouse with a marble faced clock tower. The collection includes over 45,000 volumes and many popular magazine subscriptions, videos, dvds and cd-roms. There are twenty computers with Internet access and other applications available for public use. In addition, there are two computers with games for use by children.
Highlights of the facility are a 150 person capacity community room which has an eight by ten foot rear view projection screen, a ten person capacity conference room, a parent-toddler quiet room, a children’s play area, two private study rooms and free parking for eighty-five cars. There is a wi-fi hotspot on the Southwest corner of the building (facing the playing fields.)
The Branch is set in the lovely Puglio Park which has playing fields, tennis courts, and a playground with a splash pad.