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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Lisa Harper-Wood, director of the Keller Public |
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Library, is marking an important milestone in her life as she |
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retires after 20 years of exemplary service to the citizens of |
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Keller; and |
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WHEREAS, When Lisa Harper-Wood began working at the library |
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on January 8, 1987, it was housed in a converted telephone building |
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with a leaky roof and was staffed by just two part-time employees; |
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the budget was limited to $70,000, and the facility was open only 30 |
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hours per week; in these unpromising conditions, Ms. Harper-Wood |
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saw an opportunity for the library to match the rapid growth that |
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the town of Keller was experiencing; a key step in her plan was the |
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opening of the new library building in 1990, and she was |
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instrumental in that achievement, writing the successful proposal |
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that secured a $100,000 grant toward its construction; and |
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WHEREAS, Innovative new programs were also part of Ms. |
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Harper-Wood's efforts; she initiated a weekly story time for |
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children, a ten-week summer reading program, and the annual Harvest |
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Stew event that benefits the local food bank; in addition, she set |
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up a children's reading room stocked with new books and furnished |
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with a bathtub full of pillows, which soon became the most popular |
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spot to read in the library; and |
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WHEREAS, Under her leadership, the library was automated and |
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connected to the Internet, and a new Friends of the Keller Library |
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organization was formed; this led to the creation of the popular |
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Keller Kountry Bike Rally, which raised more than $100,000 for the |
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library during its 15-year history; and |
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WHEREAS, An active participant in the community of Texas |
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librarians, Ms. Harper-Wood has served as secretary of the Texas |
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Municipal Library Directors Association, as a member of the |
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Legislative Committee of the Public Libraries Division of the Texas |
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Library Association, and as a member of the Public Library |
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Administrators of North Texas; and |
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WHEREAS, This caring administrator has also distinguished |
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herself in other situations; as the emergency shelter manager for |
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Keller during Hurricane Katrina, she was responsible for arranging |
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housing for more than 200 evacuees from that disaster; and |
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WHEREAS, The vision, creativity, and organizational skill of |
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this outstanding library professional have been valuable assets for |
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the city of Keller for two decades; as she opens a new chapter of her |
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life, Lisa Harper-Wood richly deserves the respect and gratitude of |
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all the patrons, children and adults alike, who have benefited from |
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her commitment and her success in enhancing the information |
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resources available in the city; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 80th Texas |
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Legislature hereby congratulate Lisa Harper-Wood on her retirement |
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from the Keller Public Library and extend to her best wishes for the |
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future; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Ms. Harper-Wood as an expression of high regard by the |
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Texas House of Representatives. |