FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Liberty, TX – Interested in a casual conversation about books with a friendly group? The SHC Quarterly Book Club will meet April 28 at the Sam Houston Regional Library and Research Center (SHC) to discuss the intriguing novel The Stolen Queen by bestselling author Fiona Davis. Join us for this fun, free and informal gathering of readers from 6 – 7 p.m. No membership or registration is required.

We are also pleased to announce as part of our Texas America250 programming, a new book drive to support our military and veterans. The SHC Quarterly Book Club has partnered with Operation Paperback to support active-duty military, veterans and their families with books donated through the club. Books must be new or gently used, without writing or damage, and can be either paperback or hardback. To ensure books are in like-new condition, publication dates within the past 5-7 years are preferred. Popular categories include mysteries, action novels, westerns, fantasy and science fiction, but all genres are welcome. Military and veterans also request nonfiction genres, like history, current events and business and investing books. Club members and Center staff plan to deliver books to the Veteran Affairs Medical Center in Houston for use in clinics throughout Southeast Texas and to ship books through Operation Paperback.

By working with Operation Paperback, the club can send books where they will be of most benefit, which may be to troops overseas, wounded warrior programs, military families or hospitals. Club members invite the community to bring book donations to the Sam Houston Regional Library and Research Center, 650 Farm to Market Road 1011, during regular business hours Tuesday to Friday, 8 a.m.– 5 p.m. and Saturday, 9 a.m.– 4 pm.  Books will be collected through July 4, 2026.

Featuring fictional works with a connection to the world of museums, archives and libraries, the SHC book club is open to all and meets in the Center’s main building at 650 FM 1011 in Liberty. Home to extensive archival holdings documenting Southeast Texas, a library collection and a museum, the Center offers an ideal setting for discussions about novels tied to these fields. Each meeting will be led by SHC staff.

Interested participants may obtain a copy of the novels through their local library or favorite bookstore to prepare for the conversation. For more information, contact SHC staff at (936) 336-8821 or via email at SamHoustonCenter@tsl.texas.gov.

The Sam Houston Center is a component of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission and serves as the official regional historical resource depository for the 10 Southeast Texas counties of Chambers, Hardin, Jasper, Jefferson, Liberty, Newton, Orange, Polk, San Jacinto and Tyler. The Center's primary mission is to collect, preserve and provide access to historically significant state and local government records and publications of the designated region and secondarily to serve as a library of Texana and genealogical resources.

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The Texas State Library and Archives Commission provides Texans access to the information needed to be informed, productive citizens by preserving the archival record of Texas; enhancing the service capacity of public, academic and school libraries; assisting public agencies in the maintenance of their records; and meeting the reading needs of Texans with disabilities. For more information, visit www.tsl.texas.gov.