The Texas State Library & Archives Commission (TSLAC) recently provided funding to the Cooke County Library through its TexTreasures grant program. The Cooke County Library will provide issues of the Gainesville Daily Register (GDR), from 1947 to 1956, to the University of North Texas Library’s Texas Digital Newspaper Program (TDNP) so that they can digitize the images and make them available on the Portal for Texas History website.
“This $25,000 grant from TexTreasures 2023 helps digitize more issues from the Gainesville Daily Register. The years that will be digitized during this grant will cover very important local topics such as the establishment of the Frank Buck Zoo and Local Community College (NCTC) and the county’s 100 year celebration. Having these issues on the Portal to Texas History website will allow so many people to access this important information,” said Jennifer Johnson-Spence, director of the Cooke County Library.
This program will begin in fall 2022 and is expected to be complete by the end of summer 2023. By scanning these numbers, anyone with access to the Portal to Texas History website will have access to these specific years.
“TSLAC is proud to support public libraries across the state as they provide essential information services to their communities that support education, access to technology, and workforce development. work,” said Gloria Meraz, TSLAC director and librarian.
Children’s Collection Grant
The Cooke County Library recently received a grant to increase its inventory of children’s books.
The Texas Book Festival Collection Enhancement Grant will provide digital copies of e-books and audiobooks from the Texas Library Association’s 2022-2023 Texas Bluebonnet Prize Master List through the Libby app. The list consists of 20 books chosen for their diversity, creativity and quality in children’s books. The books are aimed at children in grades 3-6, but many children, younger and older, also read them.
The Cooke County Library adds the full list to its collection each year, but one copy of each book isn’t always enough.
“With all the local elementary schools encouraging their students to read books from this list, the books are often borrowed and they often have waiting lists,” says Kimberly Reiter, Associate Principal/Children’s Class Coordinator. “I think having the books available on Libby will be a great way for more kids to read them. Kids love their digital devices, so this is a great opportunity for us to encourage literacy in in a way that children can understand.”
The grant will allow the Cooke County Library to add eighteen eBooks, fifteen eAudiobooks and three Spanish eBooks to its digital collection. The Libby app is available to all Cooke County Library cardholders. It is accessible on a phone, tablet or computer.
Visit cookecountylibrary.org or call 940-668-5530 for more information.