About Richardson Public Library

Print Feedback

Font Size: + -

Administration

Director of Library Services: Jennifer Davidson

Assistant Director of Library Services: Vrena Patrick

Library Board

Cathy Ziegler, Chair

Richard Lin, Vice Chair

Traute Malhotra

Amanda Gallegos

Patricia Mulvihill

Miranda McClellan

Hawana Townsley

The Library Board meets on the second Wednesday of every other month at 6:30 p.m. in the Millwood Creek Conference Room (L128) at the temporary Library location: 2360 Campbell Creek Blvd., Ste. 500, Richardson, TX 75082. Meeting dates, member information, and the current agenda are all available on the City of Richardson Public Notices page.

Philosophy of Service

Richardson Public Library serves the cultural, educational, informational, and recreational needs of patrons. Patrons of every age, circumstance, color, creed, economic status, and race are served with courtesy, dignity, and respect.

Mission Statement

Richardson Public Library provides welcoming, inclusive, high-quality services and resources that serve the entire community.

History

The Richardson Public Library began in 1947 as a branch of the Dallas County Library. It occupied a few crowded shelves in the back room of Cash Dry Goods store at 108 East Main. Miss Jessie Durham, the proprietor of the store, served as librarian. The population of Richardson was then 1,200 and the library collection numbered four hundred volumes.

Eleven years later, a city ordinance authorized the library as an official city department. A $100,000 bond issue was approved to cover the costs of construction of a new building. On November 22, 1959, citizens literally carried the books from Cash Dry Goods store to the new location at 310 East Tyler. This 5,800 square foot, red-brick building sat behind the police station and consisted of two rooms separated by the circulation desk. The population of Richardson was then about 12,000.

By 1965, the library had again outgrown its space. In July, the citizens approved bonds to finance a new location. The current library building opened its doors December 1, 1970, at an estimated cost of $2 million. The city population was then nudging 50,000. The 81,650 square foot, four-story building opened with the use of two floors and a small portion of a third. By 1980, the basement reference department had been added. In 1993, a bond election was approved to finish the third floor, install a second public elevator, and totally renovate the remaining space. In February, 1995, the work was completed and the building opened to the public.

2023 TMLDA Award Recipient

badge for Web For the 19^th consecutive year, Richardson Public Library has received the 2023 TMLDA Award. The award is the “Achievement of Library Excellence Award” presented by the Texas Municipal Library Directors Association. Richardson Public Library met the Association’s benchmarks of excellence by: conducting a summer reading program, providing services to underserved populations, providing enhanced service to the public through an increase in service or a change in type of services, providing cultural, topical and educational programming for adults and families, providing literacy support for all ages, investing in collaborative efforts, and establishing professional staff training at all levels. RPL is one of only 84 public libraries out of the total 545 libraries in the state to receive the award this year.

Thanks to our community for offering suggestions to help make RPL a great library!

2024-2029 Strategic Plan

The Richardson Public Library updates its strategic plan every five years to communicate strategic priorities, to review best practices for library service, and to maintain its accreditation with the Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC). The Library began working on a new plan in Fall 2023. It was approved by the City Council on January 10, 2024. To view the plan, please click the link below.

2024-2029 Strategic Plan

Code of Conduct Policy

The goal of the Library’s policy is to maintain a safe and healthy environment conducive to the productive and enjoyable use of the Library.

The Library expects users to attend to personal belongings. The Library is not responsible for personal belongings left unattended in the building.
The Library reserves the right to limit the size and number of items brought into the building.
Drinks with lids are allowed in the Library.
Shirts, pants, and shoes must be worn at all times in the Library.

The following behaviors are prohibited in the Library:

Harassing, stalking, or annoying others or behaving in a manner which reasonably can be expected to disturb other patrons.
Using threatening or abusive language directed toward other patrons or Library staff.
Smoking/tobacco products, including nicotine delivery and vaping devices, inside the Library or within 25 feet of any entrance doors of the Library.
Disturbing other Library users, including the use of cell phones.
Practicing poor body hygiene to the point of disruption to the Library environment.
Leaving children under the age of 10 unattended and/or neglecting to provide supervision of children.
Bringing animals, other than service animals (as defined by the ADA), into the building without prior approval of the Director.
Soliciting or distributing materials without prior approval from the Director.
Moving furniture.
Monopolizing/obstructing space, seating, tables or equipment to the exclusion of others.
Sleeping.
Defacing or damaging any Library materials, equipment, furniture; or interfering with the operation of Library equipment.
Commercial photography or commercial filming unless by prior approval of the City’s Director of Communications.
Misusing restrooms. Examples of misuse include (but are not limited to) smoking, bathing, hair-washing, and doing laundry.
Bringing bicycles, scooters, or shopping carts inside the building. Skateboards or skates must be carried if brought into the Library.

Refusing to comply with requests by members of the Library staff to abide by Library policies may result in revocation of Library privileges, expulsion from the Library, or criminal prosecution. Any person banned from the Library by action of the staff may request a hearing on the propriety of that ban before the Library Board at its next regularly scheduled meeting.

Library Policies, Statements, and Goals

The Library's main policy manual is here, and our collection development policy for books and materials is here. The Library's decisions, policies, and goals are guided by the Texas Library Association's Intellectual Freedom Statement and the American Library Association's Library Bill of Rights and Freedom to Read Statement.

Free viewers are required for some of the attached documents.
They can be downloaded by clicking on the icons below.

Word Viewer