The grand-opening ceremony of Fort Bend County Libraries’ Mission Bend Branch Library will take place on Saturday, February 9, beginning at 10:00 a.m., at the new library, located at 8421 Addicks Clodine Road in Houston.
The grand opening will be officiated by Fort Bend County Precinct 2 Commissioner Grady Prestage, who will be joined by other county and local officials. All area residents are invited to come out and take part in the grand-opening reception.
The library is located in Fort Bend County Precinct 2 on Addicks Clodine Road, near the intersection of Wildwood Lake Road, in Southwest Houston. The new library, designed by AUTOARCH Architects LLC of Houston, is a one-story rectangular structure of 23,779 square feet, making it the fifth largest library in the system, which now includes 11 libraries and management of the Law Library.
The building is designed to blend the best of traditional library services with a wide range of electronic resources. The library is equipped with the latest in computer and telecommunications technology, including WiFi, 3D printing, and RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) capabilities.
The library will also have self-check machines so that library patrons can check out their own materials, facilitating quick and efficient library service.
The library includes community meeting rooms, study rooms, a puppet theater, and a computer lab for technology classes and general public use. Additional computers will be available for public use outside of the computer lab.
The library will offer introductory computer classes for adults. Patrons may learn computer basics such as how to use a computer, how to search the Internet, how to use Microsoft Office programs such as Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, and how to find or create designs for the 3D printer.
A special feature in the lobby of the library will be unveiled on opening day.
Beginning the week of February 11, the Youth Services department will have a variety of weekly children’s programs, including Mother Goose Time for infants, Toddler Time for
babies from 12 to 36 months of age, and Story Time for 3 to 6-year-old children.
A wide variety of books for children and adults are available for recreational reading and research. Magazines, newspapers, and audiovisual materials are also on hand. The library offers ebooks, audiobooks, movies, and music that can be downloaded from home, as well as a generous assortment of databases that patrons may access in the library or from home.
“Part of our library mission is to provide an environment of lifelong learning and enrichment for the entire, diverse community, and the new Mission Bend Branch Library reinforces our commitment to providing a continuum of service for people of all ages,” says Library Director Clara Russell. “We hope the residents in the area will find the new library a pleasant and enjoyable place where they can study, improve their job skills, or just relax with a good book.”
The hours of operation for the new Mission Bend Branch Library will be as follows: Monday, 12:00 noon – 9:00 pm; Tuesday and Wednesday, 10:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m., Thursday, 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.; Friday, 12:00 noon – 5:00 p.m.; and Saturday, 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. The library will be closed on Sundays.
For more information, call the library system’s Communications Office at 281-633-4734.