The Houston Public Library operates the African American Library at the Gregory School.The library preserves historical information about the African-American community in Houston. It is the city’s first library to focus on African-American history and culture.The library features galleries, an oral history recording room, and reading rooms. $11 million from federal community development block grants and construction funds from Houston Public Library and the City of Houston financed the renovation of the Gregory facility.
Renovation of the Gregory School began in 2008.In February 2009 the developers of the library asked local residents for memorabilia that the library can use in its exhibits.The library was scheduled to open on November 14, 2009. Renovations took about one and one half years. As part of the renovation process, the school’s windows were removed, restored, and reinstalled, and the brick on the east, south, and west sides of the building was cleaned and preserved. The north side received a set of matching bricks. The library’s appearance is intended to match its original 1926 appearance. The library opened by December 2009. The library system digitized some of the materials it received so the material would be available online as well as in person.