Victoria Public Library   email

302 N. Main Street, Victoria, Texas  77901 (directions)

Circulation Desk	(361) 485-3301
Adult Reference Desk	(361) 485-3302
Computer Lab	(361) 485-3316
Children's Desk	(361) 485-3307
Local History/Genealogy	(361) 485-3302
Administration	(361) 485-3304
Homebound Service	(361) 485-3302
Fax	(361) 485-3295

For information on our Bronte Meeting Room Policy and an application to use it, click here.  Contact the Administration Office at (361) 485-3304 if you have any questions.

We welcome your comments and suggestions.  We feel free to contact us by phone or email.

Victoria Public Library Advisory Board FY 2008

Four members appointed by City Council
Gloria Espitia (September 2010)
Jessica McCue (September 2008)
Mary Ann Pratt (September 2008)
Larry Young (September 2009)

Four members appointed by County Commissioner's Court
Margery Loeb (September 2010)
Susan Morrison (September 2010)
Judy Rainey (September 2009)
Stella Silva (September 2008)

City & County appointment
Sally Delgado-Francis (September 2008)

Friends of the Library Representative
Judie Allen

Bronte Club Representative
Penni Gietz

Library Hours        

Library Closure Schedule:

Friends of the Victoria Public Library

Friends of the Library are people who value reading, understand the impact of literacy on the quality of society, and believe in the expansion of free public library services.  Please join us and experience the satisfaction of supporting the Victoria Public Library.

As a volunteer organization, the Friends help the Victoria Public Library in the following ways:

• Raise money through book sales for library materials, i.e. books, videos, compact discs
• Support to staff for continuing education opportunities and professional meetings
• Fund travel expenses to bring in job applicants
• Provide supplies and party favors for the Summer Reading Program
• Provide Victoria Public Library shirts for Library staff
• Purchase software for library computers
• Fund special programming such as Victoria Reads! and the Thursday Film Series

Support levels include:

• Individual:  $10 annual contribution
• Patron:  $25 annual contribution
• Sponsor: $100 annual contribution

Membership year is January to December.

To join, simply direct your contribution to:

Friends of the Victoria Public Library
302 N. Main
Victoria, TX  77901

Join today and realize the rewards of membership!  Thank you!

Mission Statement

Our mission is to meet the diverse information needs of all the citizens of Victoria County through excellence in our collections, facilities, and reference services. The library staff is service oriented and we know our community and its needs. Because we understand the important role of information technology and resource sharing in meeting the needs of our readers, we are using automation to create links to many other libraries so that Victoria may have access to a wealth of information beyond that available in our library. We constantly strive to inform all potential library users about the resources we have for them.

We give special attention to the children and young adults of the community because we believe that early development of good reading habits leads to a higher level of literacy throughout one's lifetime. We seek close cooperation with the schools and we are dedicated to serving as a center for reading, learning and technology.

We believe that citizens need easy access information for business, educational, leisure and civic needs so our second important focus is service to the adult reader. We are building collections of high interest, current materials which are the basis for timely and accurate reference service. We will continue to emphasize our strong local history and genealogy collections.

Victoria Public Library History

1855: Victoria Literary Society was organized.  This society was composed of girls from Mrs. Viola Case’s academy for girls.

1873: The newly organized Bronte Literary Society kept a collection of around eleven books.

1881: Mr. Will Venable loaned 25 books to the society for one year. The number of books increased and Mrs. J. L. Dupree was elected librarian.

1885: A young man placed a book in the collection "not fit for reading". Several agitated meetings later, the book was removed from the shelves and a ten-member committee was formed to read and censor all future donations.

1894: After Mrs. Case’s death, Mrs. Pridham offered the use of her photography studio to the Bronte Club to house their library.

1898:  The library was moved to the home of Mrs. J. M. Brownson.  Later, it moved to the Leibold Drug store on Main and Constitution.

1898: Mr. Peticolas offered rent-free space in his building on Main across from DeLeon Plaza. The library was moved there above Shield’s Drug Store.

1899 (April 11): A book reception was held at the Opera House. Admission was a book donated to the library. Four hundred books were donated.

1900: The library owned 757 books. Membership was $1.00. Library hours were from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. two afternoons a week. Books were checked out for two weeks except recent fiction which were "seven day" books and not renewable. Fines were imposed on overdue material, and members of the Bronte Club acted as librarians.

1903:  There were 1,030 books in the collection. Moneymaking projects included concerts, minstrel shows, and art exhibits. Proceeds went to library costs and purchase of new books.

1921:  The Bronte Club rented two rooms over the Ara grocery store for $10 a month.

1924: The Masonic lodge offered the club use of the lower floor of its building to house the library. The Library moved to 206 W. Forrest. Hours were expanded to 2:30 to 6:30 p.m. and the librarian’s salary raised from $15 to $30 a month. The City donated $15 and the County $300 to library upkeep.

1932: Mrs. Emma McFaddin Nave, who had built a memorial to house her late husband’s paintings, offered the use of the building to the library. The Nave Memorial Building was the home of the library for the next 43 years.

1949: As a librarian, Mrs. L. E. Silverthorn initiated story hour for children. The first reader was Mrs. Henry Timberlake.

1950: The Library owned 15,000 volumes and operated a county extension service to rural schools at McFaddin, Mission Valley and Guadalupe.

1959: Union Carbide Corporation donated clear plastic covers to protect the 20,000-book collection.

1961: Thursday nights were added to library hours.

1971: The City of Victoria assumed ownership of the library and took over its administration from the Bronte Club who had established the library over 70 years before. A bond issue was discussed for a new facility. In the next four years, land was acquired from the O’Connor Foundation.  A bond issue passed, and a Friends of the Library group was formed.

1975:  The official grand opening of the new Victoria Public Library took place at 302 North Main.

^{Researched and compiled by Karen Hand, formerly with the Local History/Genealogy Department, Victoria Public Library. Updated by Teresa Varga, 1993.}