The Allen Public Library reopened to the public Dec. 8 following more than a year of renovation and expansion work that brought upgrades to the roughly 20-year-old facility.
The $19.9 million project added 18,000 square feet of new space while also upgrading amenities and expanding the library’s collections, a city news release states.
The specifics
The library closed Aug. 1, 2024, to allow for construction to begin, and the library operated from the former Rountree Elementary School campus from September 2024 to September 2025 during the construction work.
Facility improvements added to the library include expanded areas for book and materials, which created space for the roughly 10,000 new items added to the library’s collection in 2025.
Other new and improved amenities include:
A preschool playroomSix study roomsRentable meeting roomsDedicate teen spacesLaptops for in-library useFour new self-checkout stationsAn enhanced book return and book-sorting machine“This project is the result of years of community input, planning and dedication,” Library Director Jeff Timbs said in the release. “We’re excited to welcome everyone back and provide a modern, inspiring space where residents of all ages can learn, connect and explore.”
Following the reopening, the library’s weekly operating hours are as follows:
Monday-Thursday: 10 a.m.-9 p.m.Friday-Saturday: 10 a.m.-6 p.m.Sunday: 3-6 p.m.Quote of note
“This library is the center and the heartbeat of Allen, Texas,” Allen Mayor Baine Brooks said at the Dec. 8 public grand opening event. “When people come to town and they ask, what are the one of the most important amenities about our city, the first thing that comes out of my mouth is the library because it’s for everybody.”
The context
The city’s population growth contributed to the library, which was built in 2005, outgrowing the facility, the release states.
A citizen steering committee met from 2021-24 to contribute to the future of the library, the release states.
Allen City Council members unanimously approved a roughly $16.3 million construction contract with Fransen Pittman Construction for the project at a May 2024 council meeting. The approval also included a nearly $20 million total project budget for the library renovation and expansion, city documents state.
The project was primarily funded by general obligation bonds that were approved by Allen voters in the 2016 bond election, the release states.
For more information on the Allen Public Library, visit www.allenlibrary.org.