WebJunction

Here’s a tall tale from Texas—and fortunately, it’s all true.

The story begins with steel tycoon Andrew Carnegie, that other patron of libraries.  One of the nearly 3,000 libraries that Carnegie endowed in the early 20th century was at Ballinger, Texas, a thriving town smack-dab in the middle of the state, about an hour south of Abilene. 

Most of the remaining Carnegie libraries around the country are architectural treasures, but this one, built in 1909, is particularly special:  a grand entrance with columns, stained glass windows across the back wall, and 20-foot ceilings.  There’s an auditorium that seats 200 and a gorgeous solid wood semicircular reference desk.

The town was justifiably proud of its new library, but time caused its changes.  During World War II, the library was converted into a service club for the military personnel stationed nearby.  The books were pushed back to the walls and a jukebox was installed (yes, it’s still there, and it still works).  In the post-war period the town went into decline (today its population stands at just over 4,000, down from a high of 20,000 early in the century), and the library was at risk.  In the mid-70s the Women’s Club--those friends of libraries everywhere--stepped in, raised the necessary funds, and kept the library going.  By 1988, the library had been restored and named a Texas and national landmark.

Last year saw the appointment of a new library director:  Robert Spence, a former minister who “got bored” in retirement.  Bob is bringing new life to the library by building partnerships, developing secure sources of funding, and establishing policies. 

The library has a full complement of Gates computers (both Spanish and English;  30% of the town’s population is Spanish-speaking).  Internet access comes through the library’s relationship with the local school district.  Bob sees this partnership as critically important, so he’s maintained close contact with all the local school librarians, initiated an essay contest for school kids, and offered use of the facility for school functions at no charge.  He hopes to revive a lapsed summer reading program with the help of local high school students.  Bob has worked with the town’s two service clubs (Lions and Rotary), stimulating both financial support and increased use of library services.  He also writes an “On the Shelf” column for the local weekly paper, the Ballinger Ledger, and promotes library services at the town’s ethnic festival.

Of course, the library’s greatest asset is its beautiful facility.  The town has gathered there for weddings, catered dinners, banquets, and the high school prom;  many of the churches in town started by holding their meetings in the building; and the library recently played host to a 100th birthday party. All this activity builds relationships and generates revenue for the library.

To take further advantage of the building’s cachet, the library has established a “walk of honor,” selling bricks with donors’ names inscribed for the sidewalk in front (brick sidewalk, original streetlamps, marble columns—you get the picture) for $50 each.  This fall’s high school football games (have you heard about high school football in West Texas?) will be a great opportunity to sell more bricks, allowing more honor to accrue to donors who support their library.

But Bob’s pursuit of funding doesn’t stop with the building:  though he’d never written a grant before, last year he wrote—and won—a grant from the Texas Book Festival to develop a collection that will make Ballinger Carnegie Library “the most practical library in West Texas.”  Because of the grant the library now has 178 “How To” titles, 100 of them new!  He’ll be finding out shortly whether the library has received a grant to paint the building inside and out.  More grant ideas in the works include funding for a Web-based catalog, a library Web site, and digital preservation projects.

Thanks to Bob’s development of a policy manual for the library (including policies that are in line with state-wide standards), the Carnegie Library just recently gained recognition as an official public library by the state of Texas;  [We should mention that, as an active WebJunction member, Bob has found the site’s Policies and Practices section to be a valuable resource in this area—“a godsend,” as he puts it.]

After a year on the job Bob is candid about his career transition:  “There’s so much I want to do here. I’m still learning; the curve is still straight up. This work is tailor-made for me, though, and I love what I’m doing. It’s an honor to be a librarian!”

The grand edifice of the Ballinger’s Carnegie Library is in good hands, and ready for another century of service as the gateway to knowledge for its community.

You can reach Carnegie Library Director Bob Spence at robert.spence@netxv.net, or by calling (325)365-3616.

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