In 2008, a meeting was scheduled inviting citizens to meet with Mayor Tom Reid, Pearland city council members, Precinct 4 commissioner Rhodenbaugh and others to demonstrate to the city that a second library was needed. Geoffrey Tonini, a Shadow Creek resident, related that at this first meeting, citizens packed the room showing support for a second library in Pearland. It was at this meeting that the idea of a “Friends” group was first discussed. On September 14, 2010, the Friends group met formally for the first time. Since a second library was felt to be a long-term project, discussion focused on a short-term solution such as a “store-front library” as an intermediate step. The Friends began the application process for becoming a 501(c)(3) organization and approval was granted in 2012. The Friends became very active in the community promoting the library and the Friends group in presentations and booths at various school and city events. The Friends have supported the Pearland Westside Library in its growth from a closet sized room in the Westside Event Center to a store-front library on Business Center Drive to the development of the new stand-alone library on Shadow Creek Parkway with an anticipated opening date in January, 2022. The Friends now have over 95 members and continue to support the Pearland Westside Library with funds for programs, gifts for reading challenges, supplies and other items not covered by the library budget. They are currently focusing on fundraising related to the needs of the new West Pearland Library building on Shadow Creek Parkway. Anyone interested in more information, becoming a member, or learning about ways to help should go to the Friends website: pearlandwestsidelibraryfriends.org . Libraries are an essential part of any community and make learning and recreational opportunities available to all. For many years, the Tom Reid Library on Liberty Drive was able to meet the needs of Pearland citizens. As the city of Pearland expanded and growth increased on the west side of Pearland near the 288 corridor, the need for a second library began to come clear. Friends of West Pearland Library
Top: Friends of Pearland Westside Library Bottom: Architect’s rendering of the planned new library on Shadow Creek Parkway near Kirby Drive.
Pearland in Motion / Winter/Spring 2022 / 9
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