The M.D. Anderson Library at the University of Houston became my home away from home for about a…read moremonth while I completed training for a remote job, and it turned out to be a great place to get work done. The library itself is huge, with plenty of floors and study spaces to fit just about anyone's style. My favorite spots were the enclosed glass study carrels. They're private enough to let you focus, offer lots of natural light (some even have their own lighting), and make for a comfortable workspace. Just know they're designed for studying--not soundproofing. You can clearly hear conversations from the carrels around you, so don't expect total silence. Also, if you're planning a long day, choose a carrel with one of the more comfortable chairs. Library hours vary between the regular school year and the summer, especially for visitors who aren't affiliated with the university, but I was still able to put in a full workday most days. The biggest inconvenience was checking in. Since I wasn't a UH student or employee, security had to manually enter my information every single visit. After checking in daily for weeks, I couldn't help but wonder why they couldn't simply scan my ID and speed up the process. One thing that surprised me was how rarely I saw security walking the building. My carrel was near an exit, and while nothing ever happened, I sometimes felt like an easy target if someone had bad intentions. There are signs reminding you to watch your belongings, and I definitely recommend taking that advice. My biggest complaint, though, was the sugar ants. They seemed to be everywhere and became a constant nuisance while I was working. Despite those issues, I really appreciated having access to such an impressive facility. It's spacious, comfortable, and offers some of the best study and work spaces I've found. Fix the ant problem and streamline visitor check-in, and this place would be close to perfect.

This library is an old facility with 5 floors and some wings with more floors. The hours varies…read morewhile the semester is in session. Sundays are great because they close at 12 am and quiet. There are several tables you can sit at by the entrance without checking in. Some have power outlets. There are vending machines on this floor too. If you don't have a UH student ID, you'll need to check-in using your driver's license with security. There is plenty of seating throughout the building. Tons of private study rooms. Not too busy on a Sunday afternoon and you don't need permission to use the study room. The 5th floor study rooms by the windows have a view of Houston's skyline. I would say it is good for work/study. The wifi speed is very good. You can stream Spotify and browse the web easily. I'm not familiar with this campus but I found visitor parking that's a 8 minute walk. Not sure if there is closer parking for visitors. Cost is $10 for the day (by phone).

Beautiful library nestled in a residential area with ample seating and charging. There's even a…read moresection with a self-serve coffee machine and vending machine for drinks, making the area seem like it's intended for eating, although my friend and I ate our food outside of this area, which wasn't formally designated for food anyway. There is a water bottle refill station next to the individual bathrooms. The ambiance is stunning and modern, not exactly silent but not too loud despite the presence of a children's section. We didn't try out the other amenities of those library, as we had a lot of studying to do. Would highly recommend as a place to quietly meet up with a friend, get some remote work done, or escape the Houston heat for free!

I criticize Houston a lot for its poor public planning, but the Public Library System is one thing…read morethey've done marvelously. This library is sleek, modern, and absolutely beautiful. Color tinted windows brighten up the gloomiest and rainiest of days. Artsy geometric themes line the walls, ceilings, and furniture. Whatever your reason for visiting, the interior provides an abundant amount of space for it. More importantly than aesthetics, this library goes above and beyond in the resources it provides. It has passport services, computers, printers, study spaces, and books, similar to most libraries. What most libraries don't have though? Video recording studios, podcast rooms, and sound engineering booths. All fully equipped with instruments, all soundproof, and all FREE. OF. CHARGE. I absolutely love seeing this available. It provides people a creative outlet and a chance to feel heard. Other available gadgets include 3D printers, Cricut machines, and premium media editing software. C.J. and several other employees are at your service if you ever need a tutorial. According to the American Enterprise Institute, library visits have decreased by roughly 31% since 2000. I wouldn't have been able to tell based on my visit today. I saw plenty of parents, kids, and students lost in their own worlds. Free third spaces (locations other than work and home) have become increasingly rare; turns out that if you build a pretty library that's valuable to all, the community will come. I can't emphasize enough how cool this library is. It's a rare sight of tax dollars being utilized incredibly effectively. This isn't some privileged resource in River Oaks or Memorial Village; it's located in the unassuming suburbs of Westbury just outside of I-610. You'll leave this library impressed one way or the other. See for yourself.

I came to the Jungman Neighborhood Library off Westheimer in the Galleria area hoping to find some…read morepeace and quiet to work on my laptop during my job search. It's a fairly small library, which I initially thought would not work in my favor, because it meant that there would be less space for privacy. The first thing you notice when you walk in is broken equipment at the entrance. I'm not sure if it's a metal detector or a book detector, but it's clearly out of order and makes for a poor first impression. I set up at a table just outside a glass-walled area labeled "The Living Room." There were standard AC outlets available, but no USB ports. Unfortunately, the chair I sat in smelled strongly of urine. Shortly after, I heard loud talking coming from the Living Room area, and it became clear why. Two or three homeless individuals were sitting in the plush leather chairs, mixed in with other patrons who were reading or listening to headphones. It really struck me how much libraries have changed. This was not a quiet environment. On the other side of the library, a couple of children were playing and screaming without anyone intervening. At the front desk, a staff member and a patron were having a full-volume conversation, as if they were standing outside on a busy street. Even with headphones and music playing, I struggled to concentrate. During the few hours I was there, the same individuals moved in and out repeatedly. At one point, someone pulled a book from the shelf, sat directly across from me, and loudly flipped through it. Combined with the odor in the area, it made me feel uncomfortable and queasy. Overall, I did not feel safe in this library. I managed to finish what I needed to do just as closing time rolled around and left. Unfortunately, this is not a place I'd return to if I'm looking for a quiet, focused, or comfortable work environment.

Librarians like Regina & Joelle are the reason that I make it a priority to regularly visit…read moreneighborhood libraries. They're kind, conversational, and on this particular visit, made sure to refer me to other community engagement opportunities (i.e. The Reading Room Critical/Close Reading session featuring The Waterbearers x Sasha Bonet, a book that I'd picked up after placing a hold only a few days ago, and the upcoming Bad Art Club held on the last Wednesday each month. This month's project would focus on creating rings made of resin!). In addition to the $58 I saved by checking out 3 books (The Turner House x Angela Flournoy, The Waterbearers x Sasha Bonet, and Leave Your Mess at Home x Tolani Akinola), I love this particular library b/c of its consistently vast book sale options. They clearly have some generous donors! Today's pickup? Little Women (Great Illustrated Classics) by Louisa May Alcott - $2 total (and $28 on Amazon). I had to stop myself from taking home a pile of Interior Design magazines -- when they're only 5 for $1, it's hard to resist! it makes for perfect scrapbook material :)

Great neighborhood library that has been remodeled and very well lit. So open 7 days a week and the…read morestaff is very accommodating. Great place to go to catch up on some reading or to go find a new book.

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.

Based on the photographs near the restrooms and the mural over the kids' section, it seems like…read morethis library holds some historical significance. I happened to be in the area and decided to stop by to check out their book sale. While their selection was smaller than other libraries I've visited, I loved that they had a "Fill a Bag" sale for just $5 running at the same time as their standard $0.50-$3 per item pricing. I found a few great titles to add to my growing personal library! What stood out most to me were: 1. The building doesn't have an awning or clear signage showing the library's name--kind of surprising for such a seemingly historic spot. 2. The space had a distinct "old" smell, like the carpets hadn't been cleaned in years and decades of foot traffic were still lingering in the fibers. 3. The librarians were incredibly kind and didn't rush me, even though I walked in just 10 minutes before closing. Their patience was especially appreciated as I wrapped up my purchase right around 4:55 PM. It's rare these days to not feel rushed, and their courtesy really stood out to me. All in all, it's a charming little library worth a visit, especially for the book sales!

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!

Summer programs for young kids was great. They had story time. Lego building on Thursdays…read more Reading program where kids received rewards. My grandchild was always excited to go. Plus the staff is very helpful and friendly.

Nice library I used to come here when I was little in 4th grade with ms Cabrera the best teacher in…read moreWhittier elementary