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New McAllen library opens to large crowd
McALLEN —Despite a light drizzle and cool temperatures, more than 2,000 people stood in line for the grand opening of the new McAllen Public Library.
The new library features more than 129,000 square feet and is three to four times larger than the old library, said project manager Victor Gonzalez, who spent about a year overseeing the construction.
The project including turning an old Wal-Mart near the intersection of Nolana and 23rd Street into a new state-of-the-art building.
The new library is a milestone in the city’s development, McAllen Mayor Richard Cortez said.
“This is an investment in the future,” he said. “Everyone knows that a society is empowered through knowledge and education. We’re hoping that the community, especially the children will take advantage and further their education.”
The transformation took about three years to get from an idea to a reality as the city faced various difficulties, Cortez said.
“At the time this was started, the city and the economy was in a good place, and this was and continues to be a good investment,” Cortez said. “The time was right and we did it. Now with the economy being where it’s at, we have to be more careful until it turns around.”
The old public library, which is on Main Street, had been in use since the 1950s. Almost every 10 years, the city would add on to it, Library Director Jose Alfonso Gamez said.
“Sadly we outgrew the old main library,” Gamez said. “In this new library we have plenty of room to grow.”
The library houses about 250,000 book,s but plans are under way to fill the shelves with an additional 100,000.
“We have focused on the children’s area because even though young readers are turning more and more to electronic readers, we believe the majority still want to read the books in print,” he said.
The new building also has about a dozen study rooms, a teen lounge, an auditorium, two large meeting rooms and a café.
Carlos Martinez sat in a circle with several other children as a librarian told them about children’s books. Martinez had gone with his father, Carlos Sr., to see the new library.
“Reading is an important part of a child’s life,” the father said. “Reading doesn’t have an age. And it’s a passion that you will have forever.”
Ildefonso Ortiz covers law enforcement and general assignments for The Monitor. He can be reached at 956-683-4437 and at Iortiz@themonitor.com
