About Us

New Main Library

page last updated January 23, 2012

After 60 years in its present location in downtown McAllen, the Main Library of McAllen Public Library looks forward to a new home, new look, and new direction. The building will be located at 4001 N. 23rd Street [map it]. On this page you'll find facts, photos, and videos detailing the new library's development leading up to its grand opening in December 2011.

Update:
Old Main Library (601 N. Main St.) closed Wednesday, November 23, 2011. Photos here.

New Main Library (4001 N. 23rd St.) opened Saturday, December 10, 2011. Photos here.

Did You Know?

At 123,000 square feet, the new Main Library may very well be the largest single floor public library in the nation. The next largest is the Johnson County Central Resource Library in Overland Park, Kansas, at 90,547 square feet.

Present vs. Future

Consider this by-the-numbers comparison of the present and future Main Library:

Present Main

Future Main

Opened: 1950

Size: 40,000 square feet

Collection Count: 330,394 items

Floors: 3

Public Meeting Rooms: 2

Public Study Rooms: 3

Public Computer Lab: 29

Special Features:
ground floor atrium, patio, used book store

Opens: December 10, 2011

Size: 123,000 square feet

Collection Count: 355,794 items

Floors: 1

Public Meeting Spaces: 16

Public Study Rooms: 14

Public Computer Lab: 64

Children's Computer Lab: 10

Teen's Computer Lab: 6

Genealogy Computer Lab: 2

Special Interior Features:
teen area, cafe, auditorium, quiet reading room, self-check out units, art gallery, electronic classrooms, meeting rooms with audiovisual services, expanded children's area, used book store, automated materials handling system, themed wood ceiling and other special interior design features

Special Exterior Features:
extensive landscaping, Dewey Learning Trail, front mall area with one water feature, entrance canopy, drive-up book drop, exterior children's area, over 350 parking spaces

Video

Produced by Roda Grubb, YourValleyVoice.com. Published November 7, 2011.

Produced by the City of McAllen. Published October 19, 2011.

Produced by Roda Grubb, YourValleyVoice.com. Published October 18, 2011.

Produced by Roda Grubb, YourValleyVoice.com. Published September 9, 2011.

Produced by the City of McAllen. Published August 1, 2011.

Produced by Roda Grubb, YourValleyVoice.com. Published July 5, 2011.

Produced by the McAllen Cable Network and Explore McAllen. Published May 27, 2011:

Images

Please note: the image slideshow below requires the latest version of Adobe Flash Player. If the slideshow does not load, visit the library's gallery on SmugMug, the photo-sharing site where these images are stored.