Alice McKean Young Neighborhood Library
🏢 Houston Public Library — Houston, Texas
Alice McKean Young Neighborhood Library
Opened in November 2016 in a striking 16,000-square-foot Perkins+Will building, the Alice McKean Young Neighborhood Library honors a Houston civic leader who was among the first in Texas to campaign for women's right to vote and later served as dean of the Houston Public Library Board — bringing a landmark, Family Place–designated 21st-century library to the OST/South Union community near the MetroRail Purple Line.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 12pm–8pm |
| Tuesday | 10am–6pm |
| Wednesday | 10am–6pm |
| Thursday | 12pm–8pm |
| Friday | 1pm–5pm |
| Saturday | 10am–5pm |
| Sunday | Closed |
Hours may vary on holidays.
📍 Location & Contact
Address: 5107 Griggs Rd, Houston, TX 77021
Phone: 8323932140
Website: houstonlibrary.org
📖 About Alice McKean Young Neighborhood Library
<p>The Alice McKean Young Neighborhood Library honors Alice McKean Young, an early advocate for women's voting rights in Texas who was appointed to the Houston Public Library Board by Mayor Oscar Holcombe and rose to become its longest-serving dean. The current building, designed by the architectural firm Perkins+Will, opened in November 2016 at 5107 Griggs Road in the Greater Third Ward/OST area, replacing a far smaller former location in the Palm Center retail mall on the same street. At 16,000 square feet — double the size of its predecessor — the modern, streamlined facility is equipped with meeting spaces, computer labs, a job lab, 3-D printers, and a multimedia photo-editing suite. The branch holds a national designation as a <strong>Family Place Library</strong>, offering parent-child workshops, a toddler play area, and a five-week Toddler Playdate series with on-site resource professionals supporting early childhood development and caregiver education.</p>
⭐ What makes this branch special
- Designed by Perkins+Will and opened November 2016 — a 16,000 sq ft modern facility double the size of its predecessor
- Designated a Family Place Library, with structured parent-child workshops, infant/toddler play areas, and on-site parenting resource professionals
- Named for Alice McKean Young, one of the first Texans to campaign for women's voting rights and long-time dean of the HPL Board
- Equipped with 3-D printers, multimedia photo-editing space, a job lab, iPad Pros for children's coding, and VCR-to-DVD conversion
- Steps from the MetroRail Purple Line's Palm Center stop, making it one of Houston's most transit-accessible neighborhood branches
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❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Family Place Library, and what does that mean for Young Neighborhood Library?
Family Place Library is a national designation for branches that have made a special commitment to early childhood literacy and family support. At Young Neighborhood Library this means dedicated infant and toddler play areas, a five-week Toddler Playdate series featuring creative and collaborative play, parent-child workshops with literacy programming, and on-site resource professionals available during programs to answer parenting and child development questions.
Who was Alice McKean Young, and why is the library named after her?
Alice McKean Young was a Houston civic leader who was among the first in Texas to campaign for women's right to vote. She was later appointed to the Houston Public Library Board by Mayor Oscar Holcombe and served as its dean — the board's most senior member — devoting decades to the advancement of public library services in Houston.
Does Young Library have technology equipment I can use on-site?
Yes. The branch is equipped with 3-D printers, a multimedia photo-editing space, a job lab with employment resources, iPad Pros for children's coding activities, public computers, free Wi-Fi, and a VCR-to-DVD conversion machine — making it one of HPL's most technology-rich neighborhood branches.
✓ Hours & details last verified from official sources in October 2026.