[HOUSTON, TX. JANUARY 13, 2025] – Seven years after Hurricane Harvey devastated this community and its library, Harris County Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey and Harris County Public Library (HCPL) announce the reopening of Baldwin Boettcher Branch Library @ Mercer Park with structural improvements aimed at preventing flood damage in the future. The library, located at 22248 Aldine-Westfield Road in Humble, will reopen on Monday, January 13, at 9:00 a.m.
“The people of this community have been so patient, so understanding, and so supportive over the past seven years, we frankly cannot wait to welcome them into the brand new, full-service location the community deserves,” said Edward Melton, HCPL Executive Director.
In a three-day span in August 2017, Hurricane Harvey dumped over 40 inches of rainfall on Harris County and inflicted a record $125 billion in damage. While the Baldwin Boettcher Branch was not the only HCPL location damaged by the storm, it suffered the greatest damage. In rebuilding the library, the Harris County Engineering Department made significant improvements to the structure aimed at preventing the kind of wholesale damage it suffered during Harvey. Three-foot-high concrete retaining walls surround the building’s foundation. There are now specially fitted flood barriers for all library entrances. and the HVAC system now sits on a raised platform to keep it above floodwaters.
“We are grateful to Commissioner Ramsey and his team for their dedication to rebuilding the Baldwin Boettcher Branch to better withstand weather events like Harvey,” said Melton, “Their top priority was to ensure the community will have access to our services year-round and after emergencies when they are most needed.”
For a community that was among the hardest hit by Hurricane Harvey’s unprecedented devastation, the library’s reopening represents a significant milestone in its long road to recovery. In the seven years since the storm, the community and library staff alike have had to make do with temporary facilities with extremely limited space, collections, and little publicly accessible technology like computers and internet access. For a time, the branch was rechristened, The Little Blue Library, when it was housed in a 15’ x 15’ metal building. Later, it moved into a small room in the Mercer Arboretum complex, which, while better appointed, was slightly smaller. The rebuilt library is more than 25 times the size of the two temporary homes combined.
Through it all, the library staff has provided programs like story times and summer reading, as well as ESL classes for the community. The Mercer Arboretum and its staff have made spaces available and supported library programs in every possible way and Harris County Public Library is grateful for their partnership and support, said Melton.
Library staff is understandably excited about moving into their new quarters. “After seven and a half years of the scent of flowers and books, stories and new experiences, and a strong community who patiently waited for our return, we are finally ready to unveil the new and improved (and full-size) Baldwin Boettcher Branch Library,” said Branch Manager Victoria Alardin, “Gone are the days of putting Baby in a corner. We are back and ready to dance and celebrate with you all!”
Commissioner Ramsey and HCPL are planning a celebration of the re-opening for the community in the near future. The date, time, and details will be announced as soon as they are available.
