Hours are shifting at two Corpus Christi Public Library locations starting Aug. 11 due to the start of the school year.
The Janet F. Harte Public Library is located on Flour Bluff Independent School District property. The Dr. Clotilde P. Garcia Public Library is located beside Kaffie Middle School.
Library patrons should be prepared for fewer daytime hours during weekdays at the Harte Public Library.
Flour Bluff ISD and the city of Corpus Christi have an intergovernmental agreement to operate the Harte library branch on school district property. The joint-use facility has been open since 2000.
But after changes to state law requiring schools to secure entries and limit public access to school facilities, Flour Bluff ISD and the city agreed to adjust
operating hours at the Harte library during school hours last school year, cutting the hours the branch was open each week from 44 to 28.
A long-term solution is still being discussed. According to an Aug. 4 presentation to the city library advisory board, options include relocating library operations, having Flour Bluff ISD buy the library building or having the city buy the land from the district, or building a partition wall to separate areas that will be used by the school and areas that will be open to the public.
New hours at the Harte library:
- Monday: 4 to 8 p.m., with curbside hours from noon to 4 p.m.
- Tuesday: 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 4 to 8 p.m.
- Wednesday: 4 to 8 p.m., with curbside hours from noon to 4 p.m.
- Thursday: 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 4 to 8 p.m.
- Friday: 4 to 8 p.m.
- Saturday: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Sunday: Closed
After residents raised concerns, curbside services and additional hours were added, but the branch was still closed to the public for most of the day during school days. For the 2026-27 school year, hours at the Harte library are similar.
Though the Garcia Public Library is also located on school property, in this case the Corpus Christi Independent School District, the branch location will have more daytime hours than the Harte Public Library.
New hours at the Garcia library:
- Monday: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Tuesday: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and 5 to 7 p.m.
- Wednesday: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and 5 to 7 p.m.
- Thursday: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and 5 to 7 p.m.
- Friday: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Saturday: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Sunday: Closed
These hours represent a slight tweak from the location's summer hours, which did not include the closure from 4 to 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
Olivia Garrett reports on education and community news in South Texas. Contact her at olivia.garrett@caller.com.
This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Operating hours adjusted at two Corpus Christi public libraries
