Visitando una biblioteca principal en el Valle del Rio Grande…read moreVisiting a main library in the Rio Grande Valley (2 of 2) I had to spend about 1.5 days in McAllen, Texas, which is one of the bigger cities in the Rio Grande Valley, along with Brownsville and Harlingen. If you look at what you can do in McAllen, their main library, the largest one on one level in the United States, will be on that list. I asked myself how that could be ... and in McAllen. I had to take a look. The answer to that shows how it gets 5 stars from me, with one star for each word in the following phrase: "Walmart Becomes A Stupendous Library" I did not know that until I got here and asked if the library was built from scratch. I learned that it was not. A Walmart that was no longer operative was repurposed to become the city's main library and, in so doing, became the most spacious one-story library in the U.S. of A. Overlooking the aesthetics of McAllen's main library branch, which is hard to do, the library does everything very well. The collection is vast, with stacks in every direction. In between the stacks are pleasing seating areas and broad expanses of tables, all under excellent illumination. There is a very large children's room and some of its features are humorous and innovative. In fact, art installations throughout the library are clever and interesting. Upon walking in, there is a large tech center with computers and other available features. There's even a small cafe' from which I was able to get some tasty, small, and nicely priced desserts after having had dinner. Even the restrooms are spacious and kept in excellent condition. That everything looks new(er) goes without saying. While I didn't need as much service as I needed at Brownsville, where I handled the technical matters I needed to attend to, the staff was definitely pleasant. They answered my few questions and seem proud to be a part of this progressive library. The main McAllen library's repurposed exterior is also very pleasing to look at. Built into the outboard side of the covered auto canopy is a water feature that drips into a fountain. Additionally, there is an adjacent glass tower that changes colors, which is much more commanding when it's dark outside. The parking lot, with entrances off of a main artery, is capacious. If all this wasn't already making for a very good vibe, I had an experience that was a first and really funny, at least to me. As I was walking back to the car in the parking lot, an obviously local woman comes careening around a corner and rolls down her car window to frantically and excitedly ask me if the library was still open ... in Spanish! With a baseball cap on, I don't think she got a good look at me and, being in the Rio Grande Valley, she must have assumed that whomever she spoke with would speak Spanish. She got lucky. I took my collegiate Spanish courses very seriously (since they were usually comical and good fun) and responded with, "Creo que esta abierta por quince minutos mas." At this point, some Americanized cadence might have filtered through, she looked a little thrown off, and she then landed on a parking space. And, here, I had taken Spanish electives with the hopes of one day visiting Spain and Argentina. A few decades ago, speaking Spanish to someone if you were obviously not Hispanic could have been seen as patronizing, especially if the person doing it was one of those "dos cervezas por favor" types of idiots. Things keep changing and now I feel that more people in America welcome your speaking Spanish to them. This definitely appears to be the case in the Rio Grande Valley. I turned on the ignition to the car, howled with laughter at what just happened, and drove off. Most people, especially if younger, go to the library to get something done. Someone who doesn't have to get something done may go for the enrichment it provides. I can't imagine anyone needing to have their teeth pulled to go McAllen's main branch of their public library. Even just reading about it and the record the McAllen main branch holds, I didn't need to come here. I wanted to come here. And, if in this area, or even in and around South Padre Island, I will probably make a special trip to this unique library just because I want to.

Amazing spot for the latest books and other resources! Really enjoyed their vast collection of…read morematerial, from popular fiction to the latest nonfiction books. Also, the study rooms that you can book in advance were amazing! Online reservations and the check-in process were easy. Spent a string of days working here and the tasty Texas Pecan coffee from the Rise and Shine cafe at the front of the library was perfect. Librarians were incredibly helpful.