Houston Public Library

Houston Public Library is the public library system serving Houston, Texas, United States. The library system has its headquarters in the Marston Building in Neartown Houston.

Contents 1 History 2 Locations 2.1 Headquarters 2.2 Neighborhood libraries 2.2.1 Special libraries 2.2.2 Former locations 2.3 Partnership libraries 2.4 HPL Express locations 2.5 HPL Mobile Express 3 Gallery 4 See also 5 References 6 External links

History

It can trace its founding to the Houston Lyceum in 1854. After a large contribution from Andrew Carnegie it was chartered as the Houston Lyceum and Carnegie Library.^[1]

Houston's first public library facility opened on March 2, 1904.^[2] Julia Ideson was named its first librarian. The building constructed as Houston's Central Library in 1926 was later named in her honor. The name was changed to Houston Public Library in 1921.^[1] The library system now consists of 35 neighborhood libraries, including four regional libraries; the Clayton Library Center for Genealogical Research, located in the Museum District; and the Central Library, located Downtown. Central Library, often incorrectly called the "Downtown Library", consists of the Julia Ideson Building and the Jesse H. Jones Building (1976). The Jones Building was designed by Seth Irvin Morris.^[3] The Jones Building closed for renovations on Monday April 3, 2006.^[4] It reopened May 31, 2008.^[5] The HPL administrative offices were moved out of the Jones building, freeing 12,600 square feet (1,170 m²) of space. Lisa Gray said that the renovation made the Jones Building "less of a public space devoted to reading, and more of a public space, period."^[6] The administrative offices moved to the Marston Building.^[7]

Additions in the 2000s include McGovern-Stella Link Neighborhood Library (2005), HPL Express Southwest (2008),^[8] and HPL Express Discovery Green (2008).^[9] A new building for Looscan Neighborhood Library opened in 2007, replacing a 1956 structure.^[10]

In 2010, due to a budget shortfall, the library system reduced its hours.^[11] During the same year the system put its decades-old city directories online.^[12]

Locations

Headquarters

After the Jones Building was remodeled, the HPL administrative offices moved to the 22,000-square-foot (2,000 m²) Marston Building in Neartown Houston.^[7][13][14] The City of Houston spent $1.3 million to renovate the Marston Building to accommodate HPL staff. Prior to the remodeling, the HPL administrative offices were located in the Jones Building.^[15]

Neighborhood libraries

In addition to the Central Library and Clayton Library, there are 35 neighborhood libraries, including four regional libraries, all located within the city of Houston.^[16]

• Acres Homes Neighborhood Library (Acres Homes)
• J. S. Bracewell Neighborhood Library
• Carnegie Neighborhood Library
• Everett Collier Regional Library
• Amanda E. Dixon Neighborhood Library
• Fifth Ward Neighborhood Library (Fifth Ward)
• Patricio Flores Neighborhood Library (Second Ward)
• Eleanor K. Freed-Montrose Neighborhood Library (Neartown)
• Heights Neighborhood Library (Houston Heights)
• David M. Henington-Alief Regional Library (Alief)
• Arnold L. Hillendahl Neighborhood Library (Spring Branch)
• W. L. D. Johnson Neighborhood Library (Sunnyside)
• J. Frank Jungman Neighborhood Library (Uptown)
• Belle Sherman Kendall Neighborhood Library (Memorial)
• Lakewood Neighborhood Library
• Adele Briscoe Looscan Neighborhood Library (River Oaks)
• Frank O. Mancuso Neighborhood Library
• Eva Alice McCrane-Kashmere Gardens Neighborhood Library (Kashmere Gardens)
• John P. McGovern-Stella Link Regional Library (Braeswood Place)
• Lucile Y. Melcher Neighborhood Library
• George B. Meyer Neighborhood Library (Meyerland/Westbury)
• Nettie Moody Neighborhood Library
• Oak Forest Neighborhood Library (Oak Forest) Closed for remodeling
• Park Place Regional Library (Park Place)
• Pleasantville Neighborhood Library (Pleasantville)
• Elizabeth L. Ring Neighborhood Library (Spring Branch) Closed for remodeling
• Judson W. Robinson-Westchase Neighborhood Library (Westchase)
• Scenic Woods Regional Library (Scenic Woods)
• Lonnie E. Smith Neighborhood Library (Third Ward)
• Nena Stanaker Neighborhood Library
• Sherman E. Stimley-Blue Ridge Neighborhood Library (Blue Ridge)
• Cliff Tuttle Neighborhood Library (Denver Harbor)
• William A. Vinson Neighborhood Library
• M. E. Walter Neighborhood Library (Sharpstown)
• Alice McKean Young Neighborhood Library (Palm Center, near South Park)

Special libraries

• African American Library at the Gregory School^[17]
• Clayton Library Center for Genealogical Research
• Houston Metropolitan Research Center

Former locations

• Colored Carnegie Library (Opened 1912, became HPL branch in 1921, officially closed on July 31, 1961, demolished 1962 and replaced with an extension of Clay Avenue)

Partnership libraries

In addition, HPL has a partnership with the Harris County Public Library's Clear Lake City-County Freeman Branch Library in the Clear Lake City community of Houston.

Also, the Parent Resource Library in the Children's Museum of Houston is considered part of the Houston Public Library system; however, its staff are employed by the museum, rather than the City of Houston.

In partnership with the Harris County Public Library, which will operate the branch, the Kingwood Branch in Kingwood is a "City-County" branch in exchange for 4.2 million dollars to fund the building of a new 30,000-square-foot (2,800 m²) facility. At the time of its completion, the existing branch will be converted into a community center.^[18]

HPL Express locations

HPL Express locations are library facilities located within existing buildings.^[19] Each express location contains three areas: one book center, one computer center, and one classroom facility.^[20]

Express locations:

• HPL Express Discovery Green
• Morris Frank Library, an HPL Express Location (Fondren Southwest) - Located in a 12,000-square-foot (1,100 m²) section of the first floor of the Brays Oaks Towers.^[21]
• HPL Express Southwest (opened in fall 2007)^[20]
• HPL Express Vinson (opening fall 2009) - Located in a 42,000-square-foot (3,900 m²) facility in the South Post Oak Multi-Service Center, adjacent to the new Vinson Neighborhood Library ; the total library facility will be double the size of the original Vinson facility.^[22]

HPL Mobile Express

The HPL Mobile Express is a mobile computer training laboratory.^[23]

Gallery

See also

References

External links

• Houston Public Library Web site
• Friends of the Houston Public Library
• Houston Public Library on Facebook
• Love the Look, Miss the Escalators: Houston Public Library Central Branch Reopens at Houston Press
• A New Chapter, The Grand Reopening of the Central Library
• "City of Houston Central Library (Jesse Jones Library)." Prozign Architects