Community
BY JARRETT WHITENER
Monthly events are held at the library, o ering activities for all ages.
Library patrons celebrate Día De Los Niños.
The bookmobile allows the library to reach residents with book deliveries and other library services.
PHOTOS COURTESY PATRICK HEATH PUBLIC LIBRARY
Boerne public library expands services, programs
Upcoming library events Each month, the Boerne library host a variety of events for all ages. Here are some of the
SOURCE: BOERNE LIBRARY COMMUNITY IMPACT • Jan. 27: Tabletop Tuesdays • Jan. 28: Sound Meditation upcoming events in January. • Jan. 5: Boerne Beat Poetry • Jan. 8: Mysteries for lunch • Jan. 12: Food for thought • Jan. 17: Coffee and car talk series • Jan. 22: Mary’s Potpourri • Jan. 24: Public memory lab open
Boerne’s Patrick Heath Public Library brought in 175,000 guests over the last year, making it one of the top 5% of libraries visited in the state per capita, Library Director Natalie Shults said. Shults said the library is popular with Boerne ISD students after school and is a place where community members host meetings and other events, making it a pillar of the community. To accomplish the goal of being an accessible community hub, the library o ers programming for all ages, including special programs outside of books and other literature. Through an interlocal agreement with Kendall County, all county residents have access to library services without having to pay the $25 fee. Resi- dents living outside of the county limits must pay the fee for services. The big picture One nontraditional feature of the library is the “Library of Things,” which is a collection of house- hold and other items that can be checked out and used without the need to purchase those items. The items available for checkout range from hobby items, science items, electronics, board games and more. The library receives funding through the city budget, with programs being supported through community partnerships, such as The Friends of the Boerne Public Library, who operate the Friends’ Bookshop Under the Windmill next to
the library. This bookshop o ers a selection of purchasable books, generating revenue to supplement the
public library. What’s new?
One of the new services o ered at the library is a legal kiosk through the Texas Legal Services Center, which provides residents with access to legal resources from the library. Another new addition to the library is the bookmobile, which helps expand library services to residents and gives the library a presence at local events or pop-ups. Shults said the goal is to expand the reach of the bookmobile in the future, and the service will be utilized more with the start of the new year. “We already do homebound deliveries for people who qualify for that program,” Shults said. “People were using their personal vehicles before, which isn’t ideal for a variety of reasons. Really, I think the bookmobile was intended to help with that because that list is growing.” Looking ahead During the Nov. 18 City Council meeting, Shults shared the scal year 2025-26 master plan, highlighting upcoming goals for the library. During the presentation, Shults highlighted the upcoming library kiosk, which will be included in Boerne Fire Station No. 2, being constructed near
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451 N. Main St., Boerne www.boernelibrary.org
the Esperanza neighborhood. This kiosk will give library access to that area of the city without the need to drive to the library. Overall, Shults said the library sta and committees are continually working on ways to bring additional services to the community. A list of services and programs can be found on the library website.
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BOERNE FAIR OAKS RANCH EDITION
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