A Brief History of the Salado Public Library

[Many people in the village of Salado may not know the history of the Salado Public Library. The following excerpt from library planning documents is a concise summary of the high points in this small library's short history.]

In 1985 a committee of the Salado Chamber of Commerce was appointed to establish a village library. A Board of Trustees was formed to seek a state charter and to find appropriate library space. With the help of consultants from neighboring libraries and the Central Texas Library System, the Salado Public Library was created in 1986 and opened its doors to patrons on November 7, 1986 staffed entirely by volunteers. The initial collection of about 1,000 books was donated by citizens of Salado and other libraries in Central Texas. The Salado Public Library became a member of the Center Texas Library System in 1987.

As the community and library use grew, larger quarters were required. In the fall of 1993 the Library moved into 1,700 square feet in the Salado Civic Center, a former school building. The collection contained nearly 8,000 items. The Library’s automated catalog allowed patrons to search the collection. One Library computer was dedicated to genealogy and another to Internet use. Volunteers ran the library until 1995 when the first paid part-time certified librarian was hired.

Because the village was unincorporated there was never any tax support for the library. All operating expenses were met through donations, gifts and memorials, and fund-raising activities. In May 1998, the Salado Public Library District was created by a vote of the citizens of Salado. The Salado Public Library was the second library in the state to benefit from new legislation allowing the creation of library districts. A one-half percent sales tax now provides most of the operating revenue for the library.

In March 2003, the library moved in to its beautiful, new 4000 square-foot building located at 1151 N. Main. The staff of the library is now two part-time librarians, a full time director and a part time library assistant. Regular volunteers at the library number more than forty. The Friends of the Library organization was regenerated in 2006 and continues to grow in members and support for the library.

The current estimated population of the Salado Public Library District is 9000+, with more than 1200 students in the school system. The community continues to grow each year by nearly five percent. Usage metrics for the library have more than kept pace with population grown with year over year increases of almost 10% in 2005 and 2006.