Source: JENNIFER SUMMER/Kingwood Observer
Updated: 01.29.09
Tucked back into the woods, the new location for the Kingwood Library will fit into its surroundings and provide a little bit of everything for the community.
With large windows overlooking a forested landscape, spacious meeting rooms, specialized rooms for teens and kids and more room for books, the new library has plenty of amenities and special features to offer.
“We are very excited about the new library because we will have so much more to offer our guests and we have something for everyone,” branch manager Christie Whittington said.
The Kingwood branch was first constructed in 1983 and was dedicated Aug. 21, 1983, only a few days after Hurricane Alicia.
Now, almost 26 years later, the community as well as the library has continued to grow; thus the new location, near Kingwood Town Center, is expected to be completed and ready for business this December.
A ground-breaking ceremony for the new location was held Dec. 13 and welcomed Mayor Bill White, Harris County Judge Ed Emmett, City of Houston Councilman Mike Sullivan, Lone Star College-Kingwood President Dr. Katherine Persson and many other community members.
“Though we have been in this location for many years, it will be kind of sad to move on but the new location will have so much more and we are very excited,” Whittington said.
The schematic plans for the new library illustrates large windows overlooking the green space and spacious rooms to accommodate library patrons.
The design for the building leaves 70 percent of the site as a forested green space and will consist of two floors and 30,000 square feet. The library will be situated on a 9.12-acre tract of land in the circle of Bens Branch Drive off of West Lake Houston Parkway.
“We will have meeting rooms, a children’s activity room, conference room, four study rooms and more parking spaces. We are thrilled about more parking and rooms for people to meet and get things accomplished,” Whittington said.
Additionally, the new location will have a pick-up and drop-off window where guests can pick up books they have placed on hold or drop off books they are finished with.
“This will be great for busy moms with young children,” Whittington added.
As a new addition, the library is adding a teen room with books that appeal to teens, and the designers’ vision is to have about four screens in the room where teens can play games, watch DVDs and other things.
The new location will also have its own special room for members of Friends of the Library Kingwood which was formed in 1978 and was instrumental in Harris County providing a library for Kingwood.
Their special room will be a place where people can volunteer and also look at books that have been donated to FOLK and the group can have its quarterly used book sale.
The library currently hosts video gaming for teens every Thursday featuring “Rock Band” on Xbox 360 and there is also a Nintendo Wii. The library plans to expand on that at the new location.
“I am always so proud and excited because our teens and the community use the library well. Teens will come in and pull tables together to work on projects or enjoy spending time with each other,” Whittington said.
There will also be quiet rooms, computer rooms, study tables and a computer training lab where guests can learn how to use computer programs and current social networking tools and websites.
The colors have already been picked out for the library and are very natural tones, reflecting the natural surroundings of the community.
“Libraries should be full of life and we are glad to provide these services for the community,” Whittington said.
The current location of the library will be renovated and transformed into a community center for special meetings and celebrations.
“The new library is going to be wonderful and we have such great plans like our special programming,” Whittington said. “They have already started working on the site and we are just very excited about the new Kingwood Library location and everything it will bring each of us.”
More info
Call 281-360-6804 or log on to www.hcpl.lib.tx.us/branchinfo/kw/kwinfo.htm.
FOLK Used Book Sale
WHEN: Saturday, Feb. 7, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
WHERE: Kingwood Branch Library, 4102 Rustic Woods Drive, Kingwood
HOW MUCH: 25 cents to $3
INFO: president@kingwoodfolk.org
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