Author Archives: Michelle Santos

Roots Unveiled: Traveling Exhibit Highlights History of Chinese Americans from the 1700s to 1945

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Above, Meiling Lung Newman, the granddaughter of Joe Lung, one of the first Chinese Americans to live in Austin, adds her family photos to the Roots Unveiled exhibit.

Roots Unveiled is an innovative, multidisciplinary exhibition which explores the history of Chinese Americans in Texas through art, video, photographs, and artifacts. First displayed at the Austin Public Library downtown in the summer of 2025, the exhibition is scheduled for the Julia Ideson Building at the Houston Public Library in 2027, and organizers are currently working on scheduling displays for 2026.

Developed in partnership with the Austin History Center and the Austin Public Library, the exhibition traces the intertwined histories of China and the United States. It brings together new works by contemporary artists, including Gary Card, Philip Cheung, Li Wei, June Xu, Jing Yang, Lok Yiu, Xuhua Zhan, Michael Wei, Long Yunna, and Kong Ka Ying, alongside archival materials.

Artist June Xu is the driving force behind the Roots Unveiled exhibit.

June Xu is the founder and president of the Asian American Art and Culture Initiative (AAACI), which created the exhibit. The AAACI, headquartered in Houston, was founded to preserve Asian American stories and to empower future generations, Xu said.

“The AAACI exists to break down barriers, challenge misconceptions, and create a vibrant platform where art, history, and community action intersect,” she said. “Through exhibitions, oral histories, youth programs, and collaborative projects, we preserve stories that risk being lost to time and inspire young people to carry them forward.”

In the Roots Unveiled exhibit, artists explored topics including the nearly 20,000 Chinese railroad workers who built the Transcontinental Railroad and the discriminatory Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and its repeal in the 1940s.

On a more personal note, the exhibit explored the story of Chinese railroad worker Joe Lung, who settled in Austin in the late nineteenth century and was one of the first Chinese Americans in Austin; and his daughter Inez Lung, the first Chinese female student at the University of Texas at Austin. Inez Lung returned to China in the 1920s, teaching at a middle school there for many years.

Artist Lok Yiu travelled to Kaiping, China, to locate Long Hui Lou, the watchtower Joe Lung commissioned in 1917 with remittances from Texas—a building he never returned to see. Working with curator Xuhua Zhan and drawing on a 1929 photograph from Inez Lung’s biography, they not only traced the tower’s exact location but also helped reconnect Lung family members in China and the U.S. who had lost contact.

Joe Lung’s grandchildren helped with the exhibit, sharing family photos for a photo gallery called Cousins (part of Roots Unveiled) that brought together images of the Lung family spanning more than a century.

“We had no idea that we would discover such a rich history just within this family,” Xu said. She was surprised and delighted to find out that she is a distant relative of the Lung family, as their village in China is next to her grandparents’ village.

The painting “Dining,” by June Xu, is featured in Roots Unveiled and shows a multicultural community gathering.

“As the exhibition travels, each city will become a new site for research and collaboration,” Xu said, “uncovering local Chinese American histories and inviting communities to co-create content.” She envisions Roots Unveiled as not just a touring exhibition but as a chance to engage museums, artists, and Asian American communities in conversation about identity, memory, and cultural belonging.

If your library or museum is interested in hosting the exhibit, you can contact June Xu at june@aaartculture.org. For more information about the exhibit, go to www.aaartculture.org or follow them on Instagram at @aaartculture.  

— By Michele Chan Santos, Coordinator, Texas Center for the Book

BookSpring: Launching Children into a Love of Books

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Above, families and children enjoy storytime with Batman at BookSpring Fest 2025.

This month, the Texas Center for the Book is honored to have Emily Ball Cicchini, Executive Director of BookSpring, talk with us about her wonderful organization, which focuses on building literacy skills for children. Emily is also an author and playwright, so we’ll be discussing that, too! Thank you for joining us, Emily!

Emily Ball Cicchini, Executive Director of BookSpring

Q: For our readers, please tell us about what BookSpring is and what it does.

A: BookSpring is a nonprofit based in Austin, Texas, dedicated to building early literacy and book ownership for children and families. For more than 50 years, we’ve worked to increase access to books and reading, because research shows that children who grow up with books at home are more likely to succeed in school and in life. We distribute about 250,000 books to 100,000 children from birth to age 12 each year.

Q: The audience for our blog is public and school librarians in Texas. What programs does BookSpring have that you’d like to share with them? How do they apply?

A: Our Books Beginning at Birth program is available to families across the state. It’s a program that provides young children and their families access to books and resources to support the development of early literacy skills and help them foster a love of reading. You can learn more at b3tx.org. All families can access an open library of hundreds of digital children’s books. Once enrolled, children may receive free print books delivered to their home twice a year until they turn five. (Supplies are limited and preference is given to children living in Texas Opportunity Zones.) Learn more and apply here.

In addition, in Central Texas (Travis, Williamson, and surrounding counties) we offer two in-person programs designed to reach children from birth through age 12:

  • Books for Me (ages 3–12): Provides “forever books” that children choose and take home through school or childcare center events. We provide up to four books per child with motivational activities and volunteer support for libraries.
  • ReadWell (ages 0–6): Partners with pediatricians to give books during well-child checkups.

We have a number of free Open Access resources that librarians can share:

  • Open Digital Library & Book App (ages 3-8): Over 1,200 free, flipbook, downloadable, printable books in English and Spanish.
  • Bibi’s Weekly Themes (ages 3–8): Sets of early childhood curriculum aligned books with guided activities for home learning.
  • Penny’s Rapid Reads (ages 9–12): A digital flash fiction e-zine with short, punchy stories perfect for tweens and independent readers.
  • Weekly Family Newsletter (Parents of children age 0-8): Free email delivered statewide with seasonal activities, book recommendations, and tips for parents to support daily reading. 

The joy on a child’s face when they choose and keep a book of their very own never gets old.

emily ball cicchini

Q: Can you tell us more about your program, ReadWell, where pediatricians give out free books at children’s annual well-checks?

A: ReadWell began when we recognized how trusted pediatricians are to families, and how powerful that moment can be to encourage daily reading. During annual well-child checkups, doctors give children an age-appropriate book and remind parents about the importance of reading aloud every day. Families tell us the program makes reading feel like a “doctor’s order” for healthy development. Clinics sign up with us for monthly or quarterly book shipments to support their efforts.

In 2024 alone, over 20,000 children received books through ReadWell. And because well-checks happen every year, these children grow up with a steady supply of new books tied to their developmental stages. We get continuously positive feedback from parents and providers, and research shows this model does improve kindergarten readiness.

Q: What inspires you on a daily basis in your work?

A: The joy on a child’s face when they choose and keep a book of their very own never gets old. Knowing that these moments build confidence, language, and family bonds inspires our team every single day.

Q: What’s a book you’ve read recently for fun, that you’d recommend?

A: I love poetry and have recently discovered Irish poet David Whyte. I recommend Essentials because he includes background information for each poem and invites us into a genuine conversation with reality. His writing doesn’t offer easy answers. It opens doors to deeper questions, showing profound insight into what it means to be human. Each page feels like both a challenge and a comfort, reminding me to live more fully present in the world. 

Q: Please tell us about your upcoming book, and about the plays you’ve written.

A: My new book is called Managing by Way of Impermanence: A Simple Method for More Enlightened Leadership. It’s a business book for the workplace, for people looking for guidance on how do I manage my team, how do I help my team deal with all the changes that are happening? It offers a compassionate approach to leadership that embraces uncertainty. The book is scheduled to come out in November.

My best-known play is Becoming Brontë. (This is a two-act play based on the early lives of Charlotte and Emily Brontë, who wrote Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights, respectively.) It won the Austin Critic’s Table Award and is about a magnetic young curate who comes to stay with the Brontë family, sparking emotional upheaval between Charlotte, Emily, and Anne. You can learn more about my book, plays, and other work at www.emilyballcicchini.com.

Q: What else would you like to share with our readers?

A: We know librarians are champions of literacy, and we’d love to partner with you. Whether it’s hosting a Books for Me event, sharing our Digital Library, using Bibi’s Weekly Themes with PreK through second grade classrooms, recommending Penny’s Rapid Reads to tweens, or inviting families to sign up for our Weekly Newsletter, you play a critical role. Together, we can make sure every child in Texas has the chance to grow up with books.

Get started today:

Students enjoying their new books after participating in Books for Me at Manor ISD.

Rosenberg Library: Honoring the Past, Flourishing in the Present

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Library name: Rosenberg Library History Center & Museum

Location: 2310 Sealy Street, Galveston

Hours: Main Library hours Monday, Friday, and Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Tuesday – Thursday, 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.; closed Sunday. Galveston & Texas History Center (appointments encouraged) Tuesday – Saturday 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., closed Sunday and Monday. Rosenberg Library Museum, fourth floor galleries Monday – Saturday 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Second floor galleries open during main library hours. (All times Central.)

Learn more: Watch our video for an in-depth look at the Rosenberg Library.

What makes this library special:

Bridging the past and present, the Rosenberg Library History Center & Museum serves many parts of its vibrant community. The Galveston & Texas History Center, located on the fourth floor of the library, holds manuscripts, books, maps, photographs, and more, dating back to the 1800s. Also a thriving public library with numerous community events for children, teens, and adults, the Rosenberg is deeply rooted in the life of the city.

The Rosenberg is the oldest continuously operating library in Texas and the only public library on Galveston Island. The building was dedicated on June 22, 1904, on the birthday of its patron, Henry Rosenberg, a business leader and philanthropist who left $600,000 upon his death in 1893 to create the library (the equivalent of about $21 million today.) In 1971, the library expanded to double its floor space, allowing for a children’s library, history center, museum space, and, later, a computer lab.

A beautiful glass chandelier hangs alongside the spiral staircase at the Rosenberg. It’s seen here from bookshelves on the second floor.

Preserving history:

Sharon Batiste Gillins is a genealogist and historian who grew up in Galveston.

“Galveston is an island. The island vibe is a lot different than any other vibe,” Gillins said. “It’s relaxed, but it’s one that cherishes its history. This is a good place to be exposed to history. We are building on that every day so that we can continue to tell an evolving history of the island.”

 For her, the Rosenberg’s history center is a treasure trove of primary source documents.

“The center is full of primary source documents on the history of Galveston and this entire area,” she said. “If I am researching families… there are numerous resources here such as county histories that I can refer to. The historic newspaper records are important, the electronic databases are important, family history databases are important. I use the Sanborn Insurance Maps to find out the history of homes.” On a personal note, she began going to the Rosenberg as a child.

“The Rosenberg Library has always been part of my life,” Gillins said. “Some of the most important resources at the Rosenberg are its librarians. You can’t have a better friend at a library than a librarian.”

Gerrianne Schaad is the Special Collections Manager at the Rosenberg. “One of the things that makes us unique is that we span the history of Texas from the Republic to the current day,” Schaad said. “People forget about Galveston as a space that holds so much history. We have immigration, the port, finance, and commerce. The Strand (the downtown historic district) is very well known for Mardi Gras but that was the Wall Street of the South for years… Galveston has been here since the beginning. Being the site of the oldest library is just one more first and one more greatness that we can be proud of.”

What to look for as a first-time visitor: The statue of the library’s founder, Henry Rosenberg, in front of the library’s east entrance, is popular with visitors who often take their photos with it. The Great Storm of 1900 Exhibit on the fourth floor includes an interactive touch screen, oral histories from three different survivors, and a memorial wall. The museum exhibit areas on the second and fourth floors host a variety of rotating exhibits (learn more about their current exhibits). The beautiful first-floor children’s library area is a fun and interactive space. Make sure to check out Rose, the blue-tongued skink named after Henry Rosenberg.

Galveston has been here since the beginning. Being the site of the oldest library is just one more first and one more greatness that we can be proud of.

gerrianne schaad

The statue of Henry Rosenberg, at the library’s east entrance, is a popular photo spot with visitors.

Heart of the community:

The Rosenberg runs the Galveston Reads program each year, a “One Community, One Book” island-wide reading program where residents can get a free copy of the selected book, join in a broad range of events and discussions, and participate in an author visit. The 2025 selection was The Collected Regrets of Clover by Mikki Brammer.

Other popular events include the summer reading program and Rosenberg Day (an annual book sale and open house in March with activities for patrons of all ages).

Stephanie Davis, Community Engagement and Communications Coordinator for the Rosenberg Library, feels that the library ably balances its two primary roles as a historical archive and an active public library because of the cooperation of its staff members. “We have these separate entities, and we have the team members dedicated to those areas. What makes the Rosenberg special is that we all work together harmoniously, and we understand that each of the areas has a very unique value.”

And one last thing:

“I’d like to invite anyone who hasn’t visited the Rosenberg Library please stop by and see us, and if you’ve been here before, come back,” Davis said. “You’ve got to see it to understand. It’s not just a library, it’s a landmark. It’s a historical beauty. And when you walk through the doors, you really feel that.”

Photos courtesy of The Rosenberg Library.

This stained-glass window at the Rosenberg Library was a gift from the Lykes family, founders of the Lykes Brothers Steamship Company.

Article written by Michele Chan Santos, Coordinator, Texas Center for the Book

How Students with Dyslexia Can Benefit from the Talking Book Program

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The Talking Book Program (TBP) is one of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission’s most beloved programs. TBP provides free library services to qualifying Texans with visual, physical, or reading disabilities. TBP is part of the National Library Service to the Blind and Print Disabled, a program administered by the Library of Congress. While TBP is well-known for their assistance to those with visual disabilities, many people are unaware that TBP is also a great resource for students with dyslexia.

Alicia Topolnycky, TBP Engagement Specialist, sat down with us to talk about how TBP can help students with dyslexia.

Alicia Topolnycky, TBP Engagement Specialist

Q: In what ways can the Talking Book Program help students with dyslexia?

A: The Talking Book Program provides dyslexic students access to more than 169,000 audiobooks and audio magazines, completely free of charge. TBP’s collection includes literary classics that might be assigned reading at school, bestsellers, and fiction and nonfiction books in all genres, with more titles being added daily. The collection includes books for all ages and all reading levels. Students with dyslexia who listen to their books have an advantage in the classroom. Those who regularly listen to audiobooks can build better phonological awareness. A study conducted by researchers at the University of Central Arkansas found that reluctant readers who participated in an audiobook club at school became more excited about reading and their test scores improved. With TBP, a world of learning and imagination can open up for students with dyslexia.

Q: Who should schools contact here at TSLAC if they’d like to implement this program?

A: Schools can find the School Classroom Application Form on our website at www.texastalkingbooks.org. They will then email the completed form to our Reader Services team at tbp.services@tsl.texas.gov. If schools have any questions about signing up, they can call our team at 1-800-252-9605.

Q: Can parents also sign up for their child? How do you register?

A: To register, parents/guardians will need to submit an Individual Application form that states their child has a qualifying visual, physical, or reading disability. The form must then be certified by a non-family member called a “Certifying Authority,” who is any professional staff of a public or welfare agency, or any medical professional, who can confirm that the student’s disability prevents them from reading standard print materials.

Eligibility must be certified by one of the following: Doctor of medicine, doctor of osteopathy, ophthalmologist, optometrist, psychologist, registered nurse, therapist, or professional staff of hospitals, institutions, public or welfare agencies (such as an educator, social worker, case worker, counselor, rehabilitation teacher, certified reading specialist, school psychologist, superintendent, or librarian). Applications cannot be certified by family members.

The application form is available in English and Spanish, as a fillable PDF, on our website www.texastalkingbooks.org.

With TBP, a world of learning and imagination can open up for students with dyslexia.

Alicia Topolnycky

Q: How old do students need to be to qualify for the program? What documentation do they need?

A: There is no minimum age for patrons of the Talking Book Program. Parents do not need to include any medical documentation or health insurance information in their application. Simply fill out the easy four-page application form, get it certified by a Certifying Authority, and send it to us.

Q: What type of device do they need to have to run BARD, and what if they don’t have a compatible device?

A: Braille and Audio Reading Download (BARD) works on any smartphone or tablet that has the Apple App Store or Google Play Store; including Chromebooks. BARD Express is available on any Windows-based desktop or laptop personal computer. If you don’t have one of those compatible devices, we can mail you one of our Digital Talking Book Machines, or DTBMs, along with some cartridges that are loaded up with your favorite audiobooks. The DTBM works offline and on-the-go.

Q: How many students in Texas are using TBP in this way?

A: There are currently more than 6,000 patrons under the age of 18 actively using TBP all across Texas.

Q: What resources are available to students and teachers?

A: In addition to thousands of books and magazines in audio format, TBP provides physical large print books and large print accessible games. Students and teachers can also benefit from personalized service from reader consultants and librarians, who can create custom bibliographies on nearly any topic from our available titles. Bilingual staff is available to assist those patrons who speak Spanish.

Q: What is the most common question you are hearing from families and schools, about TBP for students with dyslexia?

A: Families and schools are curious about how TBP compares with other audiobook services, especially those aimed at students with reading disabilities, like Learning Ally and Bookshare. All three services are available only to students with qualifying disabilities, have a robust number of titles in their collection, and are compatible with many playback devices. All three never have wait times; unlike some local libraries that deliver audiobooks through Libby or Hoopla. The difference is TBP doesn’t have textbooks nor a read-along component (where the text of a book scrolls across the screen while the audiobook plays), while Bookshare and Learning Ally do.

Q: What else would you like to share with our readers?

A: TBP has a department called the Disability Information and Referral Center (DIRC) that offers health-related information and answers to questions about disabilities. They have information about dyslexia resources, scholarships/grants, local support groups, medical equipment, assistive technology and more. The DIRC can be contacted by anyone in the state of Texas: you do not need to be a registered patron of TBP to use the DIRC’s free reference service.

Q: Where should people go for more information?

A: For more information about the Talking Book Program, make sure you visit our website www.texastalkingbooks.org, or call our Reader Services team at 1-800-252-9605. To stay in the loop about book clubs, author talks, the summer reading program and more events and services, parents can sign up for either our adult or youth monthly email newsletter! Educators who are interested in attending a CPE-eligible comprehensive training on the Talking Book Program can contact me at atopolnycky@tsl.texas.gov.

Author Honors Texas Sheriffs in ‘Stars Over Texas’ Three-Volume Box Set

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More than 7,000 sheriffs are included 

Author Ronnie Erwin (left), with Sheriff Parnell McNamara of McClennan County.

Stars Over Texas, a three-volume box set written by Ronnie Erwin and his late wife, Lynn, is a massive testament to the public service of the sheriffs of Texas, as well as a labor of love from a husband to his beloved wife.

The hardback, full-color books span 254 existing counties (plus 32 now-defunct counties) and 178 years and include historic details on the sheriffs that have served our state, elected or appointed, as well as photos of hundreds of them, dating back to the 1800s, in addition to other historic photographs and artwork. It includes birth and death dates of many of the sheriffs, where applicable, and hundreds of images of their signature badges and uniform patches.

Published in February 2024, Ronnie Erwin donated a special copy of Stars Over Texas signed by all 254 sheriffs and Governor Greg Abbott to the Texas State Library and Archives Commission, in addition to a regular set that can be viewed by library patrons. He has also given sets to the current sheriff in every county in Texas.

Every volume of the box set has a beautiful photo of Lynn in the opening pages. Lynn Erwin passed away in 2019. The set also includes a brief bio of Ronnie Erwin and of the artist, Joe Gish, who created more than 35 Western-style illustrations for the books.

After her health diagnosis, Erwin recalls that his wife Lynn “was committed to ensuring that I would be okay without her. Our short 51 years of marriage were about to come to an end, and I could not stop this fast-moving, out-of-control train. It was during this time that Lynn kept returning to the request to ‘finish our book.’ I would push her away from that thought, explaining that I could not do so without her.”

“Not too long after her passing, I woke up in the night at two, three in the morning, crying like a four-year-old, and I could just hear her voice saying, ‘Finish our book.’”

“After Lynn’s passing and an impromptu visit with [McLennan County] Sheriff Parnell McNamara and his encouraging words, I decided to revisit this tremendous project that lay dormant,” Erwin said. Because of Sheriff McNamara’s law enforcement experience and having met the Erwins numerous times over the years, he wrote the foreword for the books.

Erwin extends his thanks to Texas sheriffs from around the state and their staff members for their help in completing this tremendous project.

A hobby that became a passion

The roots of this book project grew out of the Erwins’ collection of Texas sheriff’s badges, which began in the early 1980s.

“It was during these early days that we began collecting nineteenth-century Texas artifacts, specifically Texas county sheriffs’ badges. The first one we purchased some 40 years ago was an 1897 badge. As our collection grew, we would research the previous owners of these badges. It was during that time that Lynn said, ‘The badge is important, but it is who wears that badge that is what is really important.’ So, we began our research adventure,” Erwin said.

Above, some of the sheriff badges from Ronnie Erwin’s collection.

Throughout the years, they visited every Texas county, doing research at local libraries, scrolling through miles of microfiche records of historic newspapers, and consulting the archival records here at TSLAC. One surprising but rewarding result was making friends with local historians around the state.

“One of the most unexpected, but valuable resources for our collection was the local, private, unpaid historian,” Erwin said. “He or she did not collect and write information specific to the sheriffs but had vast amounts of information about the families of the county they loved. Hidden in these writings was historical information about a family member who had served as sheriff. Many times, they would direct us to a cemetery where a former sheriff was laid to rest. I could not begin to guess how many cemeteries Lynn and I explored over the years.”

Special sections

Stars Over Texas contains two special sections. One section, called “The Ultimate Sacrifice,” provides a comprehensive listing of the 123 Texas sheriffs who have died in the line of duty.

Sheriff Joseph L. Hood of Bexar County died on March 19, 1840, and is the first recorded death in the line of duty of a Texas sheriff. Sheriff Richard Kirk of Young County died in 1876 at the age of 24 and was the youngest sheriff to die in the line of duty.

The other special section is dedicated to the more than 98 women who have served as a sheriff in Texas. Seven women currently hold that office.

Above: Lynn County Sheriff Wanda Mason with author Ronnie Erwin.

The first female sheriff in Texas, Emma Daugherty Banister, is also likely the first female sheriff in the United States. She was the widow of John Banister, Coleman County sheriff, who died of a stroke in August of 1918 while in office.

Erwin has become a good friend of Travis County Sheriff Sally Hernandez through his work to distribute the book to all 254 sheriffs in Texas. Sheriff Hernandez was instrumental in paving the way for Erwin to meet with many sheriffs throughout the state.

Sheriff Hernandez said to KXAN about the book project, “It was the love Ronnie had for Lynn to see it all the way through.”

Photos of Lynn Erwin (1946-2019). Lynn was an elementary school teacher for many years.

Lynn M. Erwin Memorial Award

With Lynn’s passing, Ronnie Erwin established the Lynn M. Erwin Memorial Foundation. 

This memorial annually recognizes a current Texas sheriff with the Lynn M. Erwin Distinguished Sheriff’s Excellence Award. All proceeds of Stars Over Texas sales go to this foundation. Each year, the current 254 sheriffs will select the recipient. That individual will receive a piece of etched crystal and a $1,000 check. This award is administered by the Office of the Sheriffs’ Association of Texas and presented at the annual Sheriffs’ Association of Texas Conference.

During the research for Stars Over Texas, Lynn and Ronnie Erwin also published the Stars Over Tennessee book, which similarly chronicles the 4,000-plus sheriffs of Tennessee. (Stars Over Tennessee is currently out of print.)

You can order Stars Over Texas at https://rebelsprings.com/ .

 Above: Ronnie Erwin donated a special copy of Stars Over Texas signed by all 254 sheriffs and Governor Greg Abbott to the Texas State Library and Archives Commission, in addition to a regular set that can be viewed by library patrons.

“Please remember that it was Lynn’s vision and unwavering dedication that brought Stars Over Texas to the citizens of Texas,” Erwin said. “This project is a testament to the men and women who have served and are serving as sheriffs of Texas, honoring their sacrifices and providing an accurate historical document that future generations will recognize.”

Quotes have been very lightly edited for length and clarity.

All photos courtesy of Ronnie Erwin.

Poetry and Love: The Armstrong Browning Library honors Robert and Elizabeth Barrett Browning

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Library name: The Armstrong Browning Library & Museum, Baylor University

Location: 8th Street and Speight Avenue on the Baylor University campus; physical address is 710 Speight Avenue, Waco, Texas.

Hours: Monday – Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Admission is free. Visitor information.

Learn more: Watch our video for an in-depth look at the Armstrong Browning Library

What makes this library special: Stepping into this stunning library and museum feels like stepping into the nineteenth century. The marble columns, cathedral windows, parquet floors, and hand-carved bookcases are a perfect complement to the letters, volumes of poetry, and personal memorabilia of famed Victorian poets Robert and Elizabeth Barrett Browning. The Armstrong Browning Library & Museum is dedicated to the lives and works of these two poets and houses the world’s largest collection of Browning material and other rare nineteenth-century books, manuscripts, and works of art.

“I think what makes the Armstrong Browning Library special is that everything about it is unexpected—the architectural details, the colorful stained-glass windows, the works of art that you’ll see throughout the library,” said Director Jennifer Borderud.

“The fact that the world’s largest collection of materials relating to two major British poets would be here is unexpected. I love when people come and visit and they are surprised by what they see, and it immediately turns into a sense of awe.”

What to look for as a first-time visitor: “I would encourage first-time visitors to spend some time in the McLean Foyer of Meditation,” Borderud said. “It’s a grand room in the center of the building that was created to be a place of beauty, to be inspired, to be the next Chaucer, or Shakespeare, or Browning.”

The museum’s fabulous stained-glass windows are another must-see. “We are also known for the 62 stained glass windows that you will see throughout the building, most of which illustrate either Robert or Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s poetry.”

The Brownings’ romance: The beautiful and tragic love story of the Brownings is one of the great literary romances in history. Elizabeth Barrett was a talented English poet who was chronically ill and kept at home by her controlling father. She fell in love with a fellow poet, Robert Browning, and they eloped to Italy, where they loved one another devotedly until her death 15 years later.

One of her best-known poems (Sonnet 43 from Sonnets from the Portuguese) begins “How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.” This poem is written on the wall in the McLean Foyer of Meditation next to a bronze sculpture of the couple’s clasped hands. The sculpture “stands as a symbol of their love story, and it also makes this room one of the most romantic spots on Baylor’s campus,” Borderud said.

Many Baylor couples have gotten engaged at this spot, and many have been married at the library, she said.

Dr. Kristen Pond, Associate Professor in English and Margarett Root Brown Chair in Robert Browning and Victorian Studies at Baylor, said she thinks the Brownings’ love story continues to resonate with readers around the world because “We know so much about it, they wrote so much about it, in their poetry and in their letters. It is a relationship that feels very genuine. They talk about the hardships they encountered; Elizabeth was very ill for most of her life. Robert coming in and being willing to partner with her through that just amazed her. You can hear that gratitude and amazement in her voice. That level of commitment and gratitude is part of love that doesn’t get talked about very much, and it appeals to people.”

The fact that the world’s largest collection of materials relating to two major British poets would be here is unexpected. I love when people come and visit and they are surprised by what they see, and it immediately turns into a sense of awe.

Jennifer borderud, director of the armstrong Browning library

History of the library: Baylor professor Dr. A.J. Armstrong, founder of the library, became interested in Robert Browning at an early age and began to collect books and items associated with the poet beginning in 1905. Visiting Italy in 1909, Armstrong met the poets’ son, Robert Barrett Browning, known as “Pen.” Armstrong continued to collect items, and in 1918 he donated the collection to Baylor.

The collection continues to grow to this day. Curator Laura French scouts and finds new material. “This can be rare books, manuscripts, ephemera, after you physically receive those materials it’s a matter of describing them in the online catalog so people can request them and get them to use them in the future,” she said. The collection includes “hundreds of their manuscripts, thousands of their letters, nearly every single volume of their works that have been published,” French said.

Audience for this library: Most of the researchers at the library are Baylor University graduate and undergraduate students and faculty, working on dissertations, articles, or class presentations, French said. Their Visiting Scholars program brings researchers in from across the United States and other countries for month-long fellowships.

And one last thing: You can schedule a group tour, or walk-in tours are often available, led by student docents. Make sure to check out the bronze doors—they weigh three-quarters of a ton each and are modeled after St. John’s Baptistery in Florence, Italy. The panels illustrate 10 of Robert Browning’s poems.

Borderud loves to see visitors’ faces light up when they see the library for the first time. More than 30,000 people visit each year.

“A visit to the Armstrong Browning Library is very worth your time, if you only have 10 minutes, that’s fine, if you have two hours, that is great,” she said. “But you will come away with a beautiful and memorable experience, and you will feel that sense of awe that I feel every time I come in here.”

Written by Michele Chan Santos, Coordinator, Texas Center for the Book

Above, the ceiling in the McLean Foyer of Meditation.

Letters About Literature Texas Celebrates the 2024-2025 Winners

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Above: Level 2 (Grade 7-8) winner Shireen Valasagandla with author Andrea Davis Pinkney.

At the Letters About Literature Texas awards ceremony on Wednesday, April 2, 2025, held at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas during the Texas Library Association 2025 Annual Conference, student winners from across the state were honored. Award-winning children’s author Andrea Davis Pinkney gave the keynote address.

The three first-place winners each read their letters aloud to the audience and received their awards. (Click the links below to read their winning letters.) Each first-place winner was given a certificate and $300, as well as an additional $300 for their school library.

Lily Qiu of Addison, Greenhill School, wrote to Kelly Yang, author of Front Desk.

Shireen Valasagandla of Round Rock, Ridgeview Middle School, wrote to Jessie Diggins, author of Brave Enough.

Kayla Padilla of Mission, PSJA Collegiate School of Health Professions, wrote to Michelle Zauner, author of Crying in H Mart.

Level 1 (Grade 4-6) winner Lily Qiu with her certificate, presented by Center for the Book Coordinator Michele Chan Santos.

Pinkney, the author, praised the students in her address.

“You have arrived with a wealth of letter-writing surprises, and you have filled us with so much joy. You have crafted letters that tell an unforgettable story,” Pinkney said. “It’s from so many of us who see you, hear you, cheer you, celebrate you, who you truly are—that is what we celebrate. A constellation of voices igniting the world. You are worthy of this. Because you sparkle, and you shine.”

Next, Pinkney shared the personal stories behind her newest book, And She Was Loved: Toni Morrison’s Life in Stories. It’s a picture book about legendary author Toni Morrison, illustrated by Daniel Minter. Pinkney worked as an editor for Morrison many years ago, and they were close friends.

Later, Pinkney signed copies of her book, Loretta Little Looks Back: Three Voices Go Tell It, and posed for photos with the winning students.

Level 3 (Grade 9-12) winner Kayla Padilla with Andrea Davis Pinkney.

In the Letters About Literature Texas competition, students read a book, poem, short story, or other written work and write a letter to an author—living or dead—explaining how his or her work changed their view of themselves or the world.

Hundreds of students entered from across the state, and the level of competition was high. There were three categories of competition: grades 4-6, grades 7-8, and grades 9-12.

You can find a full list of the winners here.

The Texas Center for the Book will open the 2025-2026 Letters About Literature competition this fall.

Addressing Summer Hunger

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How public libraries can become distribution points for the Summer Food Service Program

By Michele Chan Santos

Texas Center for the Book

Katelyn Patterson, Youth Services Consultant at the Texas State Library and Archives Commission, has a message for public librarians: there’s still time for your public library to become a food distribution site, this summer, for the USDA Summer Food Service Program. Last year, about 40 public libraries in Texas gave out free meals to kids and families in need. Patterson would love to see that number rise. She sat down with us to explain how the program works.

Q: What makes public libraries a good fit for this program?

KP: I love this quote on our TSLAC website: “To be well read, you must be well fed.” During the school year, 2.8 million Texas students receive free or reduced-priced meals at school, but only a fraction of these children receive food over the summer. Public libraries are a natural pairing for this, because we are community hubs, especially in the summer, and we’re a trusted source of information and resources. One of the requirements of each distribution site is that there is some enrichment program offered for the students, for example story time, or a craft activity. And nobody does those better than a public library. (Patterson recommended this two-minute video from nonprofit No Kid Hungry about how a summer food program at a public library transformed people’s lives.)

Q: How do I know if my library qualifies for the program?

KP: The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) is a federally-funded program that enables libraries, school districts, churches, WIC clinics, and other eligible organizations to serve free, healthy meals to low-income children and teens through age 18 during the summer months. Your library qualifies if more than 50 percent of youth in your area qualify for free or reduced-price lunches. You can look up that data at the Texas Department of Agriculture, or the simpler route would be to contact me and I can look it up for you. (Katelyn’s email is kpatterson@tsl.texas.gov). There is also an eligibility map.

To be well read, you must be well fed.

Katelyn patterson

Q: If my library is in a qualifying area, what are the next steps?

KP: In the Summer Food Service Program there are two main parts. There are sponsors, for example local food pantries, food banks, and school districts. And there are distribution sites, and the libraries are distribution sites. The sponsors are the ones who enter into a contract with the Texas Department of Agriculture, and they hold all the regulatory responsibility. So, the libraries are not responsible for that part. The sponsor takes care of ordering the food, the meal preparation and delivery. And many times, the sponsoring organization will work with the libraries to provide what the library needs to be a successful delivery site, whether that’s trash cans, tables or other items. Once your library gets connected with a sponsor, then you take some time to come to an agreement about who will do what. You can look up potential sponsors (a school district or food pantry) at the TSLAC summer food program website. I am also happy to help get you connected with a sponsor.

Q: What funding, space and staffing does the library need to provide to be a food distribution site?

KP: There are certainly some challenges public libraries face to become a food distribution site, such as physical space needs, people power, and policy issues. Some food service requires food be eaten on-site so space is needed for that. But many sites do this outside (in an outdoor space, such as a porch). There is also a grab-and-go option for rural areas. I am also happy to help determine if a library is eligible for that option. In terms of staffing, some libraries have used being part of the summer food program as an opportunity to recruit more volunteers. It’s a good chance for volunteers who don’t want to do a lot of lifting, pushing, stooping, your typical library volunteer work, to be involved in a worthwhile program.

Q: Do families need to qualify or register for the program in order for their children to participate?

KP: No, they do not. The meals are for children 18 and younger, the area eligibility is based off of the location of the food site. No enrollment necessary. (Katelyn talked with the Texas Department of Agriculture about the summer food program; for an in-depth look, watch this video.)

Q: OK – I’m interested! Where do I learn more about the application and what to do next?

KP:  To learn more, visit the TSLAC Summer Meals site. I have gathered a lot of resources for you there. Again, please feel free to contact me with any questions, I would love to help libraries participate with summer meals in any way I can. You can reach me at kpatterson@tsl.texas.gov.

Find Your Artistic Inspiration at The Wittliff Collections

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This is the first in a series of articles and videos showcasing exceptional libraries across Texas.

Library name: The Wittliff Collections, Texas State University

Location: The 7th floor of the Albert B. Alkek Library on the campus of Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas

Hours: Monday – Friday: 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday: 12:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Admission is free. Plan your visit.

Learn more: Watch our video for an in-depth look at the Wittliff.

What makes this library special: The Wittliff Collections are both an archive and a museum. The Collections celebrate the cultural heritage of Texas, the Southwest and Mexico, in nine galleries. It includes material related to literature, writing, photography, music, TV and film. Highlights include material from the King of the Hill TV series, a music archive of Texas icon Willie Nelson, treasures of Mexican photography, and much more.

What to look for as a first-time visitor: People come from all over the world to view the Wittliff’s Lonesome Dove Collection. It’s the production archives of the 1989 American Western epic TV miniseries, adapted from the 1985 novel by Larry McMurtry. You can view costumes, scripts, props and images, all in excellent condition.

“We always have the Lonesome Dove archive on display because it’s so popular,” said David Coleman, Director of The Wittliff Collections. “We have generations of people coming here for that, visitors who come from many different countries. Germans love their cowboys, Japanese love their cowboys, the myth of the cowboy is ever-present and popular.”

The Collections also include items from hundreds of musicians, including an iconic hat from Stevie Ray Vaughan. Notably, it is the home for the literary archive of Cormac McCarthy, who is widely regarded as one of the great American novelists (All the Pretty Horses, No Country for Old Men, Blood Meridian, The Road and more.)

“Cormac McCarthy scholars from many countries come here to do research for books, articles, presentations and films,” said Katie Salzmann, Lead Archivist for The Wittliff Collections. “And the Willie Nelson series that was just done (the 2023 documentary Willie Nelson & Family, on Paramount +) included a lot of our material from here.”

History of this library: The collections began as the Southwestern Writers Collection at Texas State University in 1986, when founders Bill and Sally Wittliff donated the papers from author and folklorist J. Frank Dobie, which included diaries, journals, manuscripts and memorabilia.

“We were founded as a place where young creatives could get inspired,” Coleman said. “Bill was a visionary, but he had also begun as a frustrated writer. He wanted to show young people that even great masters struggle with putting a paragraph together or putting a story together. It doesn’t just pour out of the heavens, it takes work.” The collections started off with writing, and then expanded into photography, music, TV and film.

“Bill was an amazing person and would always tell young people, or even older people, who had the ‘itch to create but not yet the courage,’ to start creating. Just start. The more you do it, the better it will become,” Coleman said.

When you see these world-class writers coming from the places that you know, world-class music that comes out of your hometown, it’s inspiring to see people make art from the place that you live.

– Steve Davis, literary curator (retired)

Audience for this library: In addition to professional scholars conducting research, The Wittliff Collections are an oft-used resource for Texas State University faculty and students. The Wittliff has partnerships with The Center for Texas Music History, the MFA in Creative Writing program and The Center for the Study of the Southwest, all located at Texas State. “We are very open to working with faculty, and getting students exposed to primary sources – someone’s original letters or notes – can really be a cool experience for people,” Coleman said.

Worth noting: The Spirit of San Antonio exhibit, on display at The Wittliff until May 16, 2025, celebrates the writers and musicians of San Antonio. “When you see these world-class writers coming from the places that you know, world-class music that comes out of your hometown, it’s inspiring to see people make art from the place that you live,” said Steve Davis, the longtime Literary Curator at The Wittliff Collections who recently retired after 30+ years at the library. Items in the display include materials from author Sandra Cisneros (The House on Mango Street, Woman Hollering Creek and Other Stories), as well as items from Percy Jackson & the Olympians series author Rick Riordan, and selections from the extraordinary Ramon Hernández Tejano Music Collection. The latter includes photographs and recordings from Selena, Flaco Jiménez and more.

And one last thing: “I would say if you haven’t been to the Wittliff, it can take a while to get here and park, but I tell you, it’s worth it,” Coleman said. “Once people walk through the doors, they are really overwhelmed by the beauty of our spaces – we have nine galleries – it’s a beautiful, warm, inviting space where you can discover amazing treasures from the cultures of the Southwest.”

  • Written by Michele Chan Santos, Coordinator, Texas Center for the Book

Creating a Reading Culture with the Texas Bluebonnet Award

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For 44 years, “Read Five: Then Decide” empowers elementary students to vote

By Michele Chan Santos

Coordinator, Texas Center for the Book

The Texas Bluebonnet Award (TBA) is one of the most prestigious literary awards in the United States and one of the only awards where the winning book is selected by children.

Each year, 20 books are chosen for the Texas Bluebonnet Award List. Schools and libraries around the state participate in the program, encouraging students to read a minimum of five books from the list. Last year, for example, more than 63,000 students voted, all from third through sixth grade. More than 1,100 schools, public libraries and homeschool groups participated. The TBA program is run by the Texas Library Association. The winning author (and illustrator, if a picture book is selected) are honored at the Texas Library Association Annual Conference every spring.

What makes TBA so special, and why has it survived—and thrived—over the decades? We spoke to Terri Harkey, Coordinator of the TBA program, to find out.

History of TBA

In the late 1970s, Dr. Janelle Paris, a professor in the Library Science Department at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, and Pat Wright, a librarian in Cypress Fairbanks ISD in Houston, launched an effort to create a state award for children’s literature, and the TBA was born. The first TBA winner was Ramona and Her Father, by Beverly Cleary, in 1981. (Here is the full list of winning titles, which includes books by Judy Blume, Kate DiCamillo and many other wonderful authors.)

How has the TBA program managed to stay successful and relevant through the years?

“I think the variety of genres that we try to incorporate in each list,” Harkey said, “has helped it stay meaningful. It’s not just picture books, it’s not just chapter books, it’s not just graphic novels—it’s all of those and more, a wide variety, and it encourages kids to read. We include many genres and then the quality of the books is always high.”

For the 2025-2026 list, for example, the TBA committee of librarians evaluated more than 1,000 books. “We really try to pick books that we feel kids will like and enjoy reading,” Harkey said.

The second key to TBA’s long success is student involvement, she said.

Every year at the Texas Book Festival, students announce the books selected for the list; then students across the state vote for their favorite book; the winner is announced in February, and in April, student presenters at the TLA Conference present the award to the winning author.

As a school librarian, you have to figure out a way to create a reading culture, because as a librarian that, to me, is your responsibility.

Terri harkey, texas bluebonnet award coordinator

How TBA benefits students and schools

Harkey is a retired librarian and instructional technology educator who worked in Texas schools for more than 25 years. She’s seen firsthand how participating in TBA built a reading culture at the schools where she was the lead librarian.

Each fall, the TBA list for the following school year is released (for example, in November 2024 the list for 2025-2026 was released.) This gives schools and students more than a year to read the books before voting by the January deadline for their favorites.  

“As a school librarian, you have to figure out a way to create a reading culture, because as a librarian that, to me, is your responsibility,” Harkey said. “Whether you’re using the Bluebonnet list, or one of the other TLA lists, you are creating a community by reading the same books.”

At her schools, Harkey created a “Bluebonnet Superstar List,” a posted list on the library door naming all the students who had read at least five books from the list. (The TBA program slogan is “Read Five: Then Decide” — there are 20 books on the list, but students need only to read five to be able to vote.) Students were highly motivated to read the books so they could be included, she said.

Schools across Texas hold Bluebonnet voting parties, where the third through sixth graders come to vote at their school library. For many elementary schools, the Bluebonnet parties are a highlight of the school year. They frequently feature blue refreshments (frosted cookies, blueberry muffins, blue Gatorade), as well as games and activities, often themed to match books on the list.

“The last year that I did it, I had 147 kids come to our TBA voting party,” Harkey said.

How to participate

If you’d like your school or public library to participate in TBA, but you are new to the program, a good place to begin is the TBA website which is full of resources for each title on the list, Harkey said. Resources include readers’ theaters, book trailers, author interviews, discussion questions and more.

For librarians attending the TLA Annual Conference, tickets are available for the TBA Author Session where the award is presented (the luncheon is $59 for members, $69 for non-members), as well as Speed Dating the Bluebonnets, where authors with books on the upcoming year’s list come to meet with librarians and discuss their books.

To register to vote

TBA has an instructional page with directions on how to tally student votes, enter them and submit. There is a $20 charge for each school to participate. More information is available on the FAQ page.

If you have additional questions, Harkey encourages you to reach out to a TBA Committee member, to her, to TLA, or a librarian in your area that has participated in the program before.

Transforming authors’ lives

Another benefit of the TBA program is the recognition it brings to authors. For debut authors who have a book on the list, it is a launching pad to greater recognition in the publishing world, and a way to connect with thousands of young readers.

When Susan Stevens Crummel won the TBA Award in 2010 for Help Me, Mr. Mutt! Expert Answers for Dogs with People Problems (written with Janet Stevens) “it changed her from being a math teacher to being a full-time author who visits schools,” Harkey said. “It changed her life.” (Help Me, Mr. Mutt! is a humorous picture book about a dog advice columnist – a fun read for dog lovers of any age.)

In 2024, author and illustrator Charly Palmer received the Texas Bluebonnet Award for his book The Legend of Gravity: A Tall Basketball Tale. This beautifully illustrated picture book is the fictional story of the Hillside Projects basketball team.

In his video accepting the award, Palmer said, “I am truly humbled, surprised and honored to receive this award. I never imagined winning this. I saw myself as an illustrator, not a writer. To write it in a way that children are inspired and chose it for the Bluebonnet Award is beyond my imagination.”