Houston Public Library 2008 Annual Report
Mar 10, 2016
H o u s t o n P u b l i c L i b r a r y
2 0 0 8 A n n u a l R e p o r t
“Shhhhhhhhhh”
Welcome to the new Houston Public Library
“Shhhhhhhhhh”
Welcome to the new Houston Public Library
has left the building.Today’s Houston Public Library is a place where
bold voices are welcome. It’s a vital and vibrant
hub of our community, where everything from
cultural performances to multilingual seminars
to the non-stop clicking of keyboards can be seen
and heard every day. Let’s keep up the volume!
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4
ta
bl
e o
f c
on
te
nt
s 3 Message from the
Director
4
Introduction
5-7
Central Library Reopens
8-9
The New Looscan
Neighborhood Library
10-11
Mobile Express and
HPL Express
12Discovery Green Park Express
13The Julia Ideson Building
14-15
Clayton Library, African-American
Library, Kendall Library,
Bracewell Library & Ring Library
16
HPL Financial Overview
17-22
Houston Public Library
Foundation
23-24
Supporting Organizations of
Houston Public Library
© 2009 Houston Public Library Foundation2
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5
M e s s a g e f r o m t h e
Director
Everyone has a library story. Most often, those stories take us back to our childhood,
and memories of afternoon trips to the local library with a parent, friend or class,
losing ourselves in the sea of books and the stories and worlds held in each.
Our memories tell us that these libraries were all quiet, wood-paneled, dimly lit
havens of rows and rows of books, places where one could peruse the stacks seeking information and education
about the larger world with the helpful assistance, and the occasional “shhhh,” of the local librarian.
Today’s libraries are changing. Not that they don’t still link people to the world of information. They do. And
not that there isn’t the occasional “shhh” from the local librarian. There is.
But more and more, today’s libraries seek to provide information that meets the needs of their communities,
in ways that we could not have conceived just a few years ago. And that sometimes means a library different
from that of our memories. The great libraries are those that find a balance between old and new, between
history and the future, between memory and possibility.
As the Director of the Houston Public Library, I am proud to lead an organization that seeks to find that
balance and is a critical part of the community, both in terms of physical locations and in service delivery.
In Fiscal Year 2008, we completed the fantastic renovation of the Central Library, opened the replacement
for the 50 year-old Looscan Neighborhood Library, and implemented the innovative HPL Express service model.
These projects helped HPL record over 8.6 million customer visits, up 6% from the previous year, circulate 5.8 million
books and other materials, and find the answers to just under 1 million reference questions posed by our customers.
Within these traditional library services, though, is a glimpse at the future of HPL. While the majority of
customer visits were traditional, in-person visits to an HPL facility, we are seeing an increase in the number of
customers accessing HPL resources electronically from home or work. Books on CDs and DVDs, a small portion
of overall circulation currently, both continue to increase in demand. The number of customers using HPL
computers increased at over 88% of our neighborhood libraries. And electronic reference, through email and
chat services, grew 38%.
We also continued our efforts to represent the incredible diversity that is so much a part of Houston and the
surrounding area, adding over 32,000 new items to our World Languages collection. HPL now offers materials in
15 languages other than English, with two more, Bengali and Marathi, to be added in 2009.
And even with that future ahead of us, we reach back to, and celebrate, our past. Fiscal Year 2009 will see HPL
open or expand three facilities dedicated to collecting, protecting and making accessible materials dealing with the
history of Houston and the surrounding region – the renovated Clayton Family House at the Clayton Library Center
for Genealogical Research, the addition of a new archival wing on the historic Julia Ideson Building, which houses
the Houston Metropolitan Research Center, and the opening of the African-
American Library at the Gregory School, a resource and repository to preserve,
promote, and celebrate the rich history and culture of African Americans in
Houston and the surrounding area.
I hope you will join us as we take the libraries of our memories and shape
the library of our future. With your support and commitment, we can create a
new library story – one in which “shhhh” has left the building.
Rhea Brown Lawson, Ph.D.
Director 3
Blanca Quezada
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6
The Houston Public Library (HPL) is constantly evolving to meet the changing needs of Houston’s
neighborhoods and emerging populations. As neighborhoods add and subtract residents, HPL is
responding to those changes with new, renovated or different facilities. But facilities, while vital, are only
a part of HPL’s evolution.
As methods of delivering information continue to undergo radical change, HPL is reshaping its content
offerings to best serve the needs of the community. Just as the village storyteller’s job gave way to books,
then spoken books on records,
which gave way to books on
tape and now books on CDs,
today’s libraries are pulsing with
the thrum of the information
highway as computers form a
new framework for information
delivery.
But even with books, CDs,
computers and facilities at its core,
the Houston Public Library is still
so much more. It’s a community
hub with each center designed
to meet the specific needs of the
individual community it serves,
be they cultural, educational
or need-based. The following
highlights some of the ways in
which HPL is fulfilling its role as a
vital community resource.
Int
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du
ct
Ion
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A Vibrant, Vital Community Resource T o d a y a n d T o m o r r o w
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The heart of Houston’s Public Library system, The Jesse H. Jones Central Library, re-opened in May after
two years of renovation and a $17 million makeover to transform and repair the facility. Yes, there are
books, magazines and printed reports for its half-million visitors a year. But that, however, is not all.
The remodeling of Central updated the entire building. For the first time, the kid’s library moved to an 8,600
square-foot, sun-drenched fourth floor site with books, reading areas, computers and electronic games. Teen
readers also have a spacious room of their own on the fourth floor with 24 desktop and 30 laptop computers.
The teen room provides access to research and writing tools, gaming, music and the Internet.
Like a community in and of itself, the Central Library is not just a place to find information, it is also a place to
share it and enjoy it in a setting that is comfortable, welcoming and lively. A large Program Place hosts lunchtime
offerings with book discussions, crafts demonstrations, business, health and wellness lectures many days of the
week. At night the Program Place may house lectures by visiting authors and scholars, a young professionals’
series, programs for seniors and film and book clubs.
5
Central LibraryR e n e w e d a n d R e - e n e r g i z e d
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8
Central’s first floor has a new art gallery and the
Inversion Coffee Shop where customers can enjoy drinks
and snacks while reading or using a laptop. Flat-screen
televisions provide announcements about upcoming
Library events and occasionally carry live HPL programs.
An outstanding resource for technology and
communications capabilities, Central now boasts 200
computers throughout the building and free wireless
Internet access both inside the building and on the
plaza outside. A new meeting room is also available in
the space formerly used by the children’s library on the
Concourse.
For those many library visitors who speak or are
learning to speak languages other than English, new
World Language and Immigration Resource Center
offers materials, services and programs in 15 languages.
Located on the first floor, the Center has a broad range
of free educational materials as well as books, DVDs and
compact discs in those languages.
6 John Everett
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97
The Careers, Opportunities, Resources and Education (CORE)
Center has classes, materials and programs on starting and
running small businesses. The CORE Center offers classes ranging
from “An Introduction to Buying and Selling on eBay” to “How
to Find Potential Donors for Your Nonprofit Organization.” For
research and business, Central has over 100 electronic databases
and librarians with business backgrounds who offer individual
appointments to help small businesses find the help they need.
The kids’ library is designed to be activity friendly. It hosts the
ever-popular story time, an active summer reading program, as
well as numerous other programs and tutorials throughout the
year. The library also provides five special databases for kids that
can be accessed on the library’s kid-friendly computers, opening
their world to online resources.
M o r e f r o m t h e
Central Library
Blanca Quezada
John Everett
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10
New Life for Looscan
8
The new Looscan Neighborhood Library, which
opened in 2008, represents a unique public-
private partnership. One of Houston’s first eight
city neighborhood libraries, Looscan initially opened 50
years ago. When the original facility desperately needed
repair and expansion, a new non-profit group, Friends
of Neighborhood Libraries, was formed in 2003 to save
and inspire the library. The group raised $1 million in four
months to buy adjacent property and a further $1.5 million
to enhance the new building.
The result is the new 20,000-square-foot library, more
than double the size of the old building designed with
an exterior to fit into its neighborhood while functioning as a state-of-the-art facility. Looscan is the City of
Houston’s first green building, certified through the U.S. Green Building Council’s Green Building Rating System
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). Visitors can feel part of that certification beneath their
feet. Floor tiles, resembling terrazzo, are actually recycled rubber which is quiet, easy to clean and easy on the
feet. Other green features include a “cool” roof and extensive use of daylight.
Jackson & Ryan Architect
Blanca Quezada
9
In addition to its 60,000-item materials collection, the new Looscan Neighborhood Library now has a large
meeting room space to host programs, events and community gatherings. Like all HPL libraries, it has free
Wi-Fi and offers 42 desktop and portable computers. The children’s area features a large mural commissioned
especially for this space, entitled ART-LIFE, by internationally-acclaimed Houston artist Bert Long, Jr.
Thanks to a $200,000 grant from the Garden Club of Houston, Looscan’s second floor also has a Garden
Archive Room. It contains the combined collections of the Garden Club and the Houston Public Library about
local gardening and landscape history. The collection of books, papers and plans will circulate throughout
the Houston Public Library system. The library is named for Adele Briscoe Looscan, who was a leader in the
movement to establish the Houston Public Library system.
T h e C i t y ’ s F i r s t L E E D - C e r t i f i e d G r e e n B u i l d i n g
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10
High-Tech and Then Some! M o b i l e E x p r e s s A d v a n c e s C o m p u t e r L i t e r a c y i n t h e C o m m u n i t y
The Houston Public Library’s HPL Mobile Express
is our community computer center on wheels.
This large, bus-like vehicle with its own electric
generator houses 12 computer workstations, plus a
number of laptops. The Express, with a driver, one full-time
and two part-time trainers, roams Houston providing
computer skills and access to HPL customers. It holds
eight to 10 workshops a week, primarily with existing
organizations such as senior citizen centers, YMCAs, parks,
and City of Houston Multi-Service Centers.
Mobile Express serves everyone from children to the elderly, offering 22 different classes ranging from basic
computer skills, such as how to use the keyboard, to topics such as how to use on-line travel services, search
for information on the Internet,
use digital cameras or learn
Microsoft’s Office Suite including
writing and the use of databases.
Mobile Express also provides
Internet access when libraries
are closed for repairs or to those
attending civic events, such as
the City’s art festivals.
Blanca Quezada
Blanca Quezada
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The HPL Express concept was
developed to bring HPL’s
services to communities
at one-quarter the cost of a free-
standing library. The Express locations
are housed in existing buildings,
multi-service centers, office buildings,
and more. HPL Express has a limited
amount of printed material on-site, but
a unique approach to its collection.
When a customer orders a particular
book delivered to the HLP Express it
stays on-site. That way, the collection is
customized to meet the interests of the
area residents.
HPL Express-Southwest
The first HPL Express opened
in January 2008 in the city of
Houston’s Southwest Multi-
Service Center at 6400 High Star in
West Houston. The 3,600-square-foot
facility has 27 computer work stations
and 15 laptops for computer classes.
In keeping with the demographics of
its neighborhood, half of its materials
are in Spanish.
HPL ExpressC o n n e c t i n g N e i g h b o r h o o d s a t a F r a c t i o n o f t h e C o s t
Blanca Quezada
Blanca Quezada
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12
HPL Express – Discovery Green
Our newest HPL Express is located
downtown at Discovery Green Park. The
facility, which opened last year, offers
basic library services to the east side of downtown.
It has reference books, a number of computer
workstations, popular browsing materials and a
place to pick up and return library materials.
Two new HPL Express libraries are set to
open this year. The HPL Express Vinson is currently
under construction inside the new South Post
Oak Multi-Service Center. The new Morris Frank
Neighborhood Library is expected to open as
soon as an HPL Express, replacing one built in 1982.
It is named for Morris Frank, a columnist for two
Houston newspapers.
Vinson & HPL Express Vinson to OpenP a r t n e r i n g w i t h H o u s t o n H e a l t h D e p a r t m e n t
HPL will continue its theme of partnering
with other City departments to ensure
efficiency of operations when it opens the
new Vinson Neighborhood Library and HPL Express Vinson in the
South Post Oak Multi-Service Center located at 3810 West Fuqua.
The replacement facility will be almost 20,000 square feet,
doubling the size of the existing facility, and will be the first to
house both a traditional Neighborhood Library and separate HPL
Express location. The new Neighborhood Library location will provide circulating materials for adults, teens and
children, with separate reading spaces for all three age groups. It also includes 10 public access computers and a
conference room which will be available for public use.
The HPL Express location makes up 3200 square feet of the total space and will include approximately
27 public access computers, plus a gaming area. In all, the new facility will triple the number of computers
available for public use.
Sandra Fernandez
Sandra Fernandez
Autoarch Architects
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13
Julia Ideson BuildingF u l f i l l i n g a H i s t o r i c V i s i o n
The Julia Ideson Building was once Houston’s central public
library, named after Houston’s first professional librarian.
The building now serves as the repository of historical
treasures of the city of Houston. Its Houston Metropolitan Research
Center has an extraordinary collection of books, maps and images.
When it was first planned, the Ideson was to have two wings and an
enclosed garden. Then came the Great Depression and the second
wing was never built.
In 2007 the non-profit Julia Ideson Library Preservation
Partners was formed to realize that original plan. The new wing,
and restoration of the existing building, will cost $38 million. Half
that amount has already been collected. Groundbreaking for the
new wing came in January of this year. The new south wing will
serve as a climate-controlled storehouse for its holdings, including
some 7,000 rare children’s books, a 1615 edition of Don Quixote
and first editions of Moby Dick and Alice in Wonderland. Substantial
completion of the new wing is expected this year. In 2010, when
the rare book collection is moved to the new wing, restoration of
the original Ideson building will start.
Gensler
Bob Gomel
Bob Gomel
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14
Clayton Library Extended N e w C o m m u n i t y V e n u e a n d M e e t i n g R o o m s
In March 2007 the Clayton Library Friends committed
$6.5 million to fund the renovation of the Clayton
House, Guest House and Carriage House located in the
Museum District. The City of Houston provided $1 million
for furniture, fixtures and equipment.
The three houses, built by the Clayton family,
originally housed the entire library until a new building
was erected next door. The three structures were then
used for part of the library collection as well as offices and
storage. Now they have been restored to Department of
the Interior standards, which is administered by the Texas
Historical Commission.
The 8,000-square-foot Clayton House will be used for special collections and reading rooms. The Carriage
House will be a meeting complex with a 100-seat venue. The Guest House will host Houston Public Library
Foundation offices on the second floor and a meeting room on the first. The buildings are available for use by
the public by appointment.
African-American Library O p e n i n g a t t h e H i s t o r i c G r e g o r y S c h o o l
Located in historic Freedman’s
Town, at 1300 Victor Street, the
African-American Library at the
Gregory School was the first public school
for African Americans in Houston. The
Gregory building will be restored to its
original 1926 condition.
It will contain collections including
reference and rare books, newspapers
and other archival materials, exhibits, artifacts and oral histories. There will also be programs documenting
the African-American experience in Houston and surrounding areas. The first floor will house temporary and
permanent historical exhibits, a restored classroom, a photo lab and a processing room for archives. The second
floor will have two reading rooms, open archives, two conference rooms for researchers, an oral history recording
room and offices for visiting scholars and staff. It is expected that much of the historical material will be digitized
so it can accessed on the Internet. The building is expected to be open by the end of 2009.
Eric Darnart
Smith & Company
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15
Kendall LibraryP a r t n e r i n g w i t h P a r k s a n d R e c r e a t i o n D e p t .
Houston’s newest neighborhood library, the Belle Sherman Kendall Neighborhood Library, will open
at 609 N. Eldridge by the end of this year, replacing and doubling the size of the present library at
14330 Memorial. Built in partnership with the Houston Parks and Recreation Department, the Kendall
Neighborhood Library will be the first three-story neighborhood library, and will also be the first to offer a drive-
up window. The Kendall Neighborhood Library’s first floor will contain a parks and recreation community center
(complete with a 1/2 court gymnasium), a meeting room and a library customer service desk.
The second story will house the adult collection, a reading room and a small meeting room. The third will
hold the children and teen collections, reading areas and another small meeting room. The Kendall Neighborhood
Library offers a park-like library setting with connections to hike and bike trails, and will seek Silver-level LEED
certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. Mrs. Kendall wrote to Andrew Carnegie in 1899 asking for funds
for the first free pubic library in Houston. She was president of the Woman’s Club of Houston.
Bracewell Library
The new J.S. Bracewell Neighborhood Library, 9002 Kingspoint Dr., will replace the existing Bracewell
Neighborhood Library on Kleckley by the end of 2009. The new, larger facility will include a meeting
room and state-of-the-art technology. The building includes many “green” building components and is
seeking Silver-level LEED certification.
Attorney J.S. Bracewell was a community leader who served as Houston Independent School District
president, Houston Bar Association president and a member of the Houston Public Library Board for 26 years.
Ring Library
The Ring Neighborhood Library on Long Point near Bingle Road has classic ‘60s touches including its
signature circular shape. Designed by Hamilton Brown, AIA, and Robert F. Lent, the 1964 structure is an
architectural icon in the Spring Branch area.
The Houston Public Library Foundation has engaged Bailey Architects to design a meeting room and other
improvements without changing Ring’s distinctive form. The $400,000 project is the first initiated by the Foundation.
This Library was named in honor of Elizabeth L. Ring who worked to establish a free public library in Houston
as a leader of the Ladies’ Reading Club in the 1880s. Mrs. Ring was appointed to the first Houston Public Library
Board, now the Houston Public Library Foundation, in 1890 and served continuously for 41 years.
V i b r a n t . E x p a n d i n g . S o m e t i m e s a l i t t l e n o i s y . T h a t ’ s t o d a y ’ s H o u s t o n P u b l i c L i b r a r y !
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16
Houston Public Library Financials
HP
l F
Ina
nc
Ial
s
0
1,000,000
2,000,000
3,000,000
4,000,000
5,000,000
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10,000,000
15,000,000
20,000,000
Visits
Total Usage
* Total Usage = visits, circulation, reference questions, directional questions, in-house use, computer users and program attendance
FY 04 FY 05 FY 06 FY 07 FY 08
FY 04 FY 05 FY 06 FY 07 FY 08
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* Total Usage = visits, circulation, reference questions, directional questions, in-house use, computer users and program attendance
FY 04 FY 05 FY 06 FY 07 FY 08
FY 04 FY 05 FY 06 FY 07 FY 08
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* Total Usage = visits, circulation, reference questions, directional questions, in-house use, computer users and program attendance
FY 04 FY 05 FY 06 FY 07 FY 08
FY 04 FY 05 FY 06 FY 07 FY 08
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FY 04 FY 05 FY 06 FY 07 FY 08
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H o u s t o n P u b l i c L i b r a r y
F O U N D A T I O N
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18
When I joined the Houston Public Library Foundation, I knew first hand
the vital role neighborhood libraries play in connecting youth with the
world. Over the past year, what I’ve seen and experienced of the scope
of HPL’s mission and outreach stuns me.
Each day, the Library provides resources and services to children, seniors, small
business owners, immigrants, the unemployed and underemployed. Its shelves are
stocked with books in over 15
languages to connect and broaden
the opportunities of Houston’s
diverse communities. And for many, the Library provides their
only connection to the world through computers, the internet
and Wi-Fi. The Library is a place to learn new skills, find critical
resources, and receive social services designed to address
specific neighborhood issues, or simply listen to a children’s
story read with love. With 42 operating facilities and mobile lab,
HPL is a vital hub for neighborhoods throughout the city. And
it’s all free.
The Library’s activities after Hurricane Ike perhaps best
illustrate the broad scope of the Houston Public Library today. Immediately after Ike, Dr. Lawson’s team assessed
damage to HPL’s facilities. Fortunately, Central Library, its largest facility, withstood the storm well and never
lost power. Four work days after the storm, the Library team opened Central as a safe harbor. They encouraged
city employees to bring their children to Central Library where they were cared for and entertained with age-
appropriate programming, freeing vital city employees to tackle the monumental task of restoring Houston. The
Library sheltered more than 300 children.
HPL staffers went to relief stations to
help with FEMA applications, helping more
than 4,000 people through the complicated
process of applying for FEMA aid. Meanwhile,
HPL staff opened one neighborhood library
after another as quickly as possible to provide
air conditioning, power and respite for the
city’s storm-weary citizens. In the aftermath
of Ike, the Library made an enormous
contribution to Houston’s rapid return from
devastating loss.
L e t t e r f r o m t h e
President
Sandra Fernandez
John Everett
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19
In today’s economic storm, HPL is providing resources for the
unemployed to search for jobs, to learn new skills, and to use the
internet to connect with family and employment opportunities.
Demand for HPL’s resources is increasing dramatically as the stress
of the nation’s recession takes its toll on Houston.
And as we all focus more of our attention on actions that
make sense economically and environmentally, the Library is
more relevant than ever. Borrowing books, periodicals and CDs is
both budget-friendly and earth-friendly. And because books and
materials can be ordered online and picked up at nearby locations,
travel costs and energy are saved, too.
While HPL progress is wonderful to behold, this tough
economic environment increases demand on HPL and on the
Foundation. While the City pays for the bulk of the Library’s
expenses, the Foundation contributes significant funding for
books and materials, programming, critical staff development and
training, communication materials and building refurbishment.
Your continued support is more important than ever.
The Foundation Board members, led by Chairman Franklin D. R. Jones, Jr., are deeply supportive of HPL’s
initiatives as a vital community resource. I am grateful for the board members’ leadership, their stewardship
and their passion for our libraries. I know they join me and the Library team in thanking all of our donors and
supporters who have contributed so much to the progress HPL has achieved. I know, too, they would want me
to impress on each of you how great our need is going forward.
So I ask each of you to do a couple of things: first, visit a library near you. You’ll be delighted by the vitality
you encounter and amazed at the resources available. Second, contribute to the Foundation if you can. Our need
has never been greater.
Sincerely,
Susan Bischoff
Blanca Quezada
Blanca Quezada
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2220
First Look
Curious Houstonians got a sneak peek of the revitalized Central Library
with a progressive dinner, author talks, Wii gaming and fireworks at First
Look, two weeks before the Library reopened. Fancifully attired student
performers greeted guests on the colorful plaza. Popular spots during the evening
were the Kid’s and Teen’s Room, along with clusters of comfortable chairs and
tables with great views
of downtown and the
soaring lobby. Texas authors
ReShonda Tate Billingsley,
Katherine Center, Molly Glentzer, Weezie Kerr Mackey
and Andrea White, discussed and signed their books.
The no-speeches event left partygoers free to explore,
and netted more than $125,000 for our Libraries. The
event will return in May 2009 as Party in the Stacks, the
Foundation’s signature annual fundraiser.
Houston Chronicle Book & Author Dinner
Authors Douglas Brinkley, Bliss Broyard, Jeffrey Toobin, Katherine Center and Laura Lippman were
featured at the 28th Annual Dinner benefiting the Foundation and literacy programs of the Houston
Chronicle. A fall tradition, book lovers enjoyed talking to favorite and newly discovered writers, with
book-signings before and after the dinner. For the second year, H-E-B was the generous title sponsor. Bookseller
partners Brazos Bookstore and Murder By The Book, along with generous travel accommodations from
Continental Airlines, have participated in the dinner since its inception.
John Everett
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$ 100,000+
The Brown Foundation, Inc.
Houston Endowment Inc.
$50,000 - $99,999
Lurine Karon Greenberg Fund
H-E-B
The Humana Foundation
Joseph D. Jamail
John P. McGovern Foundation
$25,000 - $49,999
Wells Fargo Foundation
$10,000 - 24,999
Anchorage Foundation of Texas
Arts Midwest
Anne and Albert Chao
Friends of the Houston Public Library
Houston Chronicle
Patricia Lasher and Richard Jacobs
Ralph H. and Ruth J. McCullough Foundation
Maconda Brown O’Connor
Shell Oil Company
Phoebe and Bobby Tudor
Judy and H. Michael Tyson
Cyvia and Melvyn Wolff Family Foundation
$5,000 - $9,999
Apache Corp.
Comcast
ConocoPhillips
Juanita Elizondo
Fiesta Mart, Inc.
Harriet and Joe B. Foster
Eleanor and Frank Freed Foundation
The Melbern G. and Susanne M. Glasscock Foundation
Carol and Gary Gartsman
Greenberg Traurig, LLP
Gloria Herman
Humana Health Plans
Barbara and Charles Hurwitz
Demetra and Franklin D.R. Jones, Jr.
JP Morgan Chase
Linn Energy
LyondellBasell
MacNeil/Lehrer Productions
Macy’s
Steven and Shelia Miller Foundation
Cynthia and George P. Mitchell
Hanni S. Orton
Tina and Mitja Peterman, Jr.
Scurlock Foundation
Cathryn and Doug Selman
Silver Eagle Distributors, Inc.
Spectra Energy
VistaCare Hospice Foundation
Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.
$1,000 - $4,999
Stanford and Joan Alexander Foundation
Anadarko Petroleum Corp.
Susan Bischoff
Dr. & Mrs. Meherwan P. Boyce
Bridgeway Capital Management, Inc.
Deborah I. Detering
Jill and Bradley Deutser
Fredell and Robert Deutser
Susie and Joe Dilg
ExxonMobil Production Company
Allie and Jay Fields
Ray C. Fish Foundation
Paula and Alfred L. Friedlander
Ann and J. Kent Friedman
Gensler
Lainie Gordon and David Mincberg
Leigh and Todd Harris
HISD Bureau of Library Science
Houston Astros
Linda and Barry Hunsaker
Jill and Dunham Jewett
Jesse H. Jones, II
Marianne and Rob Jones
Joan and Marvin Kaplan
Kelli Kickerillo
Randy Lake
Harriet and Truett Latimer
M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
Kathrine G. McGovern
Memorial Hermann Hospital System
The Robert and Janice McNair Foundation
Mithoff Family Charitable Foundation
Nancy and Lucian L. Morrison
Annette and Eric Mullins
Edward and Helen Oppenheimer Foundation
Regina J. Rogers
Paula Selle
Nancy and John Sherwood
Southeast Coalition of Civic Clubs
Dr. & Mrs. J. S. Stone, II
Gretchen and Greg Tharp
Shirley Toomim
Lisa and Barron Wallace
Wal-Mart Stores Inc.
Isabel B. and Wallace S. Wilson
Shirley and William A. Wood
$250 - $999
Rolaine and Morrie Abramson
E. Fred Aguilar
Lilly and Thurmon Andress
Association of Chemical Industry of Texas
Minnie and Raleigh W. Baird
Marilyn Bankston
Linda and John A. Barrett
Shirley and Allen Becker
Cindi and Robert T. Blakely
Ginger and Jack S. Blanton
Minnette B. Boesel
Brazos Bookstore
Brazosport Genealogical Society
Bonnie Gayle Brooks
Shannon Buggs and James Harrison
Matilda Taylor Buvinghausen
Cherri Carbonara and Tom McGhie
Robin K. Cavanaugh
CenterPoint Energy
Edward J. Davis
Dillard’s
Sylvia L. Dorsey
Sheldon and Clayton Erikson
Gayle and Robert Eury
Jerry and Nanette Finger Foundation
Linda Finger
Janis and David Goldstein
Flagship Properties Corp.
Doe C. and Henry S. Florsheim
Nene Foxhall
Carole Garrigan
Paula Harris
Liz Hampton
Wendy Heger
Ellen and Otto Helweg
Roblyn Herndon
Joe Levit Family Foundation
Betsy and Dan Kamin
Caroline and Nicholas A. Lauriat
Amy Lecocq
Alison Leland
John S. Lewis
Frann G. Lichtenstein
Leticia and Michael Loya
Judy and Rodney H. Margolis
Mary Lynn and J. Stephen Marks
Jacqueline S. Martin
Mary McIntire and Jim Pomerantz
Janet and Thomas L. Mehlhoff
Anne C. and John Mendelsohn
John Middleton
Suzanne and Arnold Miller
Denise and William Monteleone
Jess and Beth Sanders Moore
Murder By The Book
Network and Security Technologies
Mary Ellen and William H. Plenge
Donna Joy Press
Prozign Architects
Adele A. Read
Sally Reynolds
Shirley and Marvin A. Rich
San Antonio Public Library Foundation
Schlumberger Oil Field Services
Sandra Sessoms
Margaret C. and Louis H. Skidmore
Barbara and Louis Sklar
Ed Smith
Trinidad Mendenhall Sosa
George Stark
Lucile B. Tennant
Texas Children’s Hospital
The Diana and Conrad Weil Jr. Family Foundation
The Weingarten Schnitzer Foundation
Eleanor Tinsley
Lynda Transier
University of Houston
Ann and Robert Weisgarber
Vicki and Paul West
Rosalyn Young
Donors a s o f J u l y 1 , 2 0 0 7 – J u n e 3 0 , 2 0 0 8
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22
Officers
Jesse H. Jones, II• TreasurerCommunity Volunteer
Anne Shen Chao SecretaryLecturer, Rice University
Franklin D.R. Jones, Jr. ChairShareholder,Greenberg Traurig, LLP
Cathryn Rodd Selman•
1st Vice ChairCommunity Volunteer
Harriet Calvin Latimer•
2nd Vice ChairDevelopment Consultant
Robert B. Tudor, IIICEO, Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co., LLC
Members
E. Fred Aguilar, IIIMedical Director, Ermosa Centre
Zarine M. Boyce•
Community VolunteerBonnie Gayle Brooks•
Vice President/Business Development, Encore Bank
Juanita Elizondo•
Director of Corporate Relations, Fiesta Mart, Inc.
Alison Leland•
Lecturer, University of Houston
Annette Mullins•
Community Volunteer
Tina Arias Peterman•
Vice President, JP Morgan Securities Inc.
Ann Short•
President & CEO, International Business Consulting
J.S. Stone, II, M.D.Community Volunteer
Lisa Mouton Wallace•
Community VolunteerCyvia Wolff•
Community Volunteer
Susan Bischoff•
President, Houston Public Library Foundation
Ex-Officio
Mayor Bill White City of Houston
Dr. Abelardo Saavedra HISD Superintendent
Rhea Brown Lawson, Ph.D.Director, Houston Public Library
Diane Durbin•
President, Friends of the Houston Public Library
Patricia J. Lasher, J.D. Associate Attorney, Fullenweider Wilhite
HP
lF
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ar
d o
f d
Ire
ct
or
s
•Photos courtesy of Alexander’s Fine Portrait Designs
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23
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Page 23
Houston Public Library FoundationSummary Statement of Net Assets As of June 30, 2008 assets Cash and cash equivalents $831,337 Investments 17,895,570 Pledge receivables 200,000
Total assets $18,926,907
lIabIlItIes Accounts payable $93,206Deferred revenue 50,000
Total liabilities $143,206
Fund balances and net assets Total liabilities and fund balances $143,206 Net assets: Restricted: Expendable $14,864,605 Nonexpendable 2,404,973 Unrestricted 1,514,123
Total net assets $18,783,701
Houston Public Library Foundation Summary Statement of Activities For the Year ended June 30, 2008 eXPendItures/eXPenses Programmatic $1,093,266 In-kind expenses 126,385 Fundraising 113,562 Management and general 118,077 Investment management fees 14,550
Total expenditures/expenses 1,465,840
reVenues Contributions 1,355,710 Special events 220,183 Book sales 215,056 In-kind contributions 126,385 Gain (loss) on investments (1,522,087)Dividend income 548,117 Interest income 13,172
Total revenue 956,536
CHANGES IN FUND BALANCE/NET ASSETS (509,304)
Fund balance and net assets, beginning of year 19,293,005
Fund balance and net assets, end of year $18,783,701
Discussion of HPLF FinancialsThe Foundation’s evolution from a purely
volunteer organization to one with
professional staff has been greatly assisted
by generous operating grants from Houston
Endowment Inc. and The Brown Foundation,
Inc., as well as by net proceeds from First
Look, the May 2008 sneak preview event
at the refurbished Central Library. The
Foundation board and staff’s primary focus is
to increase both the visibility of the Houston
Public Library and financial support from the
community.
The scope of the Foundation’s operations
were greatly expanded when the Friends
of the Houston Public Library joined the
Foundation on July 1, 2007. The Friends
continue to produce its two long-standing
annual book sales and encourage grass roots
interest in the Houston Public Library through
membership.
Operating grants to Houston Public
Library decreased in 2008 due to delays in
a Foundation-supported capital project at
the Ring Neighborhood Library. The delay
will permit City of Houston-funded ADA
improvements to be incorporated into the
project. Funding from the Foundation
will add a meeting room and other
improvements to Ring.
Net assets decreased primarily as a
result of the decline in the market value of the
Foundation’s investments.
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24
Friends of the Houston Public LibraryFriends of the Houston Public
Library held their 30th Annual
Bargain Book Sale and two
additional book sales to raise money for HPL. The
successful sales and membership in the Friends fueled
a $80,000 annual gift to the Houston Public Library and
increased scholarships for HPL employees pursuing
professional library degrees to $5,000 from $3,000. In
addition, the Friends funded 10 programming mini-
grants at neighborhood libraries. Friends of HPL joined
the Houston Public Library Foundation on July 1, 2008.
w w w. f r i e n d s o f h p l. o r g
Clayton Library FriendsClayton Library Friends raised over $6.5 million for
the Clayton House renovation, including the home,
guest house and carriage house with a 100-person
meeting facility. They began developing a new docent
program to provide tours of the Clayton campus. In
addition, CLF contributed over 900 rolls of microfilm
and 111 published titles to the Clayton Library, one of
the nation’s premier genealogy centers. The Clayton
Library Friends provided over 1,500 man-hours of
volunteer service, equivalent to 1.5 employees, to the
Clayton Library.
w w w. c l a y t o n l i b ra r y f r i e n d s. o r g
Friends of Neighborhood LibrariesBegun to donate land and advocate to build a new
Looscan Neighborhood Library on the original
site, Friends of
Neighborhood
Libraries raised $2.5
million for the new
Looscan. They worked
with the Garden
Club of Houston to enhance and build the Archive
Garden Room in the clock tower. FONL has adopted
the ongoing maintenance of landscaping and capital
improvement of the grounds and partnered to present
a monthly brown bag lecture series at Looscan.
Julia Ideson Library Preservation PartnersThe Julia Ideson Library Preservation Partners raised
over $21 million, or 58 percent of $38 million goal, to
build an archival wing and restore the Julia Ideson
Building. Built in 1926, the Julia Ideson Building is one
of Houston’s most significant architectural landmarks.
JILPP commissioned plans for a state-of-the-art
environmentally
sensitive archival
storage wing
for the valuable
archives of
the Houston
Metropolitan Research Center. Construction of the
Archival Wing is underway. Restoration of the existing
building’s grand public spaces will begin in 2010.
w w w. i d e s o n . o r g
Friends of the Texas RoomFriends of the Texas Room completed In Search of
Houston’s History, a documentary based on archival
holdings in the Houston Metropolitan Research
Center in the Julia Ideson Building. The documentary
was shown on KUHT Channel 8, Houston PBS. The
Friends have been notified they are being awarded
a 2009 Good Brick Award from the Greater Houston
Preservation Alliance for the documentary. They
presented the first annual Julia Ideson Award to
David Welling for his book, Cinema Houston: From
Nickelodeon to Megaplex.
w w w. f r i e n d s o f t h e t e xa s r o o m . o r g
Houston Chronicle
Blanca Quezada
Visit a library near you.
For a complete list of programs, services,
locations and hours, click on
www.houstonl ibrary.org
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Sandra Fernandez
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