What is Clayton Library Friends?

Clayton Library Friends (CLF) is a membership-based support organization for the Clayton Library Campus, home of the Family History Research Center in Houston, Texas. It backs genealogy and family history research by funding library acquisitions, hosting meetings and presentations, publishing a newsletter, and selling donated duplicate books. It is a friends group rather than the library itself: the research center is part of Houston Public Library, while CLF is a separate nonprofit that raises and directs support for it.

What CLF does

• Supports the collection. The site lists "Acquisitions" as a program area, and donated duplicate books are sold to raise funds.
• Runs meetings and events. Board and general meetings are posted on the site, and past presentations are posted to the CLF YouTube channel.
• Publishes a newsletter. The "Newsletter" section is one of the main member resources.
• Coordinates volunteers. A "Volunteer" page sits alongside membership and giving.
• Partners with genealogical and historical societies. Partner organizations include the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society, Bay Area Genealogical Society, Baytown Historical Preservation Association, Galveston County Genealogical Society, German-Texan Heritage Society, Greater Houston Jewish Genealogical Society, Hispanic Genealogical Society of Houston, Houston Genealogical Forum, Houston History Alliance, Humble Area Genealogical Society, League City Historical Society, Matagorda County Genealogical Society, and Texas Research Ramblers Genealogical Society.

Who it is for

CLF is relevant if you research family history in the Houston area, use the Clayton Library Campus collections, or want to support that library through membership, volunteering, or purchases. It is also a way to find local societies with related interests through the partner list.

Using the site

The site is organized around a few practical tasks:

Membership renewal is offered both online and by mail using a printable form. The site does not publish dues amounts or membership tiers in the material available here, so check the Join Us page for current terms.

Visiting and researching

The Family History Research Center at the Clayton Library Campus is at 5300 Caroline Street, Houston, Texas 77004, and the site states the campus is open for research. Staff can help you get started and locate books, microfilms, periodicals, and databases. For genealogy resources and general library information, the site points to houstonlibrary.org/genealogy and houstonlibrary.org/fhrc.

Meetings

Upcoming meetings listed on the site include a CLF Board Meeting on Saturday, October 24, 2026 at 10:00 AM at Clayton Library, and a CLF November General Meeting on Saturday, November 21, 2026 at 10:30 AM, held as a hybrid meeting online via Zoom and in person at the Clayton / Garwood Meeting Room. No upcoming partner events were listed at the time of the page.

Contact

Clayton Library Friends, PO Box 271078, Houston, TX 77277-1078. The site runs on Wild Apricot membership software, which is where online join and renewal are handled.