Texas State Library and Archives Commission
Encyclopedia
The Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC) refers to the agency in the state of Texas
that is charged with overseeing and assisting with state-wide library programs, meeting the reading-related needs of Texans with disabilities, and finally preserving and providing access to significant Texas documents.
The Lorenzo de Zavala State Archives & Library Building
, located at 1201 Brazos Street in the Capitol Complex in Downtown
Austin
, houses the Archives, the Genealogy
collection, a reference collection, the Talking Books offices, and the main administrative offices.
The State Records Center and Talking Book Circulation Department, located elsewhere in Austin, which houses the State and Local Records Management Division and the Talking Book Program's circulation department; and the Sam Houston Regional Library and Research Center
, located near Liberty, Texas
, which serves as a museum focusing on Southeastern Texas and also houses a portion of the State Library's collection.
on 24 January 1839 by a joint resolution of the Third Congress of the Republic of Texas. $10,000 was designated for its use, though the ongoing bankruptcy of the Republic meant that no more than $250, spent on a set of encyclopedias, was used during this initial phase of development.
After the annexation of Texas
to the United States
in 1848, legislation was passed requiring copies of all important state-related documents to be transported to the Library of Congress
, other US state seats, or foreign powers, as deemed necessary. During this time, the Secretary of the State of Texas was to act as the state librarian. In 1854 an act was passed creating a separate library for the Supreme Court of Texas, and in 1855 $5000 was appropriated for the purchase of books for the State Library, though any major work done on the library was postponed until after the American Civil War
.
The office of State Librarian was officially established after the Civil War, and Robert Josselyn was the first appointment. The expenses pertaining to running or more fully establishing the library were seen as detrimental to the project of Reconstruction, however, and the library was again placed at the hands of the state department until 1876, when The Department of Insurance, Statistics, and History was established.
The commissioner of this department was in charge of the State Library, and from 1877 to 1880 a large number of documents, including the Nacogdoches Archives, were transferred to the State Library. On 9 November 1881 a massive fire destroyed the Texas Capitol Building, where the library was housed, and ruined much of the collection.
In 1891 construction of the present Capitol building was completed, and Governor James S. Hogg created the office of historical clerk, adding a Spanish translator and an archivist were added to the staff two years later. In 1902 a Texas Library Association was organized, aided by the Texas Federation of Women's Clubs, and in 1909 legislation was obtained for the organization of the Texas State Library and Historical Commission (now the Texas State Library and Archives Commission).
Not until 1957, when Gov. Marion Price Daniel, Sr. went before the Fifty-fifth Legislature and recommended that a building specifically for the State Library be erected, was there adequate housing for the growing collection.
, was dedicated on April 10, 1962. Built of granite from the same quarry that supplied materials for the Capitol, the outer walls are made of sunset red granite. The building is 257 feet long, 77 feet wide, and 60 feet tall. It has five main floors and seven stack floors (the stacks are not open to the public). The three main collections open to public use are the Genealogy collection and Archives, both housed on the first floor, and the Reference collection, housed on the third. The library is scheduled to undergo a significant renovation beginning early 2007.
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
that is charged with overseeing and assisting with state-wide library programs, meeting the reading-related needs of Texans with disabilities, and finally preserving and providing access to significant Texas documents.
The Lorenzo de Zavala State Archives & Library Building
Lorenzo de Zavala State Archives and Library Building
The Lorenzo de Zavala State Archives and Library Building is a state library and historic landmark in Downtown Austin, Texas.The building is named in honor of Lorenzo de Zavala, a statesman in Texas history....
, located at 1201 Brazos Street in the Capitol Complex in Downtown
Downtown Austin
Downtown Austin is the central business district of Austin, Texas. Downtown is located on the north bank of the Colorado River. The approximate borders of Downtown include Lamar Boulevard to the west, 11th Street and sometimes Martin Luther King, Jr...
Austin
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
, houses the Archives, the Genealogy
Genealogy
Genealogy is the study of families and the tracing of their lineages and history. Genealogists use oral traditions, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kinship and pedigrees of its members...
collection, a reference collection, the Talking Books offices, and the main administrative offices.
The State Records Center and Talking Book Circulation Department, located elsewhere in Austin, which houses the State and Local Records Management Division and the Talking Book Program's circulation department; and the Sam Houston Regional Library and Research Center
Sam Houston Regional Library and Research Center
The Sam Houston Regional Library and Research Center is located in unincorporated Liberty County, Texas. The facility is located north of Liberty, east of Downtown Austin and northeast of Downtown Houston. It is owned and operated by the Texas State Library and Archives Commission and contains...
, located near Liberty, Texas
Liberty, Texas
Liberty is a city in and the county seat of Liberty County, Texas, United States and a part of the Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown metropolitan area. The population was 8,033 at the 2000 census....
, which serves as a museum focusing on Southeastern Texas and also houses a portion of the State Library's collection.
History
The Texas State Library was originally established as the National Library of the Republic of TexasRepublic of Texas
The Republic of Texas was an independent nation in North America, bordering the United States and Mexico, that existed from 1836 to 1846.Formed as a break-away republic from Mexico by the Texas Revolution, the state claimed borders that encompassed an area that included all of the present U.S...
on 24 January 1839 by a joint resolution of the Third Congress of the Republic of Texas. $10,000 was designated for its use, though the ongoing bankruptcy of the Republic meant that no more than $250, spent on a set of encyclopedias, was used during this initial phase of development.
After the annexation of Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1848, legislation was passed requiring copies of all important state-related documents to be transported to the Library of Congress
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
, other US state seats, or foreign powers, as deemed necessary. During this time, the Secretary of the State of Texas was to act as the state librarian. In 1854 an act was passed creating a separate library for the Supreme Court of Texas, and in 1855 $5000 was appropriated for the purchase of books for the State Library, though any major work done on the library was postponed until after the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.
The office of State Librarian was officially established after the Civil War, and Robert Josselyn was the first appointment. The expenses pertaining to running or more fully establishing the library were seen as detrimental to the project of Reconstruction, however, and the library was again placed at the hands of the state department until 1876, when The Department of Insurance, Statistics, and History was established.
The commissioner of this department was in charge of the State Library, and from 1877 to 1880 a large number of documents, including the Nacogdoches Archives, were transferred to the State Library. On 9 November 1881 a massive fire destroyed the Texas Capitol Building, where the library was housed, and ruined much of the collection.
In 1891 construction of the present Capitol building was completed, and Governor James S. Hogg created the office of historical clerk, adding a Spanish translator and an archivist were added to the staff two years later. In 1902 a Texas Library Association was organized, aided by the Texas Federation of Women's Clubs, and in 1909 legislation was obtained for the organization of the Texas State Library and Historical Commission (now the Texas State Library and Archives Commission).
Not until 1957, when Gov. Marion Price Daniel, Sr. went before the Fifty-fifth Legislature and recommended that a building specifically for the State Library be erected, was there adequate housing for the growing collection.
Present day
The present building, named for Lorenzo de ZavalaLorenzo de Zavala
Manuel Lorenzo Justiniano de Zavala y Saenz was a 19th-century Mexican politician. He served as finance minister under President Vicente Guerrero. A colonizer and statesman, he was also the interim Vice President of the Republic of Texas, serving under interim President David G...
, was dedicated on April 10, 1962. Built of granite from the same quarry that supplied materials for the Capitol, the outer walls are made of sunset red granite. The building is 257 feet long, 77 feet wide, and 60 feet tall. It has five main floors and seven stack floors (the stacks are not open to the public). The three main collections open to public use are the Genealogy collection and Archives, both housed on the first floor, and the Reference collection, housed on the third. The library is scheduled to undergo a significant renovation beginning early 2007.
See also
- Austin Public LibraryAustin Public LibraryAustin Public Library is a library service in Austin, Texas, United States. It is operated by the City of Austin.The John Henry Faulk Central Library at 800 Guadalupe Street is the main branch; opening in 1979. It is on five stories...
- Houston Public LibraryHouston Public LibraryHouston Public Library is the public library system serving Houston, Texas, United States. The library system has its headquarters in the Marston Building in Neartown Houston.-History:It can trace its founding to the Houston Lyceum in 1854...
- Dallas Public LibraryDallas Public LibraryThe Dallas Public Library system serves as the municipal library system of the city of Dallas, Texas .-History:In 1899, the idea to create a free public library in Dallas was conceived by the Dallas Federation of Women's Clubs, led by president Mrs. Henry Exall. She helped raise US$11,000 from...
- San Antonio Public LibrarySan Antonio Public LibraryThe San Antonio Public Library is a collection of a Central Library and 24 branch libraries that serve the City of San Antonio, Texas, USA. The library serves other cities in the area, including Alamo Heights, Hill Country Village, and Olmos Park.The Central Library is a , six-story structure that...
- Harris County Public LibraryHarris County Public LibraryHarris County Public Library is a public library system serving Harris County, Texas, United States. The county library system is headquartered at 8080 El Rio in Houston....
- Fort Worth LibraryFort Worth LibraryFort Worth Library is the public library system that serves the city of Fort Worth, Texas. The Fort Worth Public Libraries consist of 12 branches including the central library, two regional libraries, and two satellite branches throughout the city.-History:...
- Alamo Area Library SystemAlamo Area Library SystemThe Alamo Area Library System is one of ten public library systems in the state of Texas. It consists of 46 member libraries located in 21 counties that surround San Antonio . San Antonio Public Library acts as the personnel and fiscal agent for AALS and houses the system office...
Further reading
- Cummings, Jennifer, “‘How Can We Fail?’ The Texas State Library’s Traveling Libraries and Bookmobiles, 1916–1966,” Libraries and the Cultural Record, 44 (no. 3, 2009), 299–325.