When the library opened in 1976, Aldine was a small, semi-rural community. It has seen considerable growth since then and the Aldine Branch Library has grown right along with it to serve the area's diverse and ever-changing population.

The Atascocita library's beginnings can be traced to 1986, when the Atascocita Hi Neighbor group, led by Odell Dreyer, initiated a decade-long project to build a library in the developing Atascocita subdivision. 

The Baldwin Boettcher Branch Library was opened in 1986. The branch was named after Baldwin Boettcher, whose family donated the land on which the branch stands. The building was flooded by Hurricane Harvey in August 2017 and fully reopened in January 2025.

The original Cypress Creek Library was built in 1976. Three decades later, the library was expanded and renamed in honor of former First Lady Barbara Bush, a lifelong advocate for reading and literacy. Mrs. Bush visited the library several times to read stories to the children. 

The Freeman Memorial Library opened in 1964, honoring Captain Theodore C. Freeman, the first U.S. astronaut to lose his life. In 1976, it moved to the Harris County Multipurpose Annex. The current joint-use facility opened in 2004 and was renamed the Clear Lake City-County Freeman Branch Library. 

The Crosby branch opened in 1922 and operated out of several buildings over the decades. The current library building was dedicated on October 8, 1987. The branch was renamed Crosby Edith Fae Cook Cole Branch Library to honor the local historian. 

The Evelyn Meador Branch Library opened on June 26, 1988. Unfortunately, Hurricane Ike heavily damaged the original library building in 2008. With funding assistance from the City of Seabrook, a new state-of-the-art, environmentally green facility was opened in 2011.

The Fairbanks Library began in 1922 as part of the local post office before moving to its own building in 1925. That building served the community until 1971 when a new 5,000-square-foot facility—over 20 times the size of the original—opened. The library was further expanded in 1991. 

Service to Galena Park began in 1922, with a branch opening in 1948. The current building opened in 1996,  thanks to a partnership between Harris County and the City of Galena Park. The branch was remodeled in 2012, 2018, and again in 2021 after damage from Winter Storm Uri.

The High Meadows Branch Library opened in 1983 on land deeded to the Harris County Public Library by the Aldine Independent School District. The branch was updated and renovated in 2005. 

The Highlands Stratford Branch Library has been a cornerstone of the Highlands community for many years. The area’s first public library opened in 1927 in a storefront. The first freestanding Highlands Library was established in 1937. In 1966, a new building was made possible through a generous donation from Highlands resident Anna Stratford. 

Jacinto City Branch Library has been a cooperative effort between the City of Jacinto City and Harris County since 1958. The current building, the A.J. "Bert" Holder Library, replaces the original branch, which still stands on Mercury Drive. 

Originally named the Bear Creek Library, the branch was renamed in 1999 for former Harris County Clerk Katherine Tyra. The branch survived a tornado in 1992 and Hurricane Harvey in 2017, thanks in no small part to the tight-knit and supportive Bear Creek community. 

HCPL has been providing library service to the Katy area since 1921. The community built its first freestanding library building in 1940 after nearly two decades of the library floating between homes and private businesses. The current Katy Branch Library building opened in April 2003. 

The original Kingwood Library opened in 1983, a grassroots effort by residents who saw the need for a library in their growing community. The current building, funded by Harris County and the City of Houston, opened in 2010. After flooding from Hurricane Harvey in 2017, it was rehabilitated and reopened on May 29, 2018. 

The La Porte Branch opened in 1921, and the community provided a small building in 1929. A new building opened in 1967, six times larger than the original. In 1982, the branch was renamed the Edith Wilson Memorial Library in honor of the dedicated librarian who served the community for nearly twenty years. The current facility was dedicated in 2001.

The Lone Star College-CyFair Library opened in August 2003 alongside the Lone Star College-CyFair campus. This unique partnership between HCPL and LSC-CyFair provides the community with access to the college's academic resources while also offering popular materials not usually available in academic libraries.

The Tomball branch started in the 1920s in a post office. The bookmobile later served the community until support grew, and a branch was built in 1962. Since 2005, the library has partnered with Lone Star College to provide exceptional service to the Tomball community.

In 1984, Katy residents campaigned for a new branch to serve western Harris County's growing population. Nine years later, the Maud Smith Marks Library opened, named for Maud Smith Marks, who ran a small HCPL station in Barker, Texas, during the 1920s and 1930s.

The North Channel Branch Library opened in May 1994, replacing the Channelview and Woodforest branches. It was funded by residents and local businesses, including several local petrochemical companies.

The Northwest Branch Library was built in 1983, dedicated in May 1984, and has proudly served the Cypress area ever since. It was renovated in 2004. The library continues to grow to meet the needs and wants of the Cypress community.

HCPL has served the Humble area since 1921, first in Humble schools and then for almost 40 years at the Humble Court House. In 1969, a new building opened, and the library was renamed the Octavia Fields Memorial Library. The current facility opened in 2001.

The Parker Williams Branch Library opened its doors to the Southbelt-Ellington community in 1993. It is named for Dr. Parker Williams, former Director and President of the San Jacinto—South Campus. 

The library opened in 1922 but moved frequently while the community grew in the 1920s and early 1930s. The current building opened in 1991 and was expanded in 2012. The branch is a cooperative effort of Harris County and the City of South Houston.

The Spring Branch Memorial Library's earliest location was an empty classroom at St. Francis Episcopal Church on Piney Point Road. In 1959, it moved to a small cottage behind its present location. The current building opened in 1975 and serves the Memorial Villages and Spring Branch.

The West University branch originally opened in the corner of the West University Community Center in 1942. The current 6,100 square foot building opened in 1963.  The library was renovated in 1984, 2006, and again in 2016.