Blog Entries

Famous Poets to “Visit” George Memorial Library in Interactive Theatrical Experience

April 2024

Special “guests” will be visiting Fort Bend County Libraries’ George Memorial Library (Richmond) in April for National Poetry Month! Library visitors will have an opportunity to interact with some of their favorite poets – both past and present – in a theatrical experience that is sure to delight poetry lovers of all ages!

“Walking in Verse: An Interactive Poetry Experience” is an immersive live-performance event that will take place on Saturday, April 13, from 10:00 am to 12:00 noon, at George Memorial Library.

Actors from The Live Oak Playhouse will portray ic... Read Full Blog

FBCL Offers Online Exploration of Far Reaches of History

July 2024

Explore the far corners of history with Fort Bend County Libraries’ collection of online resources by Infobase. From ancient and medieval times through modern world history, these resources offer a portal through time for students, educators, and researchers who wish to delve deeply into the events, cultures, people, and places that shaped the course of history around the world.

The Infobase History resources cover four distinct areas: African-American History, American History, Ancient and Medieval History, and Modern World History. All four of the digital collections... Read Full Blog

FBCL Offers Demonstrations of In-Depth Online Research Collection

September 2024

Whether you are looking for information or answers for school, work, or simply out of curiosity, Fort Bend County Libraries (FBCL) offers robust online resources for all kinds of information seekers.

Throughout the month of September, FBCL will hold demonstrations of EBSCO’s MasterFILE™ Complete – an online collection of journals, magazines, newspapers, and reference ebooks. Learn how to search this online resource for complete articles from Consumer Reports, U.S. News & World Report, TIME, Better Homes & Gardens, Sports Illustrated, and much more.

T... Read Full Blog

Shakespeare-by-the-Book Returns with “Twelfth Night” Comedy in October

October 2024

After a 19-year hiatus, Fort Bend County Libraries is excited to announce the return of the Shakespeare-by-the-Book Festival this fall!

In conjunction with The Live Oak Playhouse, Fort Bend County Libraries will present live theatrical performances of William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night – an uproariously funny romantic comedy with a 1980s twist -- at George Memorial Library in Richmond on Saturdays and Sundays, October 5 and 6 and October 12 and 13, beginning at 1:30... Read Full Blog

“Olympus, Texas” Selected for FBCL’s 2024 “Community Reads” Reading Initiative

November 2024

Fort Bend County Libraries invites the public to join in this year’s “Community Reads” initiative, a county-wide reading program encouraging communities to read and discuss a particular book together September through November. The 2024 selection for “Community Reads” is Stacey Swann’s debut novel, Olympus, Texas.

Book discussions on Olympus, Texas will take place at different locations throughout the library system on various dates and times during the months of September, October, and November. The “Community Reads” initiative will conclude at FBCL’s annual Book ... Read Full Blog

Libraries Offer Demonstrations of Online LinkedIn Learning Resource

October 2024

Fort Bend County Libraries (FBCL) now offers free, unlimited access to LinkedIn Learning for Library for library cardholders. This online library of more than 16,000 instructional videos – created by recognized industry experts with real-world experience – helps job hunters and other professionals master the professional skills needed to compete and perform well in an ever-evolving job market.

Throughout the month of October, FBCL will hold demonstrations of LinkedIn Learning for Library. The demonstrations will take place at the following locations, but those who a... Read Full Blog

Learn How to Use Libraries’ 3D Printers

November 2024

Fort Bend County Libraries offers free classes on the use of its 3D printers every month. Learn about free websites that can be used to find 3D files that are already created and about other resources that help you create your own designs.

Classes will take place at the following locations in December, but those who are interested may also inquire about this resource at any time at any of the FBCL locations that offer 3D printing: Cinco Ranch Branch Library, Fulshear Branch Library, George Memorial Library (Richmond), Mamie George Branch (Stafford), Mission Bend Br... Read Full Blog

Libraries Introduce “Writers’ Corner” Online Tools for Aspiring Authors

November 2024

Fort Bend County Libraries (FBCL) continues its goal of supporting and encouraging aspiring novelists with an online “Writers’ Corner,” where aspiring novelists, as well as readers looking for something new, can create, share, and discover works introduced right here in Fort Bend County.

The “Writers’ Corner” includes three unique tools – Pressbooks Public, the Indie Author Project, and the BiblioBoard Library – that enable writers, as well as readers, to create, publish, and discover digital content made by and for the local community.

Demonstrations will ta... Read Full Blog

Happy 50th Anniversary to Albert George Branch & Mamie George Branch Libraries!

November 2024

In November 1974, Fort Bend County Libraries officially became a library “system” when it opened its first two branches – the Albert George Branch Library in Needville and the Mamie George Branch Library in Stafford.

With the addition of these two locations to the original Fort Bend County Library, located next to Polly Ryon Hospital (now OakBend Medical Center) in Richmond, the goal of the founders to establish a system of libraries accessible to all residents of Fort Bend County continued to grow.

This November, Fort Bend County Libraries will celebrate the... Read Full Blog

Annual Genealogy Lock-In at George Memorial Library

October 2024

In recognition of Family-History Month in October, Fort Bend County Libraries’ Genealogy & Local History Department at George Memorial Library in Richmond will join the Genealogy Network of Texas (GNT) in a state-wide, collaborative Genealogy Lock-In for family-history buffs on Friday, October 18, from 10:30 am to 4:30 pm, in Room 2A of the library.

A series of teleconferences with topics of interest to family-history researchers will be live-streamed throughout the day. Participants may attend to view all the sessions, or they may choose to view individual sess... Read Full Blog

Libraries Host Financial-Literacy Series for Teens

January - April (2025)

Fort Bend County Libraries (FBCL) offers programs specifically designed for high school-aged teens in grades 9 through 12. This winter/spring, FBCL will host a free series of Financial Literacy workshops designed to give teens a better understanding of personal finances, credit cards, and money-management skills that will help them succeed in the adult world after high-school graduation.

The series of classes will be presented by Fort Bend County Extension Agent Janelle Johnson. Each month, the topic will be repeated at three different FBCL locations. Regi... Read Full Blog

Libraries Celebrate Digital Age of eBooks & Streaming Collections

January 2025

In 2007, Fort Bend County Libraries (FBCL) launched an online eLibrary with 400 OverDrive ebooks in its digital collection. The service was so well received that 600 more books were added a few months later.

Since then, the OverDrive collection of ebooks and e-audiobooks has grown to 37,018 digital copies available for free checkout. Since it was launched in 2007, library users have checked out offerings from the OverDrive collection more than 2.3-million times!

In 2015, FBCL added access to the hoopla digital collection, which expanded the eLibrary offerings ... Read Full Blog

Discover Your Next Great Book with FBCL’s Online Reading Recommendations

December 2024

Readers who can leisurely browse the row-upon-row of shelves of books in the library often find enticing books that they might not have known about previously. Or perhaps the librarian who knows what books the reader likes may suggest a new book or author to try.

In this digital age, however, when many people browse the library’s online catalog from home in search of a specific book, the chance to stumble upon a lucky find or hear a helpful suggestion from the librarian will be missing.

Fort Bend County Libraries (FBCL) has an online Reading Recommendations s... Read Full Blog

Learn How to Become a U.S. Citizen at First Colony Branch Library

December 2024

Fort Bend County Libraries’ First Colony Branch Library will present an informational program, “YMCA International Services U.S. Citizenship Course,” on Wednesday, December 4, from 2:00 to 3:30 pm, in the Meeting Room of the library.

Jessica Laureano, education program coordinator with the YMCA International Services division, will talk about the benefits of becoming a U.S. citizen and the pathway to achieving that goal. Learn about the Citizenship requirements and test exemptions established by the United States Citizen & Immigration Services (USCIS) departmen... Read Full Blog

Get Online Access to Current & Archived Newspapers

February 2025

Fort Bend County Libraries offers online access to a variety of news outlets from around the world, making millions of full-text articles from newspapers, journals, magazines, newswires, transcripts, and blogs available free to library cardholders for research or daily use.

With professional subscriptions to different digital services, Fort Bend County Libraries (FBCL) enables library cardholders to access online current and past editions of publications such as The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, the Houston Chronicle, and many more.

FBCL’s NewsBank... Read Full Blog