95_Aggie said:

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Maybe the library should have been built there too?

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The library has been at its location for 21 years (1998 was the opening I believe). I'm not sure relocating and building a new library in your suggested location would be fiscally responsible.

With respect to why that wasn't done more than 21 years ago when College Station and Bryan agreed to open up the branch at the Harvey Mitchell location, back then the population of CS was 60,000. College Station has over 110,000 people now. Considering growth is smart planning, but hindsight is probably easier...

As much as closing the library was a pain (and the current situation where they closed off the main entrance, with ZERO work going on to replace the column siding at last check), the library was in a good locationmajor roads, centrally located, near the high school. If they had abandoned the building, it almost certainly would've been demolished with any redevelopment having to go through the usual hurdles about being near schools and other hangups.

95_Aggie said:

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Maybe the library should have been built there too?

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From the College Station Library web site............In 1986, the cities of Bryan and College Station signed an interlocal agreement for Bryan to operate a branch library in College Station. College Station's first public library opened in 1987, and the present location opened in 1998.

The big hero in College Station ever having a library has to be the late Clara Mounce.

Animosity between Bryan and College Station was huge in the late 70's early 80's. I will not go into the detail about the problems (they are well documented) but College Station wanted a library. Bryan "old guard" was dead set against anything College Station.

The verbiage "for Bryan to operate a branch library in College Station" is not by accident.

Ms. Mounce was a Librarian first and politics last person. She never gave up the battle. Even the official name....Bryan+College Station Library was a struggle. There was no way, in those days would the Bryan/College Station Library. BCS Library, Bryan College Station Library would appear on any document.

I know that sounds silly today but with the Post Oak Mall, Texas Instruments and Westinghouse, serious changes were made in the pecking order.

This post is primarily to give thanks for a great Librarian, the late Clara Mounce.

Don't get me started about College Station having the propensity of naming places after people still living. i.e. College Station Arts Council building that had to remove the name of person who was convicted of misdeeds.

duffelpud said:

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Department of No!