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THE HISTORY OF
THE UNIVERSITY PARK PUBLIC LIBRARY
THE BEGINNINGS
It took the University Park Public Library a while to get off the ground. Back in 1950, University Park resident Harriet F. Lowe (Mrs. Jack) first approached University Park’s leaders with the need for a community library.
In 1958, University Park was identified as one of the largest cities in the United States without a public library, a dubious distinction it held for many years. Residents had to use the libraries in Dallas and Highland Park. When, in 1976, Dallas began charging a fee for non-city residents and Highland Park followed suit the next year, a group of housewives again asked the University Park City Council for a library.
In the 1980s, Highland Park town officials approached University Park officials to join a study on a possible joint library, a suggestion that came to no fruition. In 1987, Cub Scouts began a campaign to raise money and interest in a library. Their campaign was successful in one way, because the following year on a citywide survey for the master plan, residents identified a library as one of their top priorities.
In 1989, the Friends of the Library for the Park Cities (FOLPC) was formed at the request of Walt Humann, chairman of the University Park Master Plan, and the Mayor and City Council of University Park. The purpose of the organization was to prepare for a capital campaign. Mrs. Harriet Lowe became its first charter member, and Winnie Hamlin (Mrs. Davis) was elected the first president. In 1990, Mayor John Roach stated that, “the library is our top priority from the Master Plan.” University Park commissioned a study of possible sites for a library.
In 1993, leaders of Highland Park, University Park, and Highland Park Independent School District visited the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. Upon their return, Mayor Barbara Hitzelberger asked the Friends to survey the local residents. Of the University Park respondents, 76.4% indicated they would support a tax increase to pay for a library, and the City earmarked $1 million from the estate of Mattie Carruth Byrd for a library. The Friends asked for authorization to proceed with a capital campaign.
University Park officials proposed a new library as part of a remodeled City Hall at Goar Park. The Friends offered an alternative plan for a separate library building at Goar Park. After several years of discussion, proposals, and counter-proposals, Mayor F.B. “Pete” Goldman formed a Library Task Force in March 1997. In July of that year, the recommendation of the Task Force was unanimously approved by the University Park City Council. The Task Force asked the Friends to raise an initial $300,000 before the end of 1997, as part of a larger $10 million capital campaign. It also committed to a matching fund of $1 million to endow the “Volunteer Chair” when an added $2 million could be raised for two endowed “Library Chairs.” At that time the city committee committed to fund a portion of operations for the library with no increase in taxes. The task force and the City agreed that a decision on a specific location would be made jointly by the City and the Fund-Raising Committee, when the cash became available. They further agreed that the location would not use any parkland nor adversely impact any residential property. The Friends agreed to accept the responsibility of supporting an “exceptional volunteer commitment” effort to significantly reduce operations expenses. Members of the Library Task Force were James M. Walley, Jr. (Chair), James Holmes (Council Member), Judy Gibbs, Diane Galloway, Vann Phillips, Doug Roach, Frank Swingle, Bob Livingston (City Manager), and Kent Austin (Assistant City Manager).
The FOLPC met the challenge by the end of 1997 and raised the required $300,000. A wonderful gift from Merrill-Lynch jump-started the campaign, and many donors became members of the Pioneer 200s with their gifts of $1000 or more. The City mobilized the committee to organize raising the balance of the funds. Friends began the process of identifying and securing a location for the new library.
In June 1999, the Friends hired The Dini Partners, fundraising consultants, as required in the Task Force document, to help prepare for the capital campaign. On May 4, 2000, they signed a contract with the Dallas Foundation to manage the funds.
NEW HOPE
Albert Huddleston proposed a plan to redevelop a commercial site in University Park and donate space for a library for $1.00 a year. With no operating budget, professional staff, or funds to purchase books, shelving, supplies, etc., several hundred volunteers gave their time and talents to collect needed items and sort books into a usable collection. Thousands of recycled books, audio tapes, and videos were donated, examined, and “shelved” in boxes, on tables, and on the floors of the former legal offices for opening day. Volunteers held book sales of duplicate volumes to raise money for needed supplies. They obtained a donated computer and wrote a patron registration and check out program for record keeping. The SMU bookstore donated its shelves when it moved to a new location, which got materials off the floor. Residents cleaned out their closets, basements, and garages for furnishings and books, which they brought in return for a tax donation form, the Friends being a 501c3 tax-exempt organization. They even provided a copy machine and had a telephone installed.
Four local Girl Scouts, Amanda Luther, Heather Reinelt, Brett Ory, and Alia Avidan, put in yeoman’s service canvassing the community to collect books as part of their Gold Award project. (The Gold Award is the highest award a Girl Scout can receive. The Scout must work at least fifty hours on a community service project to earn it.) The girls had fliers printed and distributed paper bags to residents for books. Their goal was to hit every house in University Park. People who participated gave an average of 10-11 books, and the girls collected approximately 20,000 books. They also sorted books, set up shelves, read for story time, and painted the mural in the children’s picture book room, which was sketched by Dale Truitt. They even found time to enter a float in the Park Cities July 4th Parade for the Book Bank and won 3rd prize.
The Dallas Public Library offered two truckloads of books left from their annual book sale. Volunteers transported them and then had the mammoth job of sorting through some 20,000 books to determine usability.
AT LAST, SUCCESS
On June 7, 2001, the University Park Book Bank opened its doors in the Chase Bank Building on the south end of Snider Plaza. For the first time in its 86-year history, University Park had a community library, albeit for only four hours a week in a 5,500 square foot former legal office. Opening ceremonies were presided over by city officials. Former Mayor Pete Goldman cut the ribbon, with former Mayors Barbara Hitzelberger, Don Houseman, and Ed Drake on hand. The existing Mayor Harold Peek, and Council members Olin Lane, Jim Walley, and Jim Roberts were there, along with former councilman Blackie Holmes, City Manager Bob Livingston, and Assistant City Manager Kent Austin. Vice-President of the Dallas Morning News Rena Pederson signed her new book, What’s Next? The large crowd enjoyed delicious food donated by local merchants, including Marc and Susan Hall’s Amore’s Pizza, Karl Kuby’s fresh veggie trays, J.D. Chippery’s cookies, Short Stop’s iced tea, Chase Bank’s popcorn, and Sam’s Club’s birthday cake honoring Pete Goldman’s 80th birthday and the opening of the Book Bank. Nicholson Hardie, Cotton Island, The Muse, Snider Plaza Texaco, Starbucks, Jooneechees, Moto Photo, Park Cities Postal, The Market, and Learning Express provided Book Bank Bucks (discount dollars). Some fabulous storytellers, several Highland Park High School bagpipers, a clown, a masseur, face painters, and many volunteers who came early and stayed late provided extra fun. Library hours soon increased to eight per week, and then to 16.
The increased hours meant paid staff. The City of University Park and La Fiesta de las Seis Banderas stepped up to the plate and provided much of that funding. As the hours increased, and more people were hired, the City increased its generosity.
MANY CHANGES
The next major step began on January 2, 2002, when the University Park City Council voted to fund a full-time professional librarian, an action that enabled the Friends to begin to provide the quality of service that UP residents deserve. The search for a librarian began a few weeks later. Andrea Lee Shuey, an HPHS graduate and professional librarian of more than 30 years experience, began working as library director on April 1, 2002. She immediately started reorganizing the books and all the procedures of operation. She identified children’s award titles and pulled them into identifiable sections, before beginning to purchase new children’s materials. Library hours expanded to 20 per week, and the name changed to University Park Public Library.
The Northeast Texas Library System (NETLS) recognized the synergistic team effort and partnership that resulted in the University Park Book Bank and honored its leaders with the Library Leadership Award at its annual luncheon on June 5, 2002. NETLS Coordinator Dale Fleeger presented the plaque to Diane Galloway and Nancy Egan as the librarians representing over 100 libraries from northeast Texas approved with a standing ovation. The library became a full member of the System in September 2002, making it eligible for all the benefits of membership. At the same time, the library added ten more open hours, making a total of 30 per week.
SHELVING
Another major hurdle was leaped through a grant from the Hillcrest Foundation with the purchase of library shelving from the Hockaday Middle School Library. Makeshift shelving in the adult fiction, history/biography, youth non-fiction, and audio-video areas was replaced, as was the “dorm-room” shelving composed of bricks and boards lining the hallways. Additional shelving was provided to other areas through grants and large donations to replace the SMU Bookstore shelves, which were recycled to another bookstore. In February 2003, Susan Holman gave the library funds for shelving and redecorating the youth fiction room in memory of her parents, Richard P. and Dann Talley Kincheloe. Clayton Farrow as part of his Eagle Scout project installed these shelves two months later. (This is the major award in the Boy Scouts.) The project included removing the books and existing shelves, installing the new shelves, and replacing the books. Clayton led a team of friends and his family in the work. The room was completed a few months later with new paint and a window seat cushion. Shelving in the sciences room was purchased with a grant from the Hoblitzelle Foundation in 2004. Initial funding for shelving in the picture book room was provided by gifts from Mr. Daniel Lovejoy and his daughter Terry Davenport. The Park Cities civic organization, La Fiesta de las Seis Banderas, completed the room by granting the funds in 2003 and 2004 for additional shelving and for Big Cozy furnishings shaped like books.
COMPUTERS
The Friends recognized that the homemade computer program was no longer sufficient for the growing operation. In 2002, they applied for and received a grant from the Harry W. Bass, Jr. Foundation to purchase a computer system designed for library cataloging and circulation programs. Mr. Bass was a longtime resident of University Park. One of his many legacies was the Foundation, which bears his name and is operated by his widow and her son. After much investigation, the library purchased The Library Corporation’s Library.Solution system. The grant also provided funding for three computers to be used for circulation and cataloging processes. After delivery and training, volunteers immediately undertook to enter the holdings into the automated catalog. The Library put an ad on the Texas Library Association website to attract volunteer catalogers to help. The Library next applied for and received a grant from the Texas Telecommunications Infrastructure Fund (TIF). This grant was used to purchase five computers for public Internet access, one of which was handicapped accessible. Park Cities Telecom wired the library for Internet access in February 2003. The library truly entered the 21st century in August 2003, when the online catalog was unveiled to the public for access in the library and at their homes.
The new computer system required a myriad of activity. In 2003, staff developed a new logo for the library, held a Barcodes and Barbecue party (58 helpers spent a total of 158 volunteer hours) to apply barcodes to all circulating material, offered an Interlibrary Loan program for the first time, issued barcoded plastic library cards instead of the paper ones, rebuilt the circulation desk to hold two computers instead of one, and began shelving books by Dewey Decimal number instead of alphabetically by author (the North Dallas/Park Cities Kiwanis Club assisted by shifting cataloged books into their proper places). The Library also began offering the TexShare databases and TexShare cards. Cards in the TexShare program, from the State Library, allow a University Park Public Library cardholder to check out materials in participating libraries throughout Texas.
EVEN THE WHITE HOUSE
Another exciting event in December 2002 was the day Friends’ President Nancy Egan received a telephone call from the White House. First Lady Laura Bush agreed to be the Honorary Chairman of the University Park Public Library.
PROGRAMS AND PARTNERSHIPS
2003 saw the beginning of a series of programs for the community. The Friends held a Valentine’s Day party for the children of the community. The Chase Bank agreed to sponsor the event, launching a partnership for many programs. That summer the Bank sponsored both the kick-off and back-to-school parties for the second annual Summer Reading Club. They also gave each child who read 10 books a gold dollar coin. The next year the Bank sponsored most of the Summer Reading Club activities, including the gold dollar coin for the first 10 hours children spent reading. Staff and volunteers held the first luncheon for HPISD principals and librarians in order to strengthen ties with the schools. In September, the UP Library was named “The Best library you’ve never heard of” by the Dallas Observer as part of its best and worst issue.
Additional grants received in 2003 were from the Summerlee Foundation for Texas books, Hoblitzelle Foundation for books on the pure and social sciences, and the University Park City Council for medical and legal reference books.
In 2004, the Library hired a children’s librarian. Mary Lynn Saxton began work by jumping right into the Summer Reading Club at the end of May. That month also began a partnership with Southern Methodist University, as athletes wore their uniforms and worked the crowd at the Summer Reading Club kick-off party. On the first Tuesday of each month that summer, athletes read stories to the children as part of the Milk and Cookies with the Mustangs pajama story time. The Library formed a partnership with the Highland Park Library and the local Barnes & Noble Book Seller by holding a book fair one December weekend. The libraries distributed vouchers for their patrons to use while buying books at the store. In return, the store gave the libraries a percentage of the sales generated with the vouchers.
2005 furthered a partnership with the University of North Texas School of Library and Information Sciences. In addition to providing practical cataloging experience for LIS students, the library became a training site for Practicum students. These students perform varying professional duties in a library for 120 hours under the supervision of a degreed professional librarian and must complete a project and report on it, in addition to completing coursework. The practicum normally is done toward the end of a student’s degree program.
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