For many people, technology can remove barriers and make everyday tasks easier. But finding the right technology, and getting a chance to try it before investing in it, can be a challenge. That’s where libraries can play an important role. In Pottsboro, the public library (service population 4,150) has partnered with the Texas Technology Access…
What does a community need from its library? At Fort Bend County Libraries, the answer doesn’t always come from a staff meeting or a strategic planning document. Sometimes it comes from a survey. Sometimes it comes from a conversation with a patron. And sometimes, it comes from two high school students who simply decide that…
For the residents of Rio Grande City and Starr County, a Smithsonian learning experience may soon be as close as their local public library. The Rio Grande City Public Library has been selected as one of just 16 public libraries nationwide to participate in the inaugural Smithsonian Associates Rural Library Program, and it is the…
Social media can be so much more just than a place to post the monthly program calendar. It can be an important tool to show people what happens inside the library, introduce them to the staff who make it happen, celebrate patrons and community partners, and give the library a personality that extends beyond its…
On any given day at Silsbee Public Library, a tutor might be helping a student prepare for an exam while, just a few feet away, someone attends a telehealth appointment, interviews for a new job, or joins a work meeting. It’s all happening in two privacy booths purchased through a Library Infrastructure Facility Improvement (LIFI)…
For many older adults, technology has become unavoidable. Doctor’s appointments are booked online. Government forms are digital. Job applications require computer skills. Even staying connected with family often means learning how to navigate smartphones, email, and video calls. For libraries, helping patrons build these skills has become just as important as helping them find books.…
For years, Brownwood Community Library Director Becky Isbell wanted to bring 3D printing to her library. As is the case at many libraries, she saw the technology’s potential to spark creativity, build workforce skills, and give patrons hands-on experience with emerging technology. But she also understood that a 3D printer alone wouldn’t create a successful…
Every successful summer reading program begins with a great theme. The most memorable ones happen when a community comes together to bring that theme to life. That is exactly what happened at Hondo Public Library during this year’s Summer Reading Program, “Unearth a Story,” which explored paleontology, archaeology, genealogy, and hidden histories. Thanks to a…
Walk into the Texas State Library and Archives Commission’s Shoal Creek Records Center and the first thing you’ll notice is scale. Towering shelves stretch across a 105,000-square-foot warehouse, holding more than 369,000 boxes of government records. Everything from court documents and highway plans to university records and historical deeds is carefully stored in a climate-controlled…
Public libraries bridge access gaps, whether that means books, internet access, or workforce resources. Innovation spaces represent the next evolution of that mission. Not everyone can afford a 3D printer, professional recording equipment, design software, or specialized training. By providing those resources in a free and welcoming environment, libraries ensure that innovation is not limited…