Radio Report: “In Rural Texas, Libraries Anchor Small Towns But Struggle to Stay Afloat” (New Texas Woman’s University and Texas Library Association Project to Help Rural Libraries Become Anchors in their Towns)

From KERA Radio:

Rural libraries in Texas face many challenges — they don’t have a lot of resources, but the people they serve have a lot of needs.
A new effort from Texas Woman’s University in Denton and the Texas Library Association is focused on helping them.
[Clip]
Across Texas, rural libraries like the one in Ponder often don’t have enough staff or enough money. They may only be open a few days a week or staffed by volunteers who aren’t trained as librarians. Yet, [Tina] Hager [Director of a Public Library in Denton County, Texas) says, these libraries are go-to places, especially in small towns.
“Libraries are like the living room of the community and that’s one of the things I try and tell people. ‘I want you to think of this at your home away from home,’” she said “And it’s not only about kids anymore. So many people think, ‘Oh, well, I don’t have kids anymore, or ‘I don’t read.’ So when they say, ‘I don’t like to read,’ I’m like, ‘We got movies! We got movies!”

Listen to the Complete Report (5:24)
UPDATE: This report was also published by the Texas Standard on August 15, 2018.

Filed under: Libraries, News, Public Libraries