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Houston OK's contract to design new library for Westbury, Meyerland area https://communityimpact.com/houston/bellaire-meyerland-west-university/development/2019/11/20/harvey-damaged-library-to-get-$14-million-replacement/ Over two years after Hurricane Harvey flooded the building, the Meyer Neighborhood Library remains closed, but a new library in a new location is poised to replace it. Houston City Council approved at $1.4 million contract to begin designing a new Westbury Neighborhood Library, a part of the Houston Public Library system, to replace the Meyer Neighborood Public Library. It will also house the Frank HPL Express Library, which currently occupies a leased space. District K Council Member Martha Castex-Tatum said residents in her district are looking forward to having a new library, which would be located at 5505 Belrose Drive, Houston. “Many of us know that we have been waiting for the library in the Westbury area to move forward," she said. "We have been without a true library in the area since Harvey ...We are making progress, and I’m happy to see great architecture here. The firm we selected was the 2018 American Institute Architects Houston firm of the year.”

since the downtown post office has been under renovation i had not been to the library. so i went to my local branch in montrose. i arrived 15 minutes early and within 5 minutes there were abut 6 homeless fellas lining up in front of the door. when the branch opened they filed into the men's room and during the next half hour emerged --- some with wet hair and one with a fresh gallon container of water. a few switched out their items from their old plastic bags with new library bags (for books) and left. i know they have set up recent ordinances as far as cleanliness and behaviorin libraries, some aimed at keeping the locations from being a destinationsimilar to covenant house (which is nearby and free). i would feel less odd ifthey also used the library and were cleaning up in preparation to look at books or use the computer. in fairness, i suppose the only way it really affected me was not wanting to usethe restroom there and getting the creeps when one fella with random parts of his head shaved kept checking me out.

The library bulding has 3 different names. Orignally called the Jesse H. Jones Library. Took these photos this past week. The street signage and building signage still has Jesse H. Jones name. It's currently called the Texas Medical Center Library though.

I never knew about this! I have never seen any press or articles about it. This is a dedicated building for the museum? I would have thought this would be located within a hospital wing. A small museum dedicated to BCM's first President and world-renowned surgeon. Actually very impressive they would build a building to be used as a museum right in the heart of the medical campus. I would think a hospital is more important than a museum dedicated to one person. After reading an architect's blurb, the building is an extension of their Cullen? building: http://designbyjara.com/DeBakey.Panel.html The extension of the existing Baylor College of Medicine building is expressed by concrete prefabricated facade with random openings on the upper floors and stainless steel clad facade for the Michael E. DeBakey Library and Museum on the ground floor, in honor of Dr. Debakey. The museum exhibition has permanent and rotating exhibits documents his inventions, part of the concept is a “Green room” (replica of the conference room of Dr. DeBakey) separated from exhibits by glass wall. The stainless steel clad facade floats above the future reflecting pool, defined by a stone bed. I'll see if I can get some pictures later this week. Photos forthcoming! (alternativity, we can just go to Google to look at the building)

https://precinct3.org/property-agreements/ https://communityimpact.com/houston/the-woodlands/government/2023/09/26/montgomery-county-approves-deal-with-howard-hughes-for-165m-library-community-center/ "A new $16.5 million library and community center, revitalized retail centers, and a new clock tower are all part of a massive plan for the Grogan's Mill Village Center approved Sept. 26 between Montgomery County and Howard Hughes."

https://scholarship.rice.edu/handle/1911/71846 The Rice University Data Center building, next to the Library Service Center. Rice owns a lot of land off the Highway 90 feeder. I went on a new running route and stopped by. Looks like dirt is being moved at the back of the property. Expansion or maintenance related?

Pretty sweet news. The first thing to go has to be the frayed and soiled carpeting. http://houston.bizjournals.com/houston/sto...tml?jst=b_ln_hl

So, spurned on by the discussions, I went to the history room at the old library downtown on Friday and has SO MUCH FUN! There were books, and maps and picutres! I could/will spend hours in there! In under an hour I was able to find out when my house was built, and the name and occupation of one of the early (maybe first) owners. That 1913 map was there, as well as maps from LOTS of years (that is how I was able to date my street, comparing a 1920 map to a 1921 map). The books (what are they called) where you can look up a year, address and then it gives you the occupants name, and occupation were really great! There were also tons of picture books, but I didn't have time to look through them. I reccomend that as a fun and wild Friday night! p.s. I know I can't spell, I would LOVE a spell checker on here

I got this in an email and was very intrigued by that phrase a reimagined Public Place I'm wondering what sort of chance this has to have impact on revitalization of that area. [url=""%5D%5B/url%5DHouston Public Library Placemaking Workshop Your input requested for the use of Houston Public Library's Central Library Plaza Houston Public Library (HPL) Placemaking Workshop Thursday, May 10, 2012 4 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Central Library Concourse Meeting Room 500 McKinney Houston 77002 HPL invites you to participate in a Placemaking Workshop for the Central Library Plaza. This is a project that will help transform the Central Library Plaza into a vibrant, exciting, active public space and make it a downtown destination for people of all ages and backgrounds. This workshop will be a fun, interactive session to brainstorm on the potential of the space. Light refreshments will be served. Parking is available in the Central Library parking garage or at the Heritage Society, located at 1100 Bagby, Houston 77002. Thanks to generous support from the Downtown Redevelopment Authority and Reinvestment Zone Number Three, HPL is able to engage Project for Public Spaces to help the Library develop a well-conceived and managed re-imagined public space. Such a space could provide a platform for programs and events on the plaza and could even help positively activate this area of downtown.

Does anyone know who is behind this? http://www.laniertheologicallibrary.net/ Beautiful!

Pics from the Opening of the new Looscan Neighborhood Library. http://web.mac.com/bindana/iWeb/Site/Looscan%20Library.html

THE 'WOW' FACTOR New branch library has contemporary cool cachet By CLIFFORD PUGH Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle When John Middleton recently led a tour through the new John P. McGovern Stella Link Branch Library, a high school student enthusiastically compared the entrance, with a wavy gold plastic awning that floats over large glass doors, to the hip Ikea store. Middleton smiled. That's what he was hoping to hear. "We wanted a 'wow' factor," says the Houston Public Library's project manager for design and construction. Coolness is elusive, as companies can attest. Apple has it right now; Microsoft doesn't. With the new $5.6 million Stella Link branch, library officials have captured a cool cachet by busting the notion of what a library should be like. In the old days before the Internet transformed information-gathering, libraries were often dimly lit places where beverages were banned; and if you spoke above a whisper, a librarian would quickly "shush" you. But now, with competition from bookstores where comfy chairs, coffee bars and wireless Internet access invite lingering, libraries across the nation have to keep up or lose their relevance. In Seattle, the $165 million Rem Koolhaas-designed central library