HARLINGEN — More than 25 years ago when the library was built, the floor outlets and other electrical capabilities were probably considered plentiful.
Not anymore.
That’s just one reason why Harlingen Public Library is ready for new furniture to plug into technology.
This week, city commissioners approved an agreement with Library Interiors of Texas to purchase $90,000 in furniture for the Harlingen Public Library.
The Austin-based firm will custom-design furniture featuring electrical outlets to allow patrons to plug in their computer tablets and cell phones, library Director Dauna Campbell said yesterday.
“They come up with unique furniture that comes with outlets,” Campbell said of the company described as a buy board.
Campbell said the library, built in 1991, lacks enough outlets to serve a growing number of patrons who use computers and cell phones.
“We’re becoming a much more plugged in society so it’s important to have outlets to plug in tablets and phones,” she said.
The company, which designed furniture for the Brownsville Public Library, will help furnish the library’s adult section.
Money for the furniture will come from the city’s general fund.
Campbell said she plans to buy durable furniture to replace old fixtures, some as old as the building.
“We have a building heavily used so we need furniture that’s going to last the high-traffic we have,” she said.
Campbell said she plans to buy furniture to match the library’s style.
“We’re definitely looking to keep in the style of the building,” she said. “We’re not going ultra-modern but we’re going a little modern to match the building and reflect the personality of the community.”
The Junior League of Harlingen has proposed furnishing the library’s children and teen sections, said Campbell, who did not have estimates on the project’s cost.
Campbell expects to furnish the adult section by the end of summer.
The library, built in 1991, lacks enough outlets to serve a growing number of patrons who use computers and cell phones
