- Woman's Study Club Promotes Formation of Library in Lorenzo
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- In 1959 Boy Scout and Girl Scout leaders in Lorenzo expressed
a need to the Study Clubs for the accessibility to reading and
reference material for the children in the community.
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- Both the Woman's Study Club and the Junior Woman's Study
Clumb (later the Coterie Club) conducted a drive and collected
used books from the community to start the library. The City
of Lorenzo furnished a room in the Community Center to house
the library and volunteers helped staff the faclity.
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- A few months later it was discovered that other towns in
the county were also finding a similar need for library services.
A "Friends of the Library" committee was formed with
representatives from Crosbyton, Ralls and Lorenzo. The committee
met with members of the West Texas Library System to ask for
help in obtaining libraries in the county.
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- They informed the Committee that they would match or provide
some funds if certain stipulations were met. In order to get
matching funds the Committee met with the Commissioners Court
several times.
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- Each town was provided a place for their library and the
County would pay for the supplies and for salaries. Each town
would receive equal funding. The Crosby County Library was to
consist of three libraries with a County Librarian, although
each town would have their own librarian. The Texas Library Association
would match County funds or percentages to supply money for books
and professsional services.
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- In order to offer a larger number of books to their readers
until a bigger inventory was built, books were moved once a year
between the three libraries. They were catalogued in three copies
so that patrons could order or use books from other libraries
in the county.
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- The Study Clubs in Lorenzo backed the Library with funds,
books, and nominated members to serve on the Committee.
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- Since the library's beginning the Lorenzo Woman's Study Club
has contributed to it in one way or another by donation of time,
money or books, or simply through checkouts. Forms of support
include promoting "Friends of the Library" movement
and providing funds for awards given for the Summer Reading Program,
a project that has greatly grown since 1972 and is currently
sustained.
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- As a Bicentennial project, the club had a display case built
which was placed in the library as a permanent fixture to house
our history books and all yearbooks since the clubs inception
in 1922. These year books were donated by the orginal Secretary
who also included her first minutes.
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- Through the years the library has grown to some 6,500 volumes,
a goodly number for our 1,200 population. It has been extensively
remodeled and updated with new book cases, furniture and fixtures.
The Woman's Study Club regularly schedules club meeting at the
facility so that its values can be view by every member.
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- From Once Upon a Plain.
. . Echoes of Lorenzo
- by Wayne and Sydna Wallace
- This history was submitted
November 1991
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