03/30/2023
Kirbyville Public Library 40th Anniversary T-Shirt Fundraiser
The Kirbyville Public Library is celebrating its 40th year!
The Kirbyville Public Library was established by Mrs. B.A. Woods, along with the women's civic club. It started with several shelves in Woods Drugstore owned by her husband B. Woods. In cooperation with the Women's Civic Club, 50 books were borrowed from the State Loan Library.
On June 23, 1938, the club had a book tea, inviting the community to attend and to bring a book. They received over 80 books.
In September that year, the Lions Club gave permission to move into the front of the Lions Hall, that was then located downstairs of the Masonic Hall on Main Street and the State Library increased their loan totals to 100 books.
By August 1951, the library had moved to the northwest corner of the community house, still supported by the civic club with a monthly contribution of $15 from the city. Over 1500 books were housed and 2000 circulated. The first library board consisted of 10 members led by Mrs. Walter T. Bolton. In 1977 Mrs. Bolton was honored with a city proclamation, commending her 40 years of service to the library.
In January 1974, the City of Kirbyville assumed the responsibility of the operating of the library under the advisory board and in 1984 Jasper County began contributing to the library's budget. The present brick building, 201 South Elizabeth, was formally dedicated on August 20, 1983, on the site donated by E.D. Conn, Sr. and his sons E. Dixon, Jr, Charles and Robert, as a memorial to their wife and mother, Yvonne Conn.
Since May of 1981, the Kirbyville Public Library has been approved as a member of the Texas Library System, with many services to our library including library training, and computer accessibility to online services.
A space capsule buried in the south lawn and 1986 in observance of Texas Sesquicentennial is to be opened in Texas Independence Day, March 2, 2036.
The Kirbyville Library has a large main room with a wide range of adult books, a computer room, and a children’s room.
Today, the Kirbyville Public Library houses 26,129 books, fourteen percent is over 29 years old. Over 26% of the reference section is over 33 years old.
The library has the original flooring throughout the building, which has no padding.
The computer room has five computers available for patron use. The computers were purchased used over ten years ago.
The Kirbyville Friends of the Public Library are working to raise money to replace the flooring throughout the building and to purchase new computers. They have designed a shirt to celebrate the Kirbyville Public Library’s 40th Anniversary. The shirt comes in two colors and multiple sizes for $20. Money raised from the shirt sale will go toward floors and computers.
Shirts can be purchased from the library or from the Friends of the Public Library page.
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