HAPPENINGS - Page 2
Newest and Largest Branch Library
Continued from page one.
floor plan and furniture plan
for the new library in early
September 1989. This floor
plan is displayed on page one.
The project will be bid on
September 22, 1989.
The floor plan of the
library includes approximately
12,774 square feet for the stack
area - children’s area,
reference, adult area,
magazines, and circulation
area. The stack area is larger
than our current largest branch
library of 12,000 square feet.
The library will house
approximately 93,147 books
(the largest book collection in
the HCPL system) and will
seat approximately 140 people
at tables. Total meeting room
space will allow the seating of
150 people.
The library includes one
large classroom that can be
divided into two small rooms
for literacy training/tutoring,
small meetings, or quiet study
areas. A third classroom can
be used by the Friends of the
Library for selling books and
materials and for a storage
area for their materials.
Off the foyer will be
housed a large meeting room
which can be divided to
facilitate two meetings. A
large puppet stage/storage
area is also planned for the
meeting room.
The library ana courthouse
annex has had tremendous
support in the South Belt area.
The South Belt Chamber of
Commerce is supporting the
organization of a Friends of
the Library group and Dr.
Parker Williams. President of
the San Jacinto Junior College
- South Campus, has agreed to
chair this organizational
campaign. Dr. Williams is also
a former librarian and both she
and Catherine Park foresee a
great deal of cooperation on
services, programs, and
materials since the San Jacinto
Junior College will be
approximately two to three
blocks from the new library.
Although the build out of
the space should be completed
in early 1990 the library will
most likely not open until 1991
which will give the Material
Selection Department and
Technical Services Department
time to select, order, and
process the opening day
collection of books and
materials after monies are
received in the library’s FY91
Budget.
Some of our Children’s
Librarians will be taking part
in the 2nd Annual "Children
for Children" Festival to be
held downtown on Saturday,
October 7th. This festival is
sponsored by the Child
Advocates, Inc. which is a non¬
profit organization that helps
abused and neglected children
in Harris County.
A special appearance by
one of Sesame Street’s three
original characters, Loretta
Long "Susan" with her friends
Cookie Monster and Gordon
and Linda, is the main
attraction of the festival.
They’ll appear at a Sesame
Street Neighborhood provided
by a local business. The
festival will be held at the
downtown Superblock and The
Park shops in front of the
George R. Brown Convention
Center.
A Children’s Challenge
Fun Run begins the festival
activities at 8:30 AM, a
Children’s Challenge Parade
will be held at 10 AM, and the
opening ceremonies to the
festival will follow the parade.
This new library will be
Harris County’s 24th, 25th, or
26th branch dependent on
when it is opened. The other
new branches currently being
planned include the Maud
Marks Branch in West Harris
County and the Atascocita
Branch in Northwest Harris
County. A site for a combined
Channelview and Woodforest
Branch Library is currently
being purchased. With the
combination of these two
libraries our branch count
would then be reduced to 25.
Free entertaining and
educational activities,
sponsored by over 75
corporations and non-profit
organizations, continue
throughout the day for children
to enjoy.
HCPL is one of these
sponsors. Bettv Ozbun.
Children’s Specialist and Mary
Sommerfeld. Linda Sparr. and
Lvnn Starman (Children’s
Librarians at Cypress Creek,
Crosby, and Freeman
Memorial respectively) will
represent HCPL and help
entertain and educate the
children at the festival.
They will be on hand to
distribute HCPL literature and
answer questions about our
libraries. These creative
women will also entertain the
children by performing
storytimes. Storytimes are
always popular with children
and it indirectly introduces
them to the library.
Fund raising activities for
the Child Advocates, Inc. will
be held the night before the
festival.
HCPL to Participate in
Children for Children
Festival
