Texas Highways – September 2019

L

ast year, Forbes magazine pub-

lished an article by economist

Panos Mourdoukoutas arguing

that Amazon stores should re-

place outdated libraries to save taxpayer

money. Forbes later pulled the op-ed but

it didn’t seem to matter as a number of

libraries were already inspired to evolve

faster than a shush from the circula-

tion desk. In Texas, libraries are com-

ing alive by implementing grand renova-

tions that feature open floor plans full of

light and casual meeting spaces; cutting-

edge gadgets and makerspace technol-

ogy; and connections with nature and

the environment.

A leader of the renaissance is the new,

$125 million Austin Public Library’s Cen-

tral Library, completed in 2017. This

LEED Platinum-certified building—

meaning it’s “green”—is outfitted with

a bicycle corral for 200, a “tech petting

34 texashighways.com Photos: Tom McCarthy Jr. (far left); Will van Overbeek

DRIVE | FAMILY

Turn

the

Page

It’s a brave new world at these

forward-thinking libraries

By Dakota Kim

Midland Sherman

Friendswood

YOUNG READERS

AT the Midland County

Library at the Plaza.

RIGHT: The Friends-

wood Public Library.

zoo” for visitors to interact with new

technology like 3-D printers, an art gal-

lery, a native-plants rooftop garden, and

a farm-to-table café. In 2018, Time mag-

azine included the library on its list of the

World’s Greatest Places. Austin’s show-

piece is representative of a golden age of

library innovation across the state. Here

are three more libraries boasting smart,

beautiful changes.

Rising from the Ashes

The Sherman Public Library, built in

1972 and serving a population of almost

42,000, was in disrepair. Its clutter-filled

’80s addition had a floor that had sunk

4 inches. When the time for a renova-

tion came, librarians hoped to keep half

of the building open during construction.

But in April 2017 an arsonist broke in and

set four fires. Within a week and a half,

an army of town volunteers boxed some