Bette-Lee Fox

Harris County, TX, is happy to welcome back two branches damaged in 2017 by Hurricane Harvey. The Galena Park Branch, 6,922 square feet, reopened on April 23 following roof repairs and the replacement of the HVAC system. The 12,000 square foot Katherine Tyra Branch @ Bear Creek, Houston, reopened on April 30. It was swamped by nine inches of water from the storm, affecting materials, furniture, supplies, and technology. The ideaX Makerspace opened in Bellevue, WA, on April 14.

The Ann Arbor District Library, MI, the 1997 LJ Library of the Year, is considering several plans for its 110,000 square foot downtown location. Four options were presented to the library board, including remodeling and rebuilding, that would range from $10.4 million to $62.5 million. The current facility is a mélange of structures from 1957, 1974, and 1991. Among immediate concerns are a problematic septic system and a leaky roof, along with the need for new lighting.

Alabama-based author Linda Howard published her first book in 1982 and deservedly received the Romance Writers of America Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005. Her latest romantic suspense is a fascinating tale of paramilitary men and women facing battles of their own and of others’ making.