Harrington Library
🏢 Plano Public Library System · Plano, Texas
Harrington Library
Plano's original public library building, named in 1969 to honor Gladys Haggard Bishop Harrington — the civic leader who launched the city's first lending library out of a community house in 1955 and nurtured it until the city took over a decade later.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 9am–8pm |
| Tuesday | 9am–8pm |
| Wednesday | 9am–8pm |
| Thursday | 9am–8pm |
| Friday | 9am–5pm |
| Saturday | 10am–5pm |
| Sunday | 1pm–5pm |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 1501 18th Street, Plano, TX 75074
Phone: (972) 941-7175
Website: plano.gov
Plus Code: 865528F4+RW (Plano, TX)
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📖 About Harrington Library
The Harrington Library opened on June 2, 1969 as the first purpose-built public library in Plano, the culmination of a campaign led by Gladys Haggard Bishop Harrington and the Federation of Church Women of Plano, who had operated the city's only lending library from the Plano Community House since 1955. On April 22, 1968, the Plano City Council named the new building the Gladys Harrington Public Library in recognition of her meritorious service; she went on to live to 103, continuing to visit Plano classrooms and champion reading until her death on June 27, 2004. A voter-approved $5 million renovation completed in 2023 transformed the branch: the children's area was rebuilt with a dedicated Children's Program Room and a Teen Space, new study rooms and meeting rooms were added, and a new roof and HVAC system were installed, giving the 55-year-old neighborhood anchor a thoroughly modern interior while keeping it rooted in its residential east Plano community.
⭐ What makes this library special
- Plano's original public library building, opened June 2, 1969 — named after Gladys Haggard Bishop Harrington, who founded the city's first lending library in 1955
- 2023 renovation (voter-approved $5 million bond) added a Children's Program Room, dedicated Teen Space, new study rooms, and a new HVAC and roof
- Houses the Literacy for Life adult-literacy program, Spanish-language materials, and a New Adult Reader Collection alongside the general circulating collection
- Part of the five-branch Plano Public Library System serving Collin County, with TexShare resource-sharing across hundreds of Texas libraries
- Programs range from Breathe & Read Storytime for ages 3–5 to the Youth Entrepreneurship Academy for grades 9–12 — all held in the renovated program rooms
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
Plano cardholders access eBooks, streaming video, research databases, and more free through the library's digital platforms and TexShare:
📚 Services
- Public computers with internet access, printing, scanning, and copying
- Study rooms and meeting rooms (renovated 2023, reservable)
- Children's Program Room and Teen Space (added 2023 renovation)
- Spanish-language materials and New Adult Reader Collection
- Literacy for Life adult-literacy program (headquartered at Harrington)
- TexShare card for reciprocal borrowing at Texas libraries statewide
- Free library card for Plano residents and Collin County residents
- Interlibrary loan through the Plano Public Library System network
🎸 Programs
- Breathe & Read Storytime — ages 3–5, playful mindfulness storytime held in the Children's Program Room
- Youth Entrepreneurship Academy — grades 9–12, multi-day program where participants write business plans and pitch to professionals
- Summer Kickoff Party — annual launch event for Summer Reading in the Program Rooms
- STEAM and Library Make programs — hands-on science and making activities for school-age children
- Small Talk — early language development sessions for very young children and caregivers
- Adult enrichment classes — technology, finances, and career programs for the broader community
📍 Nearby Libraries in Collin County & North Dallas
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Gladys Harrington and why is the library named after her?
Gladys Haggard Bishop Harrington (1901–2004) was a Plano civic leader who, in 1955, organized Plano's very first lending library in the Plano Community House through the Federation of Church Women. She ran it voluntarily for a decade until the City of Plano assumed financial responsibility in 1965. On April 22, 1968, the Plano City Council voted to name the new library building the Gladys Harrington Public Library in recognition of her decade of service. She lived to 103, continuing to visit Plano classrooms urging children to read, and died on June 27, 2004.
What changed after the 2023 renovation?
A voter-approved $5 million bond funded a major renovation that closed the library in late October 2022 and reopened it in early 2023. The renovation added a dedicated Children's Program Room and a Teen Space (separated from the children's area for older youth), new private study rooms, additional meeting rooms, a new roof, and a modern HVAC system. The branch held a grand reopening celebration on April 2, 2023.
Does Harrington Library have resources specifically for adult learners and new readers?
Yes. The Literacy for Life adult-literacy program is headquartered at Harrington Library, making it a hub for adult learners in east Plano. The branch also holds a New Adult Reader Collection of high-interest, easy-reading titles alongside Spanish-language materials. Digital resources including LinkedIn Learning courses and TexShare databases are accessible free with any Plano library card.
Can I use Harrington Library if I live outside Plano?
Collin County residents qualify for a free Plano Public Library card. Residents of other Texas counties can also request a TexShare card at any Plano library branch — present a driver's license showing your current address, and you'll receive a card valid for six months that provides reciprocal borrowing privileges at Plano and at hundreds of other TexShare member libraries statewide.
📚 This library has study rooms. See how library study rooms work — booking, time limits and quiet vs group rooms — and find other libraries with study rooms libraries with study rooms by state.
🖨 This library offers printing, copying & fax. See how library printing, copying, scanning and fax services work — costs and mobile printing — and find other libraries that offer them printing & fax by state.
👶 This library runs story times for kids. See how library story times work — ages, what happens and that they are free — and find other libraries with story-time programs library story times by state.
📅 This library has meeting & community rooms. See how library meeting rooms work — booking, policies and fees — and find other libraries with meeting or community rooms meeting rooms by state.
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✓ Hours & details last verified from official sources in September 2026.