Library Director
José A. Gámez
Hours
9:00 AM – 9:00 PM
9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
1:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Contact
(956) 688-3300
(956) 688-3301
Services
Borrowing • Meeting Rooms • Computers • Interlibrary Loan • Tax Forms • Copy & Fax • Test Proctoring • Tours • Book A Librarian • Genealogy • Obituary Requests • Local History • Friends of the Library Bookstore
Programs
Summer Reading Program • Story Time • ArtWalk • Event Calendar
Historical Note
McAllen Memorial Library (the official name of the Main Library) opened for business on November 12, 1932, in a room at the McAllen Chamber of Commerce. The fledgling library grew rapidly, relocating to the First Baptist Church and then to the Archer Park Bandstand to meet space demands. It remained in the basement of the Bandstand for nearly 15 years, until May 28, 1950, the day the present location on Main and Fir Streets was dedicated and opened to the public.
In 2007, as part of its 75th anniversary celebration, the Library created a commemorative historical timeline, provided here for download: Historical Timeline [jpg].
Over the decades the Main Library has evolved architecturally, expanding from a one-story building to a three-story structure, and the collection within has grown in tandem. Today the Main Library is the headquarters of the McAllen library system, providing a host of professional services and programs to a receptive population of users.