VENUE REPORT BOOKISH VENUES
Houston Public Library - Clayton House
PAGE-TURNING GATHERINGS Book a bookish venue for a bestselling event.
BY TERESA KENNEY
WANT TO ADD A LITERARY FLAVOR TO YOUR NEXT EVENT—LITERALLY? Host a gathering at a library to add a scholarly tone to your fête. You could even go all-in with a literature-themed dress code. Here are some suggestions for a “novel” approach to event planning. Houston Public Library | houstonlibrary.org
The Houston Public Library’s Julia Ideson Building offers an elegant setting with a rich history. The 1926 building features Spanish Renaissance architecture that reflects Texas’s Spanish-Mexican heritage. The building houses the Houston Metropolitan Research Center and is named for the first head librarian of the Houston Public Library. As director of the library, Ideson oversaw its growth through two world wars and the Great Depression. The building’s romantic interior features reflective Spanish brick floors, high arched windows and a grand staircase. Artwork includes an original mural depicting the first fundraising campaign for the library, which took place in the 1800s. Planners can rent the Tudor Gallery, which is framed by large marble pillars and oak trim, and crowned by
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an elaborately detailed ceiling. The Reading Room, with its original wood fixtures, is also available for private events. The African American Library at the Gregory School was built in 1926 as Houston’s first public school for African Americans. Today, it’s home to treasured archival collections of African American history. The building features a glass lobby with city skyline views, pavers embedded with traditional West African symbols and a 3-foot-tall wall of patterned oxidized copper panels. Groups can reserve its two meeting rooms, the foyer or the reference room. The library’s historic Clayton House was built in 1917 by William Lockhart Clayton as a private residence. It was deeded in 1958 to the City of Houston to be used as a library and today houses the system’s genealogy collection. The Victorian home includes a number
of spaces for gatherings. And the system’s Central Library includes a variety of spaces for private events, including the 2,100-square-foot Program Place and the 1,781-square-foot concourse Meeting Room. Please note: Not all spaces are available for use by private groups—some are restricted to civic, educational and nonprofit organizations. Be sure to check the meeting room guidelines provided online.
Austin Austin Central Library | library.austintexas.gov
Austin's Central Library, located in the city’s Seaholm EcoDistrict, has a number of spaces to choose from when planning a private event or meeting. The building overlooks Lady Bird Lake and Shoal Creek and is across from the Ann and Roy Butler Hike and Bike Trail. The library’s 4,749-square-foot special event center
P H O T O : J I M E VA N S
Houston
| SPRING 2020
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