Dallas Public Libraries: Books, Music, Movies, and so Much More!

If you live in the Dallas area, you are lucky to have a great library system to take advantage of in your neighborhood. Many people think libraries are obsolete with the Internet being such a viable resource with the click of your mouse. But public libraries possess a wealth of knowledge and atmosphere that cannot be replaced. You can check out books, CD's, DVD's, magazines, books on tape, and even use the free wireless internet available at all Dallas Public Library locations. The following are a few of the libraries in the Dallas Public Library system. Check out www.dallaslibrary.org for a complete listing of locations and hours and details about registering for a library card.

J. Erik Jonsson Central Library (Downtown Dallas)

1515 Young Street

Dallas, Texas 75201

Sun: 1PM-5PM

Mon, Tues, Wed, Thurs: 9AM-9PM

Fri, Sat: 9AM-5PM

The J. Erik Jonsson Central Library, conveniently located in Downtown Dallas, is a pillar of this city's history. It's a large building that houses several divisions including their Current Collection, General Reference, Children's Center, Humanities, Grants Center, Texas/Dallas History & Archives Division, Genealogy, and much more. Permanent exhibits boast such treasures as writings from William Shakespeare and the Declaration of Independence document. Programs and classes offer education on science fiction, greening tips, and mineral auditing. You could surely spend a whole day exploring the rich offerings of this unique library.

Bookmarks (North Dallas located inside Northpark Mall)

8687 North Central Expressway, Suite 1514
Dallas, TX 75225

Sun, Mon, Thurs, Fri, Sat: 12 PM-5PM

Tue: Closed

Wed: 10 AM-3PM

Bookmarks is conveniently located inside Northpark Mall located off of I-75 and Park Lane. It is a library geared towards children and is a great place for kids to read and learn while parents can take a break from shopping. Bookmarks offers a five-thousand item collection of materials for ages 0-12. Bookmarks offer an extensive program schedule on Wednesdays and Saturdays including story-telling, sing-a-longs, yoga for kids, and puppet shows. Bookmarks is also proud to present weekly activities for children like crafts and magic shows as well as for parents like their Baby Bounce Basics.

Pleasant Grove (Southeast Dallas)

1125 S. Buckner Blvd

Dallas, Texas 75217

Sun: 1-5pm

Mon, Tue, Wed: 11am-9pm

Thurs: Closed

Fri: 11am - 5 pm

Sat: 10am-5pm

The Pleasant Grove branch library is a keystone of the Southeast Dallas community where students go to study, children go to learn, and adults go for resources. Many community meetings are held here at the library's 150 seat auditorium and two classrooms. This location offers Citizenship, ESL, and GED classes. This location also offers computer basics training for adults, support groups for grandparents raising grandchildren, and spoken word/poetry nights. Check out this location's website for their Authorspeak events, a literary series featuring nationally known and best-selling authors.

Skillman Southwestern (North Central Dallas)

5707 Skillman Street

Dallas, Texas75206

Sun, Thurs: Closed

Mon, Tue, Wed: 10am-9pm

Fri, Sat: 10am-5pm

This branch, built in 1996, is located in a beautiful and lush area of North Central Dallas and serves a diverse population. Skillman Southwestern is the site of the fifth of the Dallas Public Library's Teen Centers where teens ages 13-19 can use a laptop and check out an ample array of graphic novels, music CDs, and fiction. Their weekly programs include a mystery book club, toddler time, speaking and communications classes for students, and an adult book club.

Hampton-Illinois (Oak Cliff)

2951 South Hampton Road

Dallas, Texas 75224

Sun: 1-5pm

Mon, Tue, Wed: 7:45am-9pm

Thurs, Fri : 7:45am-5pm

Sat: 10am-5pm

The Hampton Illinois Branch was opened in 2006. It is located in Oak Cliff across from Kiest Park. The branch is the first in Dallas to be the home of a Black Box Theater which is used jointly with the Office of Cultural Affairs. This large community building also possesses a Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Center, a Teen Center, and a beautiful public art garden. Weekly events include chess classes, Spanish storytelling, crafts, and citizenship classes.

Dallas West (West Dallas)

2332 Singleton Boulevard

Dallas, Texas 75212

Sun, Fri: Closed

Mon, Tue, Thurs:10am-9pm

Wed, Sat: 10am-5pm

The Dallas West branch library was renovated in 2004 to become one of the largest branches in the system. This location has been a community highlight where residents can enjoy books, computers, magazines, and so much more. The Dallas West branch offers ESL, GED and computer classes for adults. Their weekly schedule also includes story times for toddlers and several programs for children.