Skip to main content

City of Bryan, Texas

MORE
INFO  ›

x

facebook icon twitter icon instagram icon flickr icon youtube icon NextDoor icon
February 28, 2023

The Bryan + College Station Public Library System connects our community to a universe of knowledge and possibilities

Row-by-row the shelves cover the floor, each one containing its own universe. New worlds are born amid these shelves where the past, the present and the future coexist. Spanning three locations across two cities, a Bryan + College Station Public Library is a place of research, exploration, and discovery for all ages.

Photo of person taking a book off of a shelf at the library.

Books on demand

Like little windows to the world, books connect us to new places and ideas. From the person looking to learn something new, to the avid reader looking for their next novel, with more than 175,000 books to discover; the library system has something for everyone!

The library system’s vision statement is: “To engage, enlighten, empower and inform lifelong learners in the Brazos Valley.” In the 21st Century, that also means meeting those lifelong learners on their own platforms and on their own schedules.

For those not inspired by the crisp smell of aged paper and the weight of a hardback book, the library provides access to thousands of e-books and e-audiobooks, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The vast digital collection also includes an agreement with the Harris County Public Library, and a program called E-Read Texas.

Additionally, Bryan ISD, College Station ISD and International Leadership of Texas (Brazos area) students can access the library and school’s collection of reading titles through Sora: The Student Reading App.

Exterior of Carnegie Library

Discover the past

Utilizing funds from Andrew Carnegie’s Library funding program, the City of Bryan constructed its first library in 1903, and today, it is the oldest Carnegie library in Texas that is still used for its original intended purpose. At the Carnegie History Center, you can dive into the archives to relive the past. Walk through Historic Downtown Bryan with vintage photos, wind down the Brazos River along a historic map, look into your own family history with local records or utilize Ancestry.com.

As the community’s needs grew so did the library system, eventually leading to the construction of Clara B. Mounce Library in 1969, and College Station’s Larry J. Ringer Library in 1987.

Photo of an African storyteller on the lawn of Mounce Library.

Photo of girl reading at the library smiling at the camera.

Photo of a person logging onto Tutor.com an online homework help site through the BCS library website.

More than just books

With an ever-growing community, the library system hosts children’s story times, book clubs, crafters, teen fan clubs, game nights, and so much more throughout the year for all ages.

Need homework assistance? Check out Tutor.com. Interested in learning a new language? Explore lessons with Pronunciator, where you’ll get access to 163 different language courses. Looking to become a U.S. Citizen? ProCitizen online citizenship classes are available in both English and en Español. Want help with your taxes? The library system hosts events for that, too!

Even more resources are available with LearningExpress Library that offers test preparation (GED, SAT/ACT, TOEFL iBT, GMAT, GRE, CLEP, LSAT, the citizenship test, and more), homework help, career information, job application guidance and help with computer skills.

Library card-holders can stream hours and hours of commercial-free movies and documentaries through Kanopy. There are also databases of newspapers and magazines, the Job and Career Accelerator, and the Hobbies and Crafts Reference Center; the list truly goes on and on.

The best part? All you need to access all of these resources is a library card, which is free to Brazos County residents!

Photo of librarian helping with homework.

To discover all that the Bryan + College Station Public Library System offers for yourself, visit bcslibrary.org or stop by one or all of the locations:

  • Clara B. Mounce Public Library – Downtown Bryan, 201 E. 26th St., Bryan
  • Carnegie History Center – Downtown Bryan, 111 S. Main St., Bryan
  • Larry J. Ringer Library – 1818 Harvey Mitchell Pkwy. S., College Station
 
Share This:   share on facebookTweet This!
 
Posted in: Articles, Library