| Round Rock Public Library | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
| Location | Round Rock, Texas |
| Established | 1962 |
| Collection | |
| Items collected | 170,000 volumes |
| Other information | |
| Website | http://www.roundrocktexas.gov/library |
Round Rock Public Library (RRPL) is a public library located in Round Rock, Texas [1]
The library building stands on a corner lot on the Main Street in downtown Round Rock, the site of the Sam Bass shootout of 1878. The library's plot of land has been used by a variety of business and by the City of Round Rock. The current library building, c. 1997, was designed by architect Ray Gill of the firm Ray Gill Architects, with a design that reflected the site's local history. [2] The Library building was named for Robert G. and Helen Griffith, two residents who led in starting and maintaining the library. [3]
The library's land has had various uses. In 1885, a sash, door, and blind warehouse occupied the east half of the corner lot, but by 1902 the lot was empty. By 1925, when automobile use became widespread, a 30-car garage took over the corner. By 1937, the garage became a Ford sales and service dealership, and a combination City Hall and volunteer Fire Department was built on the western half of the lot. [4]
The library appeared on the corner lot in the early 1960s. In 1962 the Round Rock Ladies Home Demonstration Club decided that the city needed a library. They organized a group of private citizens into the first Round Rock Public Library Board. Then they bought the old Ford Motor Company building on the corner of East Main Street at Sheppard, where the present library stands. The old showroom provided space but it needed to be remodeled, which took 20 months. The work on the showroom was done by a Round Rock High School building and trade class and by local craftsmen.
At first the state-chartered, nonprofit, Round Rock Public Library Association administered the library. Then the City of Round Rock assumed ownership of the library in 1977.
In September, 1978, structural damage forced the library to close. During the spring of 1979, the library relocated to a temporary building on Liberty Street. Volunteers and community members helped move the books and equipment to the temporary facility. The library served the community there until 1980.
On July 20, 1980, a $0.5 million two story structure was dedicated on the original site. The library used the first floor and the city council chamber took up the second floor. Ray Gill designed the building to retain the historical Texas flavor evident in other buildings on Main Street and to blend in with the existing city hall building.
Need for more space mandated that the entire building be renovated in May 1988. At that time, the library retired its card catalog and installed an automated library system. In 1992, a Library Foundation was formed, incorporated, and granted a 501(c)(3) non-profit classification, allowing it to supersede the Library Board.
In January, 1996, Round Rock citizens voted for and passed a $3.5 million bond issue to expand the library from 11,000 square feet (1,000 m2) to approximately 43,000 square feet (4,000 m2). Construction on the new addition began in March 1998 and was finished July 1999. Remodeling of the old building began right away and was completed December 1999. A grand opening ceremony was held on November 20, 1999, and the library building was named in honor of Robert G. and Helen Griffith, long time library supporters. [5]
The Library and the Williamson County Genealogical Society (WCGS) work jointly to make the history of the city, county, and central Texas more accessible to researchers and genealogists. WCGS owns a collection of local genealogical and historical materials that are housed and cataloged by the Library. Both organizations contribute to the upkeep and expansion of the collection, and both provide educational research seminars at the Library.
RRPL has a teen program that features gaming tournaments, a blog, [6] and a book club. The library also offers services for children in the downstairs area of the library, including story time, toddler time, and summer reading programs.
RRPL also offers an online reference service, "Ask a Librarian", which allows patrons to submit questions to reference librarians online and have answers emailed to them within 48 hours.
Williamson County is a county in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 609,017. Its county seat is Georgetown. The county is named for Robert McAlpin Williamson (1804?–1859), a community leader and a veteran of the Battle of San Jacinto.
Georgetown is a city in Texas and the county seat of Williamson County, Texas, United States. The population was 67,176 at the 2020 census. It is 30 miles (48 km) north of Austin.
Round Rock is a city in the U.S. state of Texas, in Williamson County, which is a part of the Greater Austin metropolitan area. Its population is 119,468 as of the 2020 census.
Houston Public Library is the public library system serving Houston, Texas, United States.
The New Orleans Public Library (NOPL) is the public library service of the city of New Orleans, Louisiana, United States.
Montgomery County Memorial Library System is a public library system in Montgomery County, Texas, United States.
The Huntington Beach Public Library (HBPL) is a library system located in Huntington Beach, California. It offers online databases, print and electronic books and magazines, children's programs, computer lab, DVDs, CDs, and audiobooks for anyone with a Huntington Beach Library card. Library cards are free to California residents. Free wireless access is available at all locations without a card.
The Plainfield Public Library District serves residents and businesses of the village of Plainfield, Illinois and surrounding area. The library district's current population is in excess of 60,000 residents. The library is located at 15025 S. Illinois Street, Plainfield, IL 60544 near crossings of Lincoln Highway and U.S. Route 66 The street numbering convention was recently changed. The library's address under the old system was 705 N. Illinois St.
The Charlotte Mecklenburg Library is the public library system of the city of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County in North Carolina.
Farmington Public Library is a public library system in San Juan County, New Mexico.
Public Libraries is the official publication of the Public Library Association (PLA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA). It is devoted exclusively to public libraries. The print edition is published six times a year and is a delayed open access journal, with older issues available as PDF files on the journal's website.
The Oregon Civic Justice Center is a three-story former library building on the campus of Willamette University in downtown Salem, Oregon, United States. Built in 1912 as a Carnegie library for the city of Salem, the building now houses several programs of Willamette University College of Law. Prior to the law school's moving into the facility in 2008, the building was used by the adjacent Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) from 1971 to 2006.
The Rock Island Public Library is located in downtown Rock Island, Illinois. The Rock Island Public Library traces its beginnings to 1872, making it one the oldest public libraries in Illinois. However, fee-based public libraries started in 1855 in Rock Island and have contributed to the history of Illinois' original library system.
The Doris Foley Library for Historical Research is a reference and research library in Nevada City, in Nevada County, California. Built in 1907, the Romanesque Revival style building is currently a branch of the Nevada County Library System.
The Santa Monica Public Library (SMPL) is the public library serving residents of Santa Monica, California and surrounding areas. SMPL is directed by a City Librarian, who reports to the Santa Monica City Manager's Office and is overseen by a Library Board consisting of five members appointed by the Santa Monica City Council.
McAllen Public Library, or MPL, is the public library system serving McAllen, Texas, United States.
The Pittsfield Public Library is located at 110 Library Street in Pittsfield, Maine. The building it occupies is a Beaux Arts building designed by Albert Randolph Ross, and was built in 1903-04 with funding assistance from Andrew Carnegie. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. It is one of the state's oldest Beaux Arts buildings, and one of the most architecturally distinctive in the town.
The Goderich Public Library is the local branch of the Huron County Library, located in Goderich, Ontario.
The Athens-Clarke County Library is the headquarters and main branch of the Athens Regional Library System. It is located in Athens-Clarke County, Georgia. The structure contains two stories that are open to the public. It contains a YA Department, Children's Department, and Heritage Room, which maintains a local archival collection about Clarke and surrounding counties.
