Spacious, well-lit, and welcoming, the librarians at the front desk impressed me as a first-time…read morevisitor to Collier. The children's section is a HUGE (& clean) play area, as is the Teen section. The travel/geography-themed shelves near the Passport Office were a nice touch. Surprisingly, I practiced self-restraint and didn't purchase any items from their Book Sale shelf, although they were hosting a generous "fill your (book) bag for $5" promotion. There just weren't any titles that stood out to me this time around except for The Clique, a remnant of my middle school reading habits, LOL. I loved the fact that they heavily promoted the Monthly Adult Book Club and even had copies available for checkout to all those who were interested. I only wish the book club didn't take place during the middle of the day OR that there was an option to join virtually. Nonetheless, this was an informative stop on my Houston Adventure Passport expedition :)

Such a great library for families! The selection is wonderful for kids. The staff are also so kind…read moreand helpful. They're on top of keeping the library so organized, clean, and welcoming. We love Collier so much we come here at least once a werk

When we went they had several activities for kids and even teens too. They had little prices for…read morethe kids after they were done with the scavenger hunt. The kiddos and even I had fun there!

Somehow, I've found myself actively participating in three different book clubs -- which means I've…read morebecome a frequent flyer on the Houston Public Library website, always tracking down the newest releases. That's how I found myself at Flores Library for the very first time, and I'm glad I did. From the moment I stepped through the doors, Flores gave off a warm, inviting energy. The librarians were incredibly welcoming and made sure to greet me, which immediately set a comforting tone for my visit. While this is one of the smallest library branches I've visited in Houston, what it lacks in size it makes up for in charm and intention. The space itself is bright and vibrant, especially the children's section, which felt lively and thoughtfully designed. The adult fiction section was, admittedly, quite small -- but to my surprise and delight, it had the exact book I needed, thanks to checking availability online beforehand. Mission accomplished! I also make it a point to browse the library's for-sale books whenever I visit a branch. Flores's book sale area is small, but I could definitely see potential for growth, especially if they continue to receive community support and donations. One unique feature is the concrete patio space out back -- it's not particularly shaded or green, but it does offer a breath of fresh air and a chance to step outside during a longer visit. What really stood out, though, were the book displays. The library had put together thoughtful, thematic collections for Women's History Month, showcasing authors from a wide range of diverse backgrounds. It felt intentional, inclusive, and genuinely educational -- a great touch that made me linger longer. As for the vibe? Exceptionally kind. I sat and read for about 10 minutes right up until closing time, and not once did I feel rushed or nudged to leave. Even when I lingered in the parking lot after 6 PM, a staff member came out to kindly let me know they needed to lock the gate -- and did so with a smile. With its proximity to my job, Flores Library has officially made it onto my list of go-to spots when I need to grab a book quickly or find a cozy place to read. It may be small, but it's mighty -- and it left a big impression on me.

This is not a library anymore - it's been transformed into a TechLink location and it's amazing!…read more TechLink is semi-new to Houston but it's basically a sector of the public library that offers FREE use of machinery such as laser cutters, embroidery machines, Cricut machines and other tools such as video, photo, and audio equipment. You just have to bring your own project supplies. Before you can reserve your slot for using the equipment, you have to take a workshop that teaches you how to properly use it. For every machine there is a separate workshop for it so be sure to look at their online schedule to check availability. After attending the workshop, you can reserve each machine for a 2-hour slot at any TechLink location in Houston. You're only allowed to make one reservation at a time, so keep that in mind when choosing your time slots. Example: if I book the embroidery machine for this location on Tuesday, I can't make a reservation for the laser cutter until AFTER the embroidery machine reservation has passed. Apparently people were making a ton of reservations back-to-back and hogging machines so they did this to keep things fair for everyone. I came here today for the Laser Cutting Workshop and then the Embroidery Machine Workshop that was just an hour later. The staff were so incredibly friendly and helpful, I enjoyed every minute of these workshops!! Now that I'm "certified" to use these machines, I can't WAIT to come back and bring some of my (many) projects to life!!! From wedding decor and bridal party gifts to personalized birthday presents, I've got an endless supply of things to make that will cost me so little money now that I can do them myself!!

I dropped into the newly redesigned library to see what TECHLink was all about... I was impressed…read more The staff was very friendly, knowledgeable, and happy to give me a tour. While there are no books (they can be ordered from other libraries), there were several computers to work on, a makers space (3-D scanner, 3-D printer, analog-to-digital conversion equipment, computer controlled embroidery machine), an audio studio (keyboard, mixer, guitars, digital drum set), and video studio (digital SLR, digital video recorder, green screen, rails), and a large format printer. All free. I spent many hours in this library in my youth and I am looking forward to using it as a quiet workspace when I am in the area.

Library isn't what I expected it to be, it's the smallest Harris County Library I've been to, and…read morefor the most part the quietest.. ..Unless someone decides to bring their noise-maker child in that just disrupts everybody's calm and peaceful mood. That really ruins a nice study time to have to hear crying all the time, parents not doing anything to control the brat and either are the librarians. The only ones suffering are the patrons. On top of that, the librarians in which I thought were nice and sweet at first suddenly turn sour to racially profile two black females out of a majority population of Hispanics. One librarian had the audacity to question my sister about her T-shirt and then tell my sister that she shouldn't be wearing it because she doesn't attend that university. First of all, why is it any of that nosy-rosy librarian business to ask a question like that? Uhh, my response to her would have been its none of your business that's why I'm wearing it and do you have a problem with what I'm wearing, and is it such a crime in your beliefs that I'm wearing a t-shirt to a university that I do not attend?!! Silly woman, tricks are for kids. Aside from that, the same ignorant woman asks us if a Border Terrier was ours, out of a whole library full of other people. Does she think we are hoodlums who doesn't know that only service dogs are allowed in public places because my dog is at my house sleeping in his bed. She asks us out of everyone in the library if the dog is ours. We are both clueless to how the dog got into the library, all we know is the dog walked to the table we were sitting at and laid under the chair to bite its skin...and she had the audacity to ask us that silly question after when we walked in she harassed my sister. She must not be taking her medicine if she thinks she can treat us any kind of way. It's a good thing this library isn't easy to find; located in a Hispanic neighbourhood with barely any other race and they think they treat outsiders any kind of way and this is in fact America and not Mexico. They better get their mind right! Anywho, the library selection is minimum, a few audiobooks I found a good (English) audiobook, though most of the books are only in Spanish which it already seems they cater to one type of ethnicity. They do have magazines in English, even MAD TV magazine I enjoyed giggling at. The parking lot is small which isn't a norm for HCPL's. I do like that they have free crocheting classes every last Thursday of every month which is a nice treat, but I'll just stick to Parker Williams library that mostly caters to the Vietnamese population while treating it's other non-Asian patrons with respect.

South Houston is considered Pasadena to some folks and to others it is considered just Houston. Old…read moreGalveston Rd & Spencer Hwy is not quite Houston. But no worries, if you find it you find it. But Ave A is not quite a memorable address. It almost makes you fiddle your thumbs a bit to figure out where the heck this library is. If you know that College runs from 45 to Hwy 3 and eventually turns into Spencer then you might locate it. Anywho-- It is a library, located not on the ridgid nor smoothest street. The parking lot is less than full & smallest to none. No one said ever. Once you enter you'll notice most doors are open. No, I'm not talking about for opportunities unless those opportunities are taking a dump & entering to a questionnaire librarian. As I approach the doors. One of the librarians asked me if I go to U of H. Only because I was wearing an Earth Day University of Houston t-shirt. I replied no, I attend San Jac (San Jacinto college). The librarian replied saying, "So, why are you wearing that shirt"? Out of all the options of flipping that question to answer rudely, politely, or sarcastically. I just answered, because I won it at the Earth Day festival downtown. Now, if any of you'll know me. You know, I would've answered rudely or sarcastically. Not bluntly, the truth & which I should've said, because I want to wear this shirt. Afterwards, of being questioned once. My sister & I began to do what we do. Laugh uncontrollably & eat our snack in the back of the library while browsing a MAD magazine. Next thing we know, a Border terrier mysteriously enters the library. How does a dog as small as a terrier enters a library on its own? It walked straight back towards the end of the library where me and sister was. Strangely, it could've walked anywhere in the library. But for the female dog to walk that distance and determination to where we was is odd. So, the librarians were eventually notified about the dog in the library. The same librarian that confronted me once, confronted me a second time. This time, she had the nerve to ask. If the dog was mine. Now, I was thinking but didn't say. Which I should've. I said to myself, "Didcha see me bring a dog inside"? "I mean comon' you interrogated me about my shirt". "I would've thought you would've noticed dog too". "Is it yo dog?!" Yes, I would've said that. But this time, I only said. "No, it isn't". The librarian was brave to interrogated me. But was timid & scared to touch & grab the none vicious dog. That made me laugh a little. She approached me and said, "the dog has fleas", "I tried to call for it, but it didn't come", "it comes in all the time & is always around". She instead used a bag to tie around the dog collar and was going to jerk & pull it from underneath my chair. So, instead of her choking the dog which was planning on doing. I just simply grabbed the dog for her and pulled it from underneath my chair and gave it to her. She still persistent to yank the dog with her makeshift leash. I shook my head and not once did I hear a thank you from her for grabbing the dog. Because I know for a fact. She would've been there all day trying to get that dog. I'm thinking at this point. Why the H did she ask me the first time if the dog, yes dog was mine.. ??! If she knew in the beginning the dog is a frequent visitor at that library. It just boggles my mind a bit. I don't come in there everyday. And the dog could've just had dry skin not fleas. I mean, humans scratch themselves when our skin or scalp is dry. She as I see now, is not very knowledgable and does not think before she speaks. She ended up calling animal control on the Border terrier. I just hope Animal control didn't euthanize the dog. That's South Houston library for you!

Seriously some of the best staff ever! We had a work meeting catering to teachers in the area…read moreyesterday in one of their rooms and Anthony assisted us with clearing out the room and adding tables. There was a display showing the books for Black Heritage month that was so good! Two people from our group got library cards. We are in a city where having our public libraries is such a valuable resource and they are catering to our stories. You can still find so many books on cultural history! There are a few computers there and plenty of tables to relax and read something!

This small Houston Public Library (HPL) branch is located on the ground floor of the Children's…read moreMuseum of Houston (CMOH), just past the information kiosk on the left-hand side of the entryway. One need not pay for admission to the museum, in order to use the library. Smile at the museum staff at the box office or information kiosk, give a wave, and say "I'm just going to the library", and you're In. This is the place to come, when (1) you're in the neighborhood and want to borrow or return a library book, get an HPL library card, or surf the net, or (2) you're at the CMOH and your little one becomes overstimulated by the loud music; flashing lights; and many toys & kids, and has a complete and total meltdown, and needs some quiet time, PRONTO. Back in the day when my shy little son was a poorly-socialized, stay-at-home only child, I used to bring him to the library, first, to get him acclimated to the CMOH, before turning him loose elsewhere in the museum. "Parent Resource Library" is a misnomer--the reading room stocks materials for parents and kids of all ages, including board & story books, general guides to parenting, parenting magazines, resources on everything from potty training & discipline to behavioral & developmental disabilities, and pediatric health issues. FLIP literacy program activity kits (suitable for kids age 0-8) are also available here. Reading materials are available both in English and Spanish. But because it's an HPL branch, you can have any Houston Public Library material sent here through the Interlibrary Loan program--I've checked out plenty of books that have absolutely nothing to do with parenting or children. But never you mind what they were about. (I'm absolutely blushing scarlet, right now. It's sooo embarrassing being me.) The one thing you can't do at this location is pay library fines. Luckily, from now through September 26th, Houston Public Library is offering an amnesty on accrued fines--their first in over 30 years. So return your overdue items now, & any fines you've accrued will be waived. Visit www.houstonlibrary.org for more information on the amnesty; visit the Parent Resource Library to enjoy a quiet, orderly, low-tech bastion of Zen calmness in the otherwise overly-crowded, overly-stimulating Children's Museum of Houston.

This is the place! My husband and I decided to purchase our passports and the entire visit was…read morepleasant. Raymond and Nathan were very personable and polite. Great customer service. In and out with an appointment in 30 minutes. We also learned about all the different classes and services they offer.

Long, fast moving, early voting lines. Doing our civil duty. The line was out the door all the way…read moreto the parking lot around the side of the building. No issues, friendly people.

I appreciate this library because it gives me a place for internet research. However, the second…read moreday I came to this library trying to use the internet to make payment online taking instruction over the phone at a very low voice, a staff (a full-size lady) told me "get out once you finish the call". The following 3 weeks I went to the library everyday, and found many people talked over their cell phone inside the library loudly, looking for a job or an apartment, for 5-10 minutes. Nobody ever come to advise them to "go out" or "keep it down". Even that full-size lady chat and laughed with her coworkers loudly, for hours. So why did she target me?

I'm just thankful this library isn't my go to library or I'd be messed up. First off, its way too…read morecramped to do any studying or even reading. It feels like you are rubbing elbows with the next person. Secondly, there is no areas to read or even study which leads me back to the first issue. I mean, how are you expecting to get things done here if you don't have any space to accomplish anything? The computer space is even limited as on the adult side it is all in one area and not spaced out. There's only one computer where you can reserve a computer. They do have a few computers for the teenagers and some for children. Thirdly, they do have a wide variety of books for every language you can think of and oh, the ladies restrooms were clean. Those are the only two good things about this library. This is the second Houston public library I've been to that were very limited with spacing. It seems that Harris County libraries are a lot more open with spacing and accommodate to the needs of the patrons.