A funding source the Denton Public Library has previously used for library improvements at its three locations in the city might not be available for long.
In March, President Donald Trump issued an executive order to dismantle the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Although this action was temporarily halted by a federal judge, library systems around the country have remained in a state of limbo.
“It is a time of uncertainty right now for libraries,” Jennifer Bekker, director of libraries for the Denton Public Library, said. “It’s hard to make those traditional plans that we usually make.”
Denton Public Library operates three libraries: Emily Fowler Central Library in downtown Denton, North Branch Library on North Locust Street and South Branch Library. In 2023, South Branch Library also secured $309 million in bond funding to relocate the library and build a new 40,000-square-foot facility about 1 mile from the current branch location on Teasley Lane.
Federal library funding goes through the Texas State Library and Archives Commission before it makes it to local libraries.
Bekker said the Denton Public Library has used these federal funds for several services over the years, including the summer reading program, digitizing historical issues of the Denton Record-Chronicle and providing equipment for North Branch Library’s Forge Makerspace. The Forge includes 3D printers, a Cricut machine, laser cutters and more.
Federal funds also make interlibrary loans possible.
“Your local library may not have the book or DVD that you need,” Bekker said. “But because libraries are all about sharing information, we can put out a request to another library [in Texas] that does have it. It makes information available, regardless of the size ... or the budget of your local library.”
Denton’s libraries have also used federal funds to increase accessibility. At each Denton location, there is a piece of equipment called The Merlin. It not only enlarges text on printed documents but also reads them aloud. This can be helpful for library visitors with impaired vision.
Federal funds support TexShare, a state-curated collection of online databases that includes literary criticism and medical research.
“If you go to the doctor and you have a diagnosis that you’ve never heard of before and you want to do more research, not just Googling [or] not just TikTok, you can go to reputable, vetted resources and find that,” Bekker said.
She said the state will cover some of the funding gaps for about a year if the Institute of Museum and Library Services is officially defunded. However, because libraries often make plans years in advance, she is unsure what to expect.
Bekker said the best thing concerned citizens can do is contact their local representatives.
“We are the lifeline of so many people,” Bekker said. “Families who want their children to engage with other children at story times. They want to support their literacy and educational growth.
“We have seniors who come in for that social connectivity, as well as to continue with their lifelong learning. I have heard this multiple times [from library visitors]: ‘I recently lost my job and thank goodness you’re there because I needed a place to work that’s out of the home.’”
Bekker encouraged people who have not visited the library in a long time to stop by because it has so much to offer.
“They think that libraries are just these quiet places with warehouses of books,” Bekker said. “We are so much more. Sometimes we are very loud. But there’s always something going on and we evolve as the community evolves.”