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The Jennie Trent Dew Library is located at 1101 Hutchings, which is at the corner of Fourth Street and Hutchings in Goldthwaite. Our mailing address is PO Box 101, Goldthwaite, TX 76844. Our phone number is 325-648-2447, and librarian@jtdlibrary.net is our e-mail address.
Click here for a map and directions to the library.
| Library Staff |
| Library Board Members |
| Grants Received |
| History of the Jennie Trent Dew Library |
Head Librarian - Theresa Strickler
Assistant Librarian - Becky Gray
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1999-2001 - Library Establishment Grant of $30,000 a year for 3 years to bring our library up to state library standards. This grant allowed the library to increase hours of operation from 9 hours per week to 20 hours per week, add equipment, books, audio books and software.
1999 - Telecommunications Infrastructure Fund Grant of $9,730 for computers and the hardware and wiring needed for the computers and Internet access.
2000 - The library received a Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation grant for 2 computer workstations, software and staff training.
2002 - A grant from the Tocker foundation for $7,025 for adjustable steel shelving and a new library table and chairs.
2002 - Loan Star Library Grant of $1605 from the Texas State Library & Archives Commission to purchase history and geography books.
2002 - The library received a matching grant from the Libri Foundation Books for children programs. The Friends of the Library raised $350 with a read-a-thon for a 2-for-one match from the Libri foundation. $1050 worth of children’s books were chosen by the library director from the Libri Foundation.
2003 - A Texas Book Festival Grant for $2500 to purchase audio books.
2003 - Loan Star Library Grant for $1684 from the Texas State Library & Archives Commission to purchase natural science materials for children and adults.
2004 - Loan Star Library Grant for $1509 from the Texas State Library to purchase classic literature books and audio books.
2004 - The library received a grant to automate the library from the Tocker Foundation. This included a computer, printer and automation software as well as retrospective conversion of our records on existing books.
2005 - Loan Star Library Grant for $1513 from the Texas State Library & Archives Commission for 2 new computers and software.
2005 - $2500 from the Tocker Foundation for children’s non-fiction books.
2005 - $2500 Texas Book Festival Grant for children's non- fiction books.
2006 - $3000 Texas Reads Grant from the Texas State Library and Archives Commission for Spanish language materials and programs
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Lori Brown, Chairperson
Dr. Mary Kretzer
Emily Francis
Clara "Buzz" Hammond
Barbara Carroll
Barbara Collins
Donna Hamm
Ex Officio members are:
County Judge Rob Lindsey
City Manager, Bobby Rountree
Mayor, Mike McMahan
The Self Culture Club started the first library in 1906. A Silver Tea was held and people were asked to also donate a book. A bookcase was placed in Dr. M. L. Brown's Drug store and Miss Kate Fairman served as Librarian for two afternoons each week. When Dr. Brown moved his store and practice to Brownwood, the library moved to the variety store of Mr. & Mrs. Floyd Mullan. In 1923, the Mullans moved their store to Marlin and the Self Culture Club was unsuccessful in finding a place to put the books. The Club voted to discontinue the Library, and a Commission was appointed to dispose of the books. Ninety good books were shipped to the Prison Library at Huntsville, and the remainder donated to our local Public School Library.
In 1936, the Art and Civic Club of Goldthwaite sponsored a new Library project. The Self Culture Club endorsed the plan and agreed to co-operate, as did all the other Clubs in town. It was to be governed by a Library Board made up of a member from each Women's Club, the Lion's Club, the Mayor and County Judge. Money and books were donated, and again there was a Library. It resided on the Third Floor of the Courthouse. and the different Clubs appointed a Librarian to serve for a certain time. The books were later moved to a room in the basement of the Courthouse, and Mrs. Addie Hudson Schooler accepted the position of Librarian. This arrangement continued until 1950 when the present Jennie Trent Dew Library building was completed.
The Jennie Trent Dew Memorial Library had its beginning in July of 1948. when at a called session of the City Council, Sam Sullivan and Attorney E. B. Gilliam, Jr., executors of the estate of the late Mrs. Jennie Trent Dew, turned over to the City Council a check for $30,000 for a City Library. The terms of the will specified that $15,000 of the money was to be used for the construction of a building and $15,000 for an endowment to maintain and operate the Library and Club Room. Mrs. Dew stated in her Will, "Being desirous of providing a gift for the people of the town of Goldthwaite where I have lived and made my home for the greater part of my life; and being desirous that such gift be a benefit and a blessing to my neighbors, friends, and fellow-citizens during the years to come, I do hereby give the bequeath $30,000 for the purpose of building and equiping and maintaining a Public Library in Goldthwaite, Texas. ------ I further provide that the said building include one large room to be used by the various Women's Clubs in town as a meeting place, -- and that each Club so using said room pay a moderate and reasonable sum to be used for the upkeep and maintenance of such Club Room."
Mayor Loy Long appointed a committee of citizens as an advisory body to the Goldthwaite City Council to work out plans and location for the new Library. This committee consisted of Mmes. L. E. Miller, Nora Hooks Berry, Emily Anderson Gilliam, and W. C. Barnett and the members of this committee became permanent members of the Library Board.
A lot at the corner of Hutchings and Fourth Street was purchased as the site for the Library building and a local contractor, Mr. M. F. Horton, was given the contract for the erection of a red brick building. Completed in 1950, the Jennie Trent Dew Library was dedicated on September 17, 1950, at 3:00 P.M. in Goldthwaite, Texas.
Members of the Art and Civic Club conducted a tour of the Library building, the Self Culture Club presided over the registration of guests, the Garden Club had charge of the decorations and the Tuesday Study Club displayed the library books.
The Jennie Trent Dew Library was turned into a facility to serve all the County as the follow up of merging of the resources of the new Library and the former Goldthwaite Public Library which was located in the basement of the Mills County Court House. In order to obtain state assistance for the Library, the arrangements had to be made through the County officials, and the County Judge of Mills County was made an ex-officio member of the Library Board. The Commissioners Court donated $5 per month for books for the Library.
The Library Board was set up by the City Council. It consisted of the County Judge of Mills County and the Mayor of the City of Goldthwaite as ex-officio members; the members of the Building Committee were made permanent members and each of the following ladies' club was to have one representative: Self Culture Club, Art and Civic Club, Tuesday Study Club, and Goldthwaite Garden Club. Nominated by their respected clubs and approved by the City Council, each representative served a two year term. Representatives from the Young Homemaker’s Club and the Home Demonstration Club were later added.
At the second meeting of the Library Board, September 4, 1950, a committee was appointed to travel to Burnett to ask their cooperation on obtaining State library books. In a called meeting of the Board on September 11, 1950, Mrs. George Reese was elected as librarian at $35 per month. It was decided that the library would be kept open from 2:30 p.m. until 5:30 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday of every week. So the Jennie Trent Dew Memorial Library opened for business.
The library service started in September, 1950 with Mrs. George Reese as librarian, and her first report showed that up to January 1, 1951 there has been a circulation of 754 books and 150 books had been donated - but in her next report she showed that for the month of April a circulation of 307 books, indicating the beginning of the growth of the library service. Mrs. Reese served until August 1951 with Mrs. J.M. Campbell as her assistant. The following ladies have followed, - Miss Lila Burney, appointed September 1951; Mrs. James Nickols 1952, Mrs. Jim Weatherby 1953, Mrs. Jon Schooler 1954, Mrs. Hazel Bradford 1955, Mrs. Fred Reynolds 1968, Mae Featherston, Monnie Conradt, Yvonne Bruce, Jan Laughlin, Peggy Ducote, Ella Ruth Hall and Theresa Strickler.
When the Jennie Trent Dew Library Building was built, there was only a handful of books, and the planners never dreamed that by 1971 the library would own around eight thousand volumes. Those who work with the library have a great desire for its services to be used by all the citizens of the county. Without the help of the community, this growth of library services would not have been possible.
In 1998 Jennie Trent Dew Library became a city/county library and received and establishment grant from the Texas State Library and Archives Commission. At this time the libraries hours of operation increased to 20 hours per week.
The Library began with 1,949 books and today the shelves contain thousands of books. The Library now has 4 computer stations, complete with internet access for use by the public. We also have a copy machine and fax.
We have recently completed an automation project at the library. Our complete collection is on computer. The Jennie Trent Dew Library Board and Staff would like to give special thanks to the Tocker Foundation for providing a grant for this automation system and the Central Texas Library System for their help with this project and many previous projects. We would also like to thank the volunteers who spent many hours working with the staff on automation.
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