A Community Library

The Katy Garden Club established a library for the Katy community in 1918.  The library frequently moved among the private homes of area residents, and volunteers operated it for 12 hours each week.  

When the Harris County Public Library system was founded in 1921, County Librarian Lucy Fuller met with community organizations in Harris County, including the Katy Garden Club.  By the end of 1921, the Katy community library joined the HCPL system.

By 1923, the library was placed in Mrs. C.W. Douglas's grocery store (seen here). A wooden case with several shelves housed the books in the back of the store.​

In 1935, the library moved to Ed Romack's furniture store after Mrs. Douglas sold hers.  At its new home, the station was managed by librarians Eudora Frazier (for nine months of the year) and Louise Schipf (during the summer months). 

In the late 1930s, the library station was closed, and the community was placed on bookmobile service.  A supplementary collection remained in the Katy School, and the school became a library station.

Finally A Branch

In 1940, the Katy Branch Library opened with Eva Ruth Peck as branch librarian. The 16'x24' one-room building was constructed on the southeast corner of the city square at Avenue B and Second Street. Katy citizens volunteered to help with the construction. The new building had a small porch with knotty pine paneling and hardwood floors.​

Eva Ruth Peck remained the librarian until 1943, when her sister, Edith Oliphant, took over for the next seven years.  ​

The interior of the Katy Library is pictured here.  

In 1949, a library board was formed, and talk began of making Katy a bookmobile stop. This, thankfully, never came to pass.

In 1950, Eva Ruth Peck returned as librarian of the Katy branch, a position she held until her retirement in 1963.   ​

​During the 1950s, the Katy Elementary School (seen here) did not have its own library.  Teachers took their classes on a weekly walk to the Katy Library to check out books.  

In 1953, with funds raised by area residents and the sale of the old building, a new building was constructed to house both the Katy Library and the Katy Volunteer Fire Department. 

The new joint-use building was located on the south end of the city square, and the community celebrated with an open house on October 24, 1953. The new library was open 12 hours a week and held approximately 2,000 books.

In the 1953 annual report on the library system, County Librarian Mary Butler wrote: "Katy now has one of the nicest branch libraries in the county, and of this she should be very proud."

In 1963, after Eva Ruth Peck's retirement, Vivan Taylor became librarian of the branch, a role she held for nine years.  By the end of the 1960s, the library was open for 20 hours a week.  ​

Meanwhile, the book collection had grown to 4,500 volumes, double the number it had when the branch opened in 1953.  There was little space for people to sit and read or study. Library programs at the branch were limited due to a lack of space.  The branch was functioning mostly as a book station for Katy residents.    

In 1971, Cheryl Griener served as the Librarian when Vivian Taylor stepped down. Judy Eckmann was hired in 1972 and would oversee the next big change at the Katy Library.

A 1971 study examined the service areas of current HCPL locations and projected future growth in the county.  As seen in this graphic, the Katy Library (number 9) was very isolated from the rest of the library system.  Over the previous 20 years, the City of Katy had seen only modest population growth. However, the Katy Freeway (Interstate Highway 10) had just recently been completed.  This mostly rural part of Harris County was on the cusp of a population boom.
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In 1973, a Friends of the Library group was finally formed with Jane Lindsay as president. The Friends approached the City of Katy to inquire about expanding the library section of the building. The City told the Friends that an expansion would be included in a bond election to be held in the spring of that year. The Friends organized to help voters understand the importance of the library bond, and it ultimately passed. 

The Katy Fire Department was given expanded space in a new city complex and soon moved out.  Now that the entire building was available, plans were made to convert the joint-use building into a single larger library space.​
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During the 1974 renovations, the library was moved to a room in the Katy VFW Hall for four months.  The Friends raised $3,363.44 in a fund drive for furnishings. 

On March 16, 1975, the library opened in the newly remodeled building. The library now had 2,150 square feet, a workroom, and a librarian's office. The wing that used to be the old library became the children's area. ​
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In 1976, the Branch Librarian position became full-time.  The library was consequently open 40 hours a week for the first time in its history. ​
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When the Savannah Collier library station at Carverdale High School closed in 1978, its librarian, Myrtle Ross, joined the Katy Library as the children's librarian.

By the early 1980s, the Katy area was booming: new subdivisions had popped up all around Katy, the city received a new hospital, and two new elementary schools opened.

Because of all this, the City of Katy purchased additional shelving for the library and allowed interns to work 40 hours per week. At the end of 1981, circulation was up 20% from the previous year, and the county increased the branch's budget to reflect the rise in usage.

A young adult fiction section was set up at the library. Programs for adults included a safety program, a quilting program, and a "refunding" program. Programs for children included "Theatre on Wheels," regular storytimes, and storytimes for daycare groups.

In September, Branch Librarian Judy Eckmann wrote a History of the Katy Branch Library, from 1921-1981 (seen here).   

Judy Eckmann resigned as Branch Librarian in March 1982, and Myrtle Ross (pictured on the left) took over the position until the county hired a permanent replacement. ​
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In May, library hours were cut: the library was closed on Wednesday mornings, and on Saturdays it closed at 5 pm instead of 6 pm. A new copy machine and "micro-reader-printer" were also installed that month.​
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In July, Carol Walther (pictured on the right) became the Branch Librarian.    ​
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The roof leaked that year, and there were discussions about the need for a new library building. Consequently, some of the programs were held at the Katy VFW Hall. One of those programs was a "Theatre on Wheels" production of Alice in Wonderland. ​
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Circulation increased by 15% from the previous year. 

In 1983, circulation increased by 22% from the previous year.  The branch was unharmed by the two tornadoes and Hurricane Alicia that blew through the Houston area that year. ​
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The branch was upgraded in status from a small library to a medium-sized library.  The theme for the 1983 Summer Reading Program was "Reading Rodeo." During July, children made Pac-Man pillows.​
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In 1984, Helene Shippington became the branch librarian, and circulation decreased by 0.5% from the previous year, while other statistics remained unchanged.

In April 1985, the City of Katy installed new carpeting in the building.  Jo Ellen Green became the branch librarian in September of that year.

In November, the Friends of the Library began campaigning for a new building for the Katy Library. At a Katy City Council meeting in November, Mayor Johnny Nelson was authorized to negotiate with property owners for a new library site.  In December, Mayor Nelson wrote a letter to Harris County Commissioner Steve Radack, advocating for a new library branch.  The City of Katy began to budget for staff salaries and building maintenance fees. 

In 1986, petitions for a new library building in Katy were still going strong; however, economic stagnation at the time made the request difficult to fulfill.​
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The Friends of the Katy Library started selling books from a bookshelf in the building lobby year-round. 

By 1989, Melba Martin (seen here) was hired as the branch Librarian.

In the fall of 1990, the branch received its first computers when the Compaq Computer Corporation gifted 227 computers to the County.  A fax machine was installed at the branch in November 1992. By 1996, the branch was wired for Internet access, allowing staff and patrons to use the new online catalog.​

Between 1991 and 1997, the library had five different branch librarians: Rosa Sims in 1991, Norma Davis in 1992, Rex Steiner in 1994, Judy Cantwell in 1996, and Terri Dingley in 1997.
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1993 was an eventful year for the Katy Library.  In November 1992, a tornado damaged the nearby Bear Creek Library, which was closed until December 1993.  During that time, Bear Creek customers visited the Katy Library, and by January 1993, Katy's circulation had increased by 3,000 books per month.  The Katy Library, with its smaller collection, could not keep up with the demand from the new customers - most of the picture book collection was checked out within a few months.  Katy Library staff received complaints that the collection was "too small," but noted that there was no space to add more books in their current building.

Construction of the Maud Smith Marks Library was also underway in the early 1990s.  Just a handful of miles from the Katy Library, the new branch would serve residents of Katy primarily south of IH-10.  When the new branch opened in July 1993, staff expected a significant drop-off in customers.  While Katy's circulation tapered off after both branches opened, its circulation numbers remained higher than before 1993.  As noted by Branch Librarian Rex Steiner, the heavy use from the Bear Creek and future Maud Smith Marks customers "awakened the Katy City Council to the fact that the library was an important part of the town, and that a new library might help the town."

By the 1990s, Katy Library staff held many programs at the VFW Hall because the library could not accommodate larger crowds.  In a June 1997 report, Branch Manager Terri Dingley notes that 50-65 kids attend storytime regularly and that some programs have more than 200 children.  The Katy Library needed more space for both books and programs.

While the Katy City Council briefly considered renovating the Hall to house a new library in 1998, staff and the Friends of the Katy Library wanted a new building.

In 1999, there was a proposal for a new Katy Community Center that could also house the library. 

On January 22, 2000, a bond election that included a proposal for a new library building for Katy passed. Construction was set to start in 2001.

In 2001, Cecillia Shearron-Hawkins became the Branch Librarian.​
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In 2002, construction on the new library building began with a groundbreaking ceremony (seen here).

Construction continued from 2002 to 2003.

View more pictures of the groundbreaking and construction in a photo album put together by Katy staff.

The new building opened on April 27, 2003, with a dedication ceremony.  Visitors signed a guestbook to commemorate the event.

The former building, known as Katy City Hall Annex, had served the library for 50 years.  It was converted into office space.

Katy Library staff together in the new building in 2003.

The new library had plenty of space for children's programs.  Through the Reading to Dogs program, children could practice their reading skills with kind, gentle listeners. 

In the fall of 2004, the branch held a series of programs celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month, including dances by young performers. 

The Houston area experienced a rare snowfall around the Christmas holiday.  Pictured here are snowflurries landing at the parking area of the Katy branch.

Presenters of the Art and Artists of Mexico program at the Katy Library in 2005.

In April 2006, Myrtle Ross retired as the children's librarian.  HCPL staff and the Friends of the Katy Library threw her a reception.

Pictured here is Olga Reyes preparing for a bilingual storytime program.

The Katy staff held a formal tea ceremony to celebrate the Friends of the Katy Library in 2007. 

The ESL (English as a Second Language) program was very popular in 2007.

Dancers perform at a Hispanic Heritage Month program in the fall of 2007.

Katy Library staff in April 2008 (seen here).​
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That same year, the branch celebrated Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month with programs featuring Indian culture.

In September, Hurricane Ike hit the area with no major damage to the Katy branch.

In 2009, Angel Hill became the Branch Librarian.

The branch also once again celebrated Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month.

On November 17, the branch's children's area was dedicated to retired children's librarian Myrtle Ross in recognition of her 36 years of public service. Members of the local news media were present at the well-attended event.  Myrtle Ross is seen here laughing as she addresses the audience.  Her portrait was hung in the children's room.

In January 2010, Katy Branch staff held a reception to thank the Katy Friends Group for their support and help.

The Katy Library also celebrated its birthday in 2010 with a party and cake. 

The Katy Branch Library celebrated its 90th birthday in 2011.  Local newspapers covered the party held on April 9, 2011.  The party had an "Old Main Street" theme, which staff and visitors embraced with costumes and dancing throughout the day.  The video here contains the highlights of the party.

The Summer Reading Program in 2013 was a busy one for Katy.  The branch had a Teen LEGO Challenge in July.  Teens used branch-supplied materials and their imaginations to craft one-of-a-kind projects.

New Children's Librarian Bryan Kratish started a Baby Bounce program that ran through July.  

Katy staff put together a huge paper mural to celebrate the Christmas season, with a big Christmas tree and two nutcrackers.

On March 14, 2014, Katy had its first Pi Day, an event celebrating the mathematical value π.  H-E-B sponsored the program, which included a Pi Reciting contest to see how many digits of pi the children could recite correctly.

In October of that year, Queen Elsa and Princess Anna from the Disney film Frozen visited the Katy Branch Library and held a tea party.

The Katy Branch staff gathered together for a holiday card at the end of 2014.

View of the garden in 2015.

On May 7, 2016, the Katy Branch Library held an Asian Festival as part of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.  The festival included musical performances, dancing, henna art, and more.

In January 2018, the new Curiosity Cruiser bookmobile visited the Katy Branch.

Children got to see some wild animals up close during a Zoofari program in April.

In October, as part of Hispanic Heritage Month, Katy held Fiesta Hispana, with dancing, crafts, and displays.

HCPL Director Edward Melton visited the Katy Branch Library to present NASA @ Your Library in July 2019.  Dressed up as an astronaut, Director Melton talked about outer space, NASA, and life on Mars. 

As 2020 progressed and the Coronavirus pandemic struck Harris County, the Katy Branch staff transitioned to virtual service.  The staff helped customers adjust to the new curbside service, designed customized book bundles, and recorded virtual programs to stay connected with their community.

The branch reopened to the public on May 19, 2021. After a challenging year for the Katy community, the library is back in business.