SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 251
         WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas is pleased to
  celebrate Texans Support Libraries Day on February 16, 2011, by
  recognizing the dedication and contributions made by librarians
  serving Texans in public, academic, school, and special
  libraries statewide; and
 
         WHEREAS, Texas libraries date back to 1839, when Republic
  of Texas President Mirabeau B. Lamar established the national
  library of Texas, and for almost two centuries, the people of
  Texas have benefited from libraries; and
 
         WHEREAS, Libraries help foster critical thinkers--a
  fundamental element of education--and provide opportunities for
  Texans to enhance their knowledge, education, careers, and
  quality of life through literacy, technology, job-search, and
  other training programs; libraries connect Texans with a wealth
  of electronic information resources from journals, newspapers,
  magazines, and books and provide powerful research tools
  available 24 hours a day via the Internet, resulting in more than
  116.5 million searches of TexShare online resources and almost 50
  million electronic documents retrieved by library users; and
 
         WHEREAS, Texans today share 561 public libraries, ranging
  from Round Top, which serves 84 people, to the Houston and Dallas
  library systems, which serve millions, and Texans have
  continuous library services throughout their lives; and
 
         WHEREAS, Public libraries are the primary point of online
  access for people without Internet connections at home, school,
  or work and the only free source of online access in their
  communities for 67 percent of Texans; and
 
         WHEREAS, 11.9 million Texans have public library cards,
  and more than 80 million visits were made to Texas public
  libraries last year; Texas university libraries support 1.4
  million students, and community-college libraries support
  700,000, and Texas school libraries play an integral role in
  educating 4.73 million schoolchildren; and
 
         WHEREAS, Librarians understand how knowledge is organized
  and how to find and use information; they teach users how to
  discover, evaluate, and apply information effectively; they
  encourage Texans to explore, examine, and retrieve information;
  and they foster a love of reading and learning in children; and
 
         WHEREAS, 3.3 million people attend children's programs at
  Texas public libraries, and the 54-year-old Texas Reading Club
  keeps more than 500,000 children and teens reading each summer; and
 
         WHEREAS, Librarians work with the Texas State Library and
  Archives Commission, the Texas Library Association, Friends of
  Libraries and Archives of Texas, and local library groups to
  improve access to library services, and they are tremendous
  sources of Texas-based knowledge; and
 
         WHEREAS, Today, librarians and library supporters will
  meet with our state's elected officials to discuss the relevance
  of Texas library programs and to promote the inclusion of
  libraries in community, education, research, and business
  development; now, therefore, be it
 
         RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 82nd
  Legislature, hereby recognize February 16, 2011, as Texans
  Support Libraries Day and commend those associated with Texas
  libraries for their valuable service to the Lone Star State; and,
  be it further
 
         RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared for
  the Texas State Library and Archives Commission and the Texas
  Library Association as an expression of high regard from the
  Texas Senate.
 
  Nelson
   
   
   
    ________________________________ 
        President of the Senate
     
        I hereby certify that the
    above Resolution was adopted by
    the Senate on February 14, 2011.
   
   
   
    ________________________________ 
        Secretary of the Senate
   
   
   
    ________________________________ 
         Member, Texas Senate