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Houston’s Central Library for the 21st century reopens at the end of 2007 with up-to-date technology, an Internet cafe and 34,000 more square feet for patrons. Illustration courtesy of Houston Public Library.

By John Perry

The Central Library closed its doors on April 2. But don’t worry, it’s scheduled to reopen bigger and better than ever by the end of 2007.

The $14.9 million top-to-bottom renovation of the Central Library’s Jesse H. Jones Building will add 34,000 square feet of space for public use. The children and teen sections will be enlarged and moved to the fourth floor where windows will provide a view of Sam Houston Park and City Hall. New additions will include self-checkout devices, a coffee shop and free wireless Internet connections.

A grand staircase will replace worn-out escalators; elevators will be added and carpeting and furniture will be replaced or refinished.

“We want the ‘wow factor’ here,” said Rhea Brown Lawson, director of libraries. “We’re excited about this opportunity to improve the Central Library, to expand and enhance our services, and to make the library a downtown destination for all Houstonians.”

John Middleton, library programming division manager, said the main purpose of the renovation would be to repair the building’s infrastructure and update the wiring to handle new technology.
“We’re designing the renovation to pull the library into the 21st century,” Middleton said.

Computers now play a vital role in library services. More than 5 million people visited the library’s Web site in 2005, electronically receiving 1.3 million full-text articles. That’s about 8 million Web pages – a 37 percent increase since 2003. Computer users can also download e-books, listen to music, reserve or renew books, query reference librarians, or get help with schoolwork.

New self-serve checkouts will allow patrons to check out books like they self-check groceries at some supermarkets.
The Central Library plaza will be resurfaced and waterproofed with structural improvements that will make the plaza more accessible for the disabled and provide safer access to the Bagby Street book drop. A civic art project will be added to the exterior of the building facing the plaza.

Mayor Bill White and City Council approved funding for the renovation Feb. 23. The project marks the first major improvement on the six-story library since it opened in 1976.
“We’re committed to making these improvements as efficiently and quickly as possible,” White said. “When we’re finished, we will have a central library complex that all Houstonians can be proud of.”

During the renovation
While the main library is closed, patrons should use their neighborhood branches and HPL Express Downtown, which went into service April 3. HPL Express is on the first floor in the Julia Ideson Building, 500 McKinney Street, right across the plaza from the Central Library. Visitors will be provided with traditional circulation services including, pickups, renewals, returns, reference materials and fine payments.

You can reserve books online and have them sent to your neighborhood branch or pick them up at the Julia Ideson.
The Central Library garage will be closed until construction is complete.

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