Beginning this Saturday, the Long Beach Public Library (LBPL) will be offering services dedicated to military veterans when it launches the Veterans Resource Center at its Main Library downtown.

The center will be open to the public and will be equipped with a dedicated computer for veteran resources, private study rooms and a collection of materials to assist veterans and their families, including reference materials regarding benefits, fiction and nonfiction books and DVDs, according to a city release.

Community members can check out materials with a LBPL library card, though the card is not required to use the space or utilize materials in the library, city officials said.

“The library has always been a place where veterans can come for information,” said Glenda Williams, director of Library Services, in a statement. “The Veterans Resource Center takes that idea one step further by actively disseminating the benefits available to veterans and their families, and connecting them to local organizations that can assist in getting those benefits.”

The launch will begin at 10:30AM and include a ribbon-cutting and multiple workshops for the public, including a discussion of the nationally recognized book “Dark At The Crossing”, workshops on art and songwriting and a “Every Soldier Has a Story” dance piece.

The center was the result of a partnership between the Veterans Connect @ The Library program and is the culminating event for Book-To-Action, sponsored by the California Center for the Book, according to the city.

The Main Library is located at 101 Pacific Avenue.