Harris County Public Library Scrapbook (1941-1948)

HOUSTON, TEXAS, AUGUST 9, 1945 5c a Copy — Subscription a Year Local Library Book -Lending Business Booms Г) о _ _ _ _ ■ VP... ,L n i г Ш m ш m *- <: ■Ф* Ww*W i± Ш Ш Branch Draws On County Collection Of 47,000 Books Youngsters of the section are her best “customers,” says Mrs. Thelma Ann Sanders (above center) of 8771 ltice Boulevard, librarian of the West University Branch of the Harris County Library, but many adults also find the book shelves in the Community House a convenient place to satisfy their reading needs. Children in the photograph are Amv Beth Howard, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W. E. Howard of 3810 Milton; Don Dechman, son of Mr. and Mrs. D. A. Dechman of 3746 Georgetown; Allene King, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. G. E. King of 3901 University Boulevard, and Wicky Foxworth, son of Mr. and Mrs. J. A. Foxworth of 3909 Rice. — Photo by Ottis Stahl. As The Post Saw It 25 Years Ago May 8, 1921 MISS LUCY TREZEVANT FULLER, libra- rian for Harris county, arrived in Hous¬ ton from New York Saturday, and will as¬ sume her duties Monday. For the present Miss Fuller will be located at the Carnegie public library. Miss Fuller Is a Houston girl, and has taught in the public schools of Harris county. She was trained in library i work at the Carnegie library school at Pittsburgh, Pa., and was five years with i the New York public library, specializing in work in the lower East Side. _ Library Building Plans Tentative, Young Announces H- Pasadena Plans Library Building Tentative plans for erection of a $15,000 library building were adopted Monday by the Pasadena city council. 1 The council instructed Commis¬ sioner Frank Young to confer with school authorities to learn whether the building could be built on the junior high school campus, i Commissioner Young was also in¬ structed to obtain estimates of ma¬ terials and costs for the building,: which will be a 33 by 44-foot struc-| ture, with a wing to be added later for a reading room. The council authorized Commis¬ sioner С. T. Gary to "crack down” on householders who fail to provide proper garbage cans. 1 The council appropriated $675 to‘ pay the salary for three months of. a playground supervisor on the .recreation program sponsored by |the school system. In a letter re¬ questing the additional worker, V.1 1W. Miller, superintendent of schools, i said three supervisors already are’ employed, but a fourth is badly needed. Building plans for the Pasadena branch of the county library were only tentative this week and will be presented at the next meeting of the city council, Frank Young, land and tax commissioner an¬ nounced Monday afternoon. Young reported that an effort is being made to have the new building centrally located and easily accessible to school child¬ ren who frequently use the ser¬ vices of the library. The books were transferred to temporary quarters in the home economics building when a repre¬ sentative group from the Reading club appeared before the council and announced that a move was under way to discontinue the branch here unless other quarters could be found. For several years the library has been located in a private home, but the owner expressed a desire to have the books moved. The books are supplied by the county library and the city of Pas¬ adena pays building rentals for privilege of the Pasadena exten¬ sion. by making a deposit. Although there have never been more than ■ 2000 books in the library at one time, changes are made each month in the collection. Any book j in the Harris County Library col- 1 lection of 47,000 books is available on request. 1 The West University Branch Library is open from 8 a. m. until noon, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and Mrs. Sanders urges all residents to take advantage of the library’s facilities. Circulation at the West University Branch of the Har¬ ris County Library reached an all-time high in July when 1585 books were checked over the desk. This record places the local branch within the five largest libraries in the Harris County system. This is a far cry from the days, 19 years ago, when the West University branch was opened with a total of 83 books and when the first month’s circu¬ lation was 45. First Library The first public library in the section was housed in the West University Elementary School in a room furnished by the Parent- Teacher Association. Books then, as now, were from the Harris County Public Library, and the number was gradually increased as the demand grew. There was no paid librarian until the W. P. A. program went into effect. When the West University Com¬ munity House was completed in the fall of 1941, it contained quarters for the library. In January of 1943 arrangements were made for the County Library and the City of West University Place to share the expense of paying a librarian’s sal¬ ary, and Mrs. Thelma Ann Sanders of 3771 Rice Boulevard has held that position ever since. Library officials and patrons agree that the continued success and growth of the branch has been due in large measure to the genuine interest Mrs. Sanders takes in getting the right book to the right person. School Children Use During the school year many persons have noticed the lines of children, accompanied by their teachers, marching from the school to the Community House. Although the school has a library, the teach¬ ers have found the additional book supply very useful, especially for recreational reading. This summer a number of children have partici¬ pated in a special reading program directed by Mrs. Sanders. 2000 Books On Shelves While children have been the most numerous users of the West University Library, their parents and other adults of the community are finding out about their county library service. Any citizen of Har¬ ris County may obtain books from the branch nearest his home by giv¬ ing his name and address to the librarian. Out-of -county or tempo¬ rary residents may borrow books THE DISTRICT MESSENGER October IS, 1946 COUNTY LIBRARY TO BE IMPROVED Crosby branch Harrij bounty library is to Ъё Improved. First eledtri 2ity has been installed Jov; the building will t >ainted by the Ag. boys ind nev. windows are to >e installed* Funds foi -he improvements came 'rom, "The Tom Thumb Wed ting", presented in September. The library has a wl selection of fiction ш non- fiction, mystry,mui <ler, religious, poetK ;>lay and reference bcoj, Thede books can b< obtained between 1,:0G 4:00 on Saturday or i:3 ; ,nd 6:30 on Mondays 5i lei Sc Summer Reading Club Planned By Library A reading club for children of the section will be organized again this summer, Mrs. Thelma Ann Sanders, librarian for the West University Place branch of the Harris County Public Library, states. Last summer nearly 1 children participated and 78 com-! pleted the course. Children who read 12 selected books, six fiction and six non-fic- '• !S tion, will be awarded a certificate at the end of the summer. The branch library, located in the West University Community House, is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings. 1S1 “M 'h ats