HPL News - Visit Us at Houston Public Library

Sheena Wilson, Manager of the African American History Research Center at the Gregory Campus, appeared on CW39's H-Town Live this week to discuss HPL's fourth annual George Floyd Memorial Lecture. You can watch it here.

Recent Posts

Big Feelings: Controlling the Center

In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, Houston Public Library (HPL) is hosting “Big Feelings: Controlling the Center,” a family program designed to promote emotional well-being and mindfulness. With a variety of workshops and activities, this program aims to provide tools to navigate stress, anxiety, and challenges in everyday life. Featured Sessions Include: • Parenting Styles with Crystal Collier – Learn about different parenting approaches and how they impact children’s emotional development. • Dance it Out Dance Party – Movement-based stress relief for children, combining music and dance to promote emotional expression. • Storytime with Therapy Dogs – Calming reading experience where young readers and their parents can interact with gentle therapy dogs. • Creating Comfort Bags – Hands-on activity where tweens will fill a goody bag with items that help alleviate stress in challenging moments. • Yoga for Tweens with Juju Faragher – Beginner-friendly yoga session designed to help tweens develop mindfulness and relaxation techniques. • Anxiety Unplugged: Coping Skills for a Calmer You – Discussion-led session focusing on practical strategies to manage anxiety in daily life. • Healing Art with Rose Tylinski – Hands-on activity that encourages creative expression for emotional healing. This free event takes place at McGovern-Stella Link Regional Library on Saturday, May 31, 2025, at 2 p.m. To register, please visit HPL’s event calendar....

HPL in the Spotlight: Chronicle Showcases What Makes Our Library Card So Powerful

We’re proud to share that the Houston Chronicle is shining a spotlight on the Houston Public Library and the incredible value of a MYLink library card in a feature article titled “3D printers, music studios and more: A Houston library card offers more than books.”The article also celebrates our historic and cultural collections, from African American history at the Gregory School, to family genealogy at Clayton, and Houston/Texas history preserved at Julia Ideson. These spaces not only preserve the past but empower our patrons to explore their roots with guidance from on-site archivists.And it doesn’t stop there—cardholders also gain access to top-tier digital learning and research tools, including:Ancestry.com TexasA vast collection of digitized documents related to Texas government and history from the Lorenzo de Zavala State Archives and Library Building in Austin and the Sam Houston Regional Library and Research Center in Liberty. **Note: Free access to the records that have been digitized by Ancestry is available to Texas residents courtesy of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission. Users are required to create a free Ancestry.com Texas account (instructions at the bottom of the website's homepage). LinkedIn Learning for LibraryFeaturedNOTE: To log in via Linkedin Learning mobile app: Use Library ID: houstonpubliclibrary when prompted, before entering library card and PIN. LinkedIn Learning for Library provides over 16,000 video tutorials in multiple languages covering software applications and coding, technology, hard and soft business skills and many other topics, all taught by recognized industry experts. 24/7 access to online learning to help you achieve personal and professional goals. Use via browser or get the app for iOS or Android mobile devices. Downloading certificates of completion immediately upon earning them is recommended. Mango Languages Mango prepares learners for realistic conversations and communication in over 70 world languages including English. To get started, select Sign Up, register with your valid Houston Public Library card number and PIN, then create an account with your email address and a password. If you don't already have a MYLink library card, there's never a better time to sign up!Read the full article on the Houston Chronicle website: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/article/houston-library-card-20337275.php...

In the News: AAHRC Manager Sheena Wilson on CW39's H-Town Live

Houston Public Library Launches 2025 Summer Reading Program: “Color Our World”

Annual initiative encouraging children, teens, and families to explore stories, creativity, and culture through reading and events.Houston – Houston Public Library (HPL) is excited to announce that registration is open for its annual Summer Reading Program (SRP)! This year’s theme, Color Our World, invites readers of all ages—kids, tweens, teens, and adults—to celebrate creativity, imagination, and the joy of reading. The program runs from June 1 to July 31, but now is the perfect time to sign up and get ready. Children under four years will track the number of books read, while all other participants will log their reading minutes throughout the summer.In addition to reading, participants can earn rewards by attending a variety of HPL events, including author visits, performances, storytimes, live animal visits, art classes and more. Tweens and teens are encouraged to enter the Get Graphic: Comic Creation Contest launching July 1, where they can submit original comics featuring their own characters and stories.“We are encouraging Houstonians to begin their summer adventure with books, creativity, and fun. This year, we’re aiming for a 10% increase in both participation and completion, as we continue to inspire a love of reading across our community,” said Sandy Gaw, Library Director.Thanks to the generosity of CYCLE Houston, which has donated 34 bikes for the SRP grand prize winners (ages 7-9), the winner at each location will receive a bike.“CYCLE is honored and excited to partner with Houston Public Libraries this summer to help encourage students to keep reading and avoid summer learning loss. We cannot wait to see the summer reading challenge winners' happy faces when they receive their bicycles! CYCLE is committed to improving literacy in Houston, specifically for second-grade students, as it is a crucial year for learning to read," said Rebecca Roberts, Executive Director of CYCLE.To learn more about the program, please visit the website or any HPL location. For more details and to sign up, visit https://houstonlibrary.org/srp. About Houston Public Library We are a dynamic public service organization serving one of the largest and most diverse areas in the nation—both in population and geography. Our comprehensive, customer-focused service delivery strategy supports the 2.3 million residents of the City of Houston.Our system is comprised of 44 public service units, including six Regional Libraries—anchored by our flagship Central Library—28 Neighborhood and Express Libraries, three History Research Centers, four TECHLink centers, a Satellite location at the Children’s Museum Houston, the Mobile Express outreach unit, and the Mayor’s Office for Adult Literacy. Together, we provide equitable access to resources, technology, and lifelong learning opportunities for all Houstonians.About CYCLECYCLE is a children’s charity committed to improving literacy among children in grades K-3 in Title I schools of the Greater Houston area. The organization does this by rewarding students with brand-new bicycles after they achieve defined academic goals, teaching the important lesson that hard work and dedication really do pay off. CYCLE believes that this places children on the path to a brighter future. Contact:LaDonna WeemsDeputy Assistant Director, CommunicationsOffice: 832.393.1476LaDonna.Weems@houstontx.gov ...