H.R. No. 1337



R E S O L U T I O N
	WHEREAS, Repositories of information about the world in which 
we live, libraries serve a vital function in their communities, and 
in May 2005, the Mineola Memorial Library is celebrating 55 years of 
exemplary service; and
	WHEREAS, Since it opened in 1950 in a one-room facility with 
600 donated books, the Mineola Memorial Library has been a 
treasured asset to the citizens of Wood County as well as a valued 
resource for patrons throughout East Texas; it currently houses 
more than 45,000 books and other materials, and its holdings 
include fiction, nonfiction, reference, Texana, a genealogy and 
local history collection, and an extensive children's section; and
	WHEREAS, The library also provides materials for community 
and church literacy and English programs, and in recent years it has 
focused on expanding its technical services and programs; to that 
end, the organization has obtained grants that have provided more 
than 20 computers for patron use and offers free computer classes to 
the public; and
	WHEREAS, Because it is not tax supported, this nonprofit 
institution relies solely on private donations to sustain its 
excellent level of service; when the library moved to its current 
location in 1960, it was onto land provided by the J. C. Judge 
family and into a building provided by another benefactor, the 
banker and oilman Harry W. Meredith; the Meredith Foundation 
continues to provide nearly half of the library's operating 
expenses, while an endowment fund established by area donors 
provides income that covers much of the remainder of the operating 
budget, and the library's dedicated supporters have found ways to 
raise other funds as needs arise; moreover, planning has begun for a 
new, state-of-the-art facility to better serve the library's 
increasing number of patrons; and
	WHEREAS, Through the years, the Mineola Memorial Library has 
provided reading materials, research information, and innumerable 
hours of enjoyment to more than a half-century's worth of 
enthusiastic readers and patrons, and it is a privilege to join in 
celebrating the rich history of this notable institution; now, 
therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 79th Texas 
Legislature hereby commemorate the 55th anniversary of the Mineola 
Memorial Library and extend to all those associated with this fine 
facility sincere best wishes for continued success; and, be it 
further
	RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be 
prepared for the library as an expression of high regard by the 
Texas House of Representatives.

                                                                          Hughes

                                                  ______________________________
                                                       Speaker of the House     

	I certify that H.R. No. 1337 was adopted by the House on April 
27, 2005, by a non-record vote.

                                                  ______________________________
                                                     Chief Clerk of the House