Suburban H-town libraries - 2 of 2 - Far north end…read more
If any library review needs a tag line, it's this one - the Kingwood Branch Library. As you drive up to it and park, it may portend disappointment, but
"Don't Judge a Book by its Cover."
Let me explain. Kingwood is a master planned community that has some cachet, containing many named and themed neighborhoods, and it is the farthest northeasterly tentacle of the city of Houston. However, as you approach this library, you are looking at the short side of a big rectangle. The library entrance is reached by following a trellised path down its side. Then, when you turn and enter the library, you finally realize it's a substantial two level facility.
Most of the key areas in the Kingwood Branch Library are upstairs. This would include the stacks, open study areas with tables, study rooms, computers, and very comfortable lounge-like reading areas, the latter of which will not be suitable for "lounge lizards." Downstairs, one finds circulation, a children's area, community rooms, restrooms, and even a used bookstore. However, with its high ceilings and big windows, the upstairs makes for a very likable place to be. With Kingwood branding itself as the "livable forest," the windows bring in the abundant verdant aspects of this area and, even if ridiculously hot outside, provide a soothing feeling inside. This is a fitting library for this relatively newer area.
The staff at this library is very helpful. They were on point with helping me with my low maintenance needs ... and did so with a smile! Another thing to note is a bureaucratic issue that might confuse some. Since it is within the city of Houston proper, one might think it's a branch of the Houston Public Library (HPL). It is not, although there are many HPL branches. Instead, the library in Kingwood is part of the Harris County Public Library system. That said, some of the libraries in H-town will be HPL libraries, while others in the city, and in nearby municipalities, will be in the Harris County Public Library system. They are not one and the same.