Friends of the Library celebrate more than six decades of service to Lockhart
By Anthony Collins
LPR Editor
For more than six decades, the Friends of the Dr. Eugene Clark Library have helped bring books, programs, and community celebrations to Lockhart while supporting improvements to one of the city’s treasured institutions. National Friends of Libraries Week, Oct. 18–24, offers an opportunity to recognize that work and the volunteers and donors who continue to support the library’s role in the community.
Organized in 1963, to promote interest in the library, the group has supported everything from basic furnishings to major restoration projects. Its first chairperson, Mrs. Eugene Whittaker, described the Friends’ relationship with the library as similar to that of a parent-teacher association with a school. At the time, the library operated entirely within the Clark Building, where early improvements included a new card catalog, magazine racks, an atlas stand, and a new seating area.
The Friends later helped advocate for the major restoration of the Clark Building and expansion into the first floor of the Masonic Building in 2000–2001. The group also established the annual Evening with the Authors, raising money for the library while allowing residents to meet well-known writers. When the city began renovating the second and third floors of the Masonic Building in 2012, the Friends launched a memorial brick campaign to line the new entrance. Despite the disruption of construction, members continued hosting the annual book sale and funding the summer reading program.
In June 2014, the Friends donated $75,000 to furnish the library’s first teen room and its new second-floor adult fiction and nonfiction area, as well as provide window shades for all three floors. That commitment to the library’s growth and services earned the organization the 2015 Baker and Taylor Award for outstanding library support.
The group’s contributions also extend to some of Lockhart’s most familiar community traditions. Since 1989, the Friends have been a major sponsor and organizer of A Dickens Christmas in Lockhart, now known as A Christmas to Remember in Lockhart. The annual celebration makes the library a gathering place for free family activities, connecting residents through a holiday tradition that has continued for generations.
In 2026, the Friends continue to fund library equipment and programming for children, teens, and adults. Their support includes the Summer Reading Program, Books for Babies Literacy Project, Día de los Niños, spring break activities, Baby Day, Mini Con and the Adult Book Club, along with A Christmas to Remember in Lockhart.
Those efforts are funded through the annual book sale, holiday event sponsorships, the Christmas at the Library luncheon, special benefits such as the Caldwell Creatives Art Show, membership fees, and donations. Residents interested in joining or learning more can pick up a membership brochure at the library, 217 S. Main St., or visit dreugeneclarkfriends.org.
Friends of the
Library
have helped fund:
•Summer Reading Program
•A Christmas to Remember in Lockhart
•Dia de Los Ninos, Mini Con and Adult Craft Night
•Books for Babies Literacy Project
•Book Pages magazine
•Preschool Storytime
•Spring Break programs and entertainment
•Annual Book Sale benefiting library programs
•Raised almost $100,000 for library expansion
•2014 winner of the Baker Taylor Award
Become a Member:
Your membership in the Friends of the Library will help:
•Contribute to the future of the community.
•Encourage public support of the library.
•Raise funds for programming and equipment.
•Support library improvements.
•Provide financial support for the children’s summer reading
program and the preschool story hour.
Also your membership will ensure the success of annual events such as the annual book sale, a Christmas to Remember in Lockhart and the Christmas Luncheon.
