The historic Julia B. Ideson Building—the beating heart at the center of the Houston Public Library system—celebrates its centennial throughout 2026.
Be a part of history! The grand Reading Room is speckled with history—original copies of Mark Twain, Herman Melville, Charles Dickens—and for 100 years Houstonians have gathered here to learn, to explore, and to better their lives. And for those 100 years they have sat in the exact same carved chairs as their forebearers.
With a gift of $2,500, you can join in celebrating the centennial of the Julia Ideson Building and support the great work of the Houston Public Library by saving YOUR SEAT and sponsoring a chair today!
Chair sponsors get a custom engraved bronze plaque fastened onto a chair in the Reading Room that will remain there for years to come. Once your chair is complete, you will be notified.
Every dollar raised through sponsorship goes to supporting the work of the Houston Public Library through the Houston Public Library Foundation.
If you wish to save your seat via check, please make all checks payable to the Houston Public Library Foundation and mail them to 550 McKinney St., Houston, TX 77002. Please include “Ideson Chair” in the memo line as well as the language you would like included on the plaque.