If you are interested in knowing something about a building in Old Town that is more than fifty years old, the library may have information about it. In 1984 the Georgetown Heritage Society and a private contractor completed a survey of buildings in Old Town Georgetown that were at least fifty years old. As a result of the survey, several neighborhoods were added to the National Register of Historic Places. In 2008 the survey was updated and properties were added that had attained the 50-year status since 1984.

Several years ago the Georgetown Heritage Society gave the files from these surveys to the library on permanent loan. We are pleased to have this resource available and want the public to know that the files may be used, in the library, by anyone. They are kept in file cabinets in the Texas History Room. The files are arranged in street number order and the streets are in the same order as they are in the neighborhoods, e.g., east from downtown — Main, Church, Myrtle, Elm, Ash, College, Walnut, Pine. If you know the address of the property in which you are interested, a quick check of the files should show whether information is available.

You are welcome to photocopy the materials in the files and, if you’ve done additional research, you may request that your findings be added to the file. Library staff at the reference desk can assist you with these files.

Like every other government entity in the United States, the City of Georgetown is looking for ways to cut expenses. Just like the other departments, the library will be called upon to make cuts in its budget–and sooner rather than later. One expense that we have taken on in this budget year that didn’t exist previously is the automated phone calls to tell you that the book you’ve requested has come in. While we can send you an email for free, we have to pay the automation service for every phone call that is placed, whether it’s local or not.

How can you help? If you have email, please change the notification preference in your library record from phone to email. It’s simple to do yourself, or we’ll be happy to do it for you the next time you’re at the circulation desk. Here are the steps for the do-it-yourselfers:

(1)  Log into your account through the online catalog.

(2)  The first screen that pops up after you’re in your account is where the notifications may be changed. Go to the “notifications options” section.

(3)  Click on the drop-down arrows to see whether you have an email address on your record, and make certain that it’s correct. If you have one, just highlight it and when you click again, it will replace the phone number.

(4)  If you don’t have an email address listed on the drop-down menus, you may add one by clicking on the “Add Email” button just above the “notification options” section. Type in your email address, make sure it’s correct, and click “save.” Then return to the “notification options” section, click the drop-down arrows, and choose your email address.

While this may seem like a small thing to you, we make countless automated phone calls every day. Yes, you’ll need to check your email, but those of you who frequently put books on hold won’t have that “message” button flashing at you all the time.

Trained tax preparers are available at no charge to help you file your individual tax return. This service is located on the second floor and is on a first-come, first-served basis. Sign in when you arrive.

Tuesday and Thursday evenings, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Noon – 4 p.m.

Saturday, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

In December Richard Groves got the glory (he was selected as the library’s Employee of the Year at the City’s annual recognition luncheon), and in January he got the responsibility. That’s good for him, though, and good for the rest of us, too. He has been the library’s adult services librarian since joining the staff in June 2007. After Gretchen Pruett, our assistant director, left in September 2008 to become director of the New Braunfels Public Library, Richard added many of her responsibilities to the ones he already had.

In the new position Mr. Groves will supervise everyone who works at the main circulation desk and the reference desk. His supervisory colleagues are Rosa Garcia, who supervises the staff members who work with the children and teens, and Sally Bernier, who supervises the technical services staff — those folks who order, process, and catalog all of the library materials. They are all directly responsible to Eric Lashley, the library director. If you have questions, criticisms, or suggestions for any of the supervisors, feel free to ask for them at the circulation desk, or they all may be reached from the library’s main phone line, 930-3551.

Individual interviews of persons who volunteered to share their memories of Georgetown’s decision to desegregate its schools and about their experiences in Marshall and Carver Schools are nearly complete. The collection of fourteen interviews soon will be available as MP3 files on the library’s website. Contributors include Harvey Miller, Birdie Shanklin, Nora Rose, Paulette Taylor, Lee L. City, Douglas and Nell Benold, Norman and Betty Spellmann, Milton Jordan, J.D. Thomas, Carl Doering, and Laurie Locke. These people represent the points of view of school board members, activists who favored desegregation, parents of students, GISD students, Southwestern faculty and students. If you believe you have information or memories that would be appropriate to add to this collection, please contact Judy Fabry at 930-3552.