Houston Public Library Changes the Face of Urban Public Library Service Delivery
With Exciting Debut of First of Four Innovative
Technology-Driven Libraries: HPL Express Southwest

New library offers more technology per square foot than any library in Houston

View the Photo Album! Great photos from the Grand Opening.

Houston Public Library has opened its first of four new innovative libraries. Located in the Southwest Multi-Service Center at 6400 High Star in west Houston, HPL Express Southwest is the first of its kind in the country. Offering more technology resources per square foot than any library in Houston, the HPL Express experience virtually changes the face of how urban public library service is delivered to the community.

The futuristic 3600-square-foot concept library is flush with free digital connectivity along with library program offerings including computer courses, age-appropriate events, virtual tutoring, and access to HPL’s vast collection of 119 databases for researchers, students, and small businesses.

HPL Express customers have full access to the services, data, and collections of the entire library system. While the most popular and relevant materials will be kept on-site, customers may request that materials from any Houston Public Library location be delivered to any HPL Express for pick-up or use. The Library staff is specially-trained and committed to help customers navigate HPL’s vast technology resources and collections now right at their fingertips.

“The opening of HPL Express Southwest is an exciting new chapter in library services delivery,” said Dr. Rhea Brown Lawson, director of Houston Public Library. “The abundance of computer work stations, laptops and computer classes help to bridge the digital divide, added to the bright décor and highly-trained staff make the HPL Express experience fresh and unique for an urban library. We are ecstatic to take the lead among library systems across America in launching this new concept, and look forward to adding three other locations in Houston over the next 18 months,” she said.

. HPL Express Southwest technology resources include:

• 30 public access computers, including two Macintosh Computers (an HPL first)
• 15 laptops for computer classes
• Computer reservation paging system
• Five laptops for checkout (for on-site use)
• Free wireless Internet access
• Printing and copying services
• Self Check-Out units
• Three bilingual Early Literacy Stations (educational computer workstations that provide access to information and quality education to children pre-school age through the third grade)
• Two 42" LCD monitors for gaming, video reference, digital storytime, community events postings, movies, phonics and reading programs, etc.
• Video & instant messaging reference services

HPL Express Southwest is the first of four new Express libraries planned to open over the next 18 months. Additional locations include HPL Express Discovery Green (Park), opening in April 2008; HPL Express Frank, scheduled to open in fall 2008; and the HPL Express Vinson location, currently under construction inside the new South Post Oak Multi-Service Center, debuting in the spring of 2009.

HPL Express Southwest Library hours are Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturdays 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and closed on Sunday.

Programs and event offerings include:

• Children’s Phonics Reading Program
• Children’s Digital Storytime
• Computer Classes
• Evening Computer Classes
• Learning Express Computer Lab
• Open Computer Lab
• Rosetta Stone Computer Lab

About HPL Express Libraries

The HPL Express service model started as the e-library project, an assessment of better ways to offer library resources electronically and bridge the digital divide, and has developed into a completely new way of providing library service to all communities. HPL Express is a unique library facility that is intended to be installed within existing buildings, multi-service centers, office buildings, shopping malls, airports, and more. Even better is the bottom-line: Houston Public Library should be able to open the doors to a full-size HPL Express facility and operate it for one-quarter the cost of a new traditional library, while providing complete service to the same number of customers as a traditional library.

About Houston Public Library

The Houston Public Library (HPL) operates 36 neighborhood libraries, one HPL Express Library, a Central Library (opening May 31, 2008), the Houston Metropolitan Research Center, the Parent Resource Library located in the Children’s Museum of Houston, and the Clayton Library, Center for Genealogical Research. Serving more than 4 million customers per year, HPL is committed to excellent customer service and equitable access to information and programs by providing library patrons with free use of a diverse collection of printed materials and electronic resources, Internet, laptop and computer use, and a variety of database and reference resources with live assistance online 24/7.

For further information visit the Houston Public Library at www.houstonlibrary.org or call 832-393-1313.

Photo Caption: KID CONNECTIVITY … Learning and having fun at the new HPL Express Southwest Library, located at 6400 High Star in the Southwest Multi-Service Center, are Sylvan Elementary School Teacher, Mariya Priymak and 6-year-old student Diamond Stoneham. The dynamic duo participated in technology test-drives on a bilingual Early Literacy Station as part of the grand opening of the new technology-based library. HPL Express Southwest, the first of its kind in the country, features more than 50 computers, free wireless Internet access, self check-outs, two 42” LCD monitors for gaming, virtual reference and digital storytime, plus a computer reservation paging system. Houston Public Library will open three more libraries with this concept in the next 18 months. For more information, visit www.houstonlibrary.org or call 832.393.1313.