The new George and Cynthia Mitchell Library will have its grand opening Wednesday at 10 a.m. It will be 30,116 square feet on two floors in the Village of Sterling Ridge.
Mitchell Library is about 10 miles away from the South Branch Library.
George Mitchell will be at the grand opening event along with Clifford the Big Red Dog and Puffy the Pinecone.
The Class Act Theater Group will also be performing musical numbers from its upcoming production of "The Music Man."
Tours of the facility will be offered.
The newest library provides another point of access for library patrons in the fast-growing areas of The Woodlands and Magnolia.
"It splits the difference between the South Branch and Malcolm Purvis Branch in Magnolia," said Jerilynn Williams, library system director.
The Woodlands Development Company donated the land for the Mitchell Library at 8125 Ashlane Way; the site is directly across from the South County YMCA, she said.
"We want every segment of the population to feel welcome and accepted in the new building," she said.
To this end a there is an enclosed reading room on the second floor for young adults, Williams said.
They can have a little bit of conversation while still being observed by the information station, she said.
"Young adults are a segment of the population that has traditionally been underserved," Williams said.
"When people have access to the information they need, they can anticipate and navigate the world of changes. This library was built to meet those needs in this community. It is a dynamic resource for information, ideas and interaction, which is the focus of our vision statement," Williams said.
"The building was designed with access and service in mind and the entire staff at Mitchell Library enthusiastically anticipates providing exemplary library service to the community," said Barbara Miller, branch manager at the Mitchell Library.
The technology for the library, Williams said, "will be on the cutting edge."
It will have high-speed wireless Internet access and 40 computers available for individual use, she said.
County voters approved $10 million in bond funding for the Mitchell Library in 2002, one of several library projects approved that year. The updated Charles B. Stewart - West Branch and R.B. Tullis Branch are scheduled for completion in October or November, Williams said.
Regular service hours for the Mitchell Library will be 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The library will be closed on Sundays.

Burton Speakman can be reached at bspeakman@mail.hcnonline.net.