'Here to provide services': Corpus Christi Public Libraries remain a resource for community

John Oliva, Corpus Christi Caller Times

February 11, 2024 at 2:50 PM·11 min read

When was the last time you stepped foot into a library?

For Corpus Christi resident Emily Allen, it's all the time.

Inside the Janet F. Harte Public Library in Flour Bluff, Allen recalled visiting La Retama Library when it was located in downtown Corpus Christi. She said she and her father would stop by and she'd spend a "lovely hour" picking out books to read.

"There is something very special about holding a book in your hands and turning the pages as the words keep going," Allen said. "You don't get that as much with an eBook. You don't get that at all with an audiobook. I think a library may change how it does things over the years to meet the needs of the community, but I would hope libraries will always continue to exist."

It began with the La Retama Club

The Corpus Christi Public Libraries started off after a group of young women, known as the La Retama Club, in 1907 wanted to bring literacy to the community. Nearly 120 years later, the simple dream turned into six public libraries.

But throughout the past century or so, these book havens have faced staff shortages, renovations, relocations, closures and a recent shakeup of board members.

Director of Libraries Laura Garcia and three managing librarians from local branches all agreed that they are still feeling the impact from cuts and shortages they suffered back in 2008 through 2011. But hope is on the horizon, as the city has started reigniting those lost positions and expansions are in the near future.

Laura Garcia, the director of libraries for Corpus Christi, leads a planning meeting for library warming centers ahead of a cold front moving on Jan. 12, 2024, in Corpus Christi, Texas.

La Retama was a social and literary club formed by a group of young, unmarried women. The young women of the La Retama Club decided to focus their efforts on literacy, and around 1908 formed a committee headed by Mary Carroll to begin building a public library for the city.

In December 1909, the first public library in Corpus Christi opened, the culmination of the La Retama Club’s efforts. The Central Library, now known as La Retama Library, occupied an upstairs room of the Lovenskiold Building at Peoples and Mesquite streets. The library had about 500 books to lend and patrons were able to purchase library card for $1.50 or a child’s card for $1.

After suffering damages from a fire in 1916 and the aftermath of the 1919 hurricane, the library was relocated five times before finding home at 505 Mesquite Street. In 1927, the La Retama Club officially sold the library to the city of Corpus Christi for $1.

Dorothea Casta?ón, managing librarian of the Ben F. McDonald Library, said she remembered using the downtown library when she was younger.

"As I got older and needed to do research papers for school, I started to take the city bus to La Retama," Casta?ón said. " I spent a lot of time in the reference area and would get lost. I really enjoyed spending time there."

Similar to Casta?ón, Corpus Christi city councilman Roland Barrera said he had fond memories of the library when he was a child. He said his father worked across the street from the library and he would be inside the building all the time.

"I'd hang out there, or the back of my father's office, reading a book," Barrera said. "I loved Edgar Rice Burroughs, Ray Bradbury and 'The Count of Monte Cristo.' I was able to travel the world just by reading a book."

From 1962 to 1982, four more libraries opened in Corpus Christi: Parkdale, Greenwood, a small Flour Bluff branch and Northwest.

In 1986, the Central Library opened its new, and current, location on Comanche Street.

Over the years, Parkdale was renamed to the Anita and W.T. Neyland Library, Greenwood to the Ben F. McDonald Library, the Flour bluff branch to Janet F. Harte Library, Central Library to La Retama and the Dr. Clotilde P. Garcia Library opened on the Southside.

'We're still trying to come back'

In April 1980, the Corpus Christi Library board conducted a three-month study to report to the city council on where public libraries were struggling at that moment in time. In a Caller-Times article, findings included 68.2% of the 1,381 people participating wanted the main library, La Retama, in a new building and that the library system was short of square footage, books and staff.

Eight years later, the city council recommended to close the Greenwood and Flour Bluff branches to meet the following year's budget restraints. Fortunately, LULAC District 11 and former councilwoman Mary Rhodes opposed the recommendation and the suggested closures were no more.

Alex Hatley, managing librarian at Janet F. Harte Library, Michelle Balis, managing librarian at Anita & W.T. Neyland Library and Casta?ón all said there haven't been talks about closures since before their time with the public libraries, but staff cuts are something they are still facing today.

"A lot of the budget cuts we suffered from was due to the 2008 recession," Hatley said. "That's when we lost our references department and our technical services department. We're still trying to come back from that. We're still feeling that impact from 2008. Once you cut, it's very difficult to get back to how things were."

Balis said back in the early 1990s, she remembered talks about cutting the library budget down to 30%. Talks of possibly closing a library floated in the air, but the community stepped and said no, she said.

"We had to go with other options, and that's when staff got cut," Balis said. "Libraries have three things that our budget goes to: the building, staff and materials. You can't cut anything in the building because you have to keep the air conditioning and plumbing going. But you can cut hours, and we've done that in the past because we cut staff."

Garcia and Peter Zanoni, Corpus Christi's city manager, have been working to bring staffing back up, Balis said.

"It's a slow process like Alex mentioned," Balis said. "It's much faster to cut people than bring them back on. Laura understands the importance of the branches and she's focused that the branches are well staffed."

Overall, Garcia said the libraries lost around 20 positions that were "eliminated completely" by 2011. She said she has hopes to regain them.

A new library board shakes up concerns

In November 2023, an upending of the library board left questions about what drove new changes and whether some of the new members aim to restrict reading materials, particularly for young adults.

The city council appointed five new board members ― rejecting reappointing three and filling two vacancies.

Two of the new members are affiliated with organizations actively involved in book challenges, Moms for Liberty and County Citizens Defending Freedom.

Councilman Dan Suckley speaks with Laura Garcia, director of libraries for the city, during a council meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023, in Corpus Christi.

The new board lineup was approved by a split-council. At the end of November, controversy emerged publicly as at least 15 residents appeared before the council to object the shift and demand answers.

Barrera was one of the few council members to vote against the new additions.

"There was a group of council members that wanted to make some changes," Barrera said. "I was very comfortable with the existing board members. I even made the recommendation we renominate the three that were already on there."

City Councilmen Everett Roy, Mike Pusley, Dan Suckley, Michael Hunter and Gil Hernandez voted in support of the new board members.

In January, another member, nominated by the nonprofit Friends of Corpus Christi Public Libraries, was approved in a 6-3 vote.

The vacant seat on the advisory board is one that is traditionally held by a representative of Friends of Corpus Christi Public Libraries, a nonprofit that helps raise funds for the city’s libraries and supports a range of reading programs and events.

Reconsideration and relocation

When asked about when the last time a book was banned at the Corpus Christi Public Libraries, Casta?ón said it occurred around 20 years ago. The incident happened at the Ben F. McDonald Library when a regular had some concerns.

"He was worried I'd get in trouble when he complained," Casta?ón said. "The book was about Our Lady of Guadalupe. It was written by Latino authors that shared their personal views."

The gentleman was "extremely religious," Casta?ón said. When he read the book, he shared his frustrations and a form was filled out to remove the book from shelves.

Balis said the public libraries have a Reconsideration Policy. She said staff will listen to concerns a patron may have about reading material and then explain the process that must be done if the patron wishes to pursue with the policy.

Alex Hatley speaks to fellow managing librarians for Corpus Christi, Michelle Balis, left, and Dorothea Casta?ón on Jan. 12, 2024, in Corpus Christi, Texas.

Only a Corpus Christi resident that has a library card, and has had it for at least one year, may request removal or relocation of a book. Prior to submitting a request, the resident must have read the work in its entirety. Then the Request for Reconsideration of Materials form must be filled out, signed and dated to be accepted.

During the reconsideration process, the material will remain available to the public.

Garcia, or a designee, will assign a committee to review the request. The committee will then evaluate the book to determine if it meets the criteria of the Collection Development Policy. Garcia or the designee will make the final decision for reconsiderations.

An appeal to Garcia's decision can be made to the library board within 30 days. But no subsequent reviews will be allowed and the board’s decision will be final.

"Over the years, we have addressed several items but haven't pulled anything since Dorothea mentioned," Balis said. "We’re careful about what select because we want it to circulate. Our point is to circulate. We’re here to serve the community, but we know not every book is for everyone. Not every book is something everyone will agree with. We feel that we need to have a well-rounded collection because we have a well-rounded community we serve."

Plans for expansion

Garcia said the public libraries cater to a variety of ages, but the most popular demographic she sees are families with their children.

"I think because we have such a high focus on family-oriented programs, we see those age levels a lot," Garcia said.

Some of those programs include a music time for children, a Lego lab for tweens, a cooking class for teens, tai chi for adults, chess for all ages, a senior social hour and movie night for families.

Casta?ón said one program that Garcia came up with has live music, mostly Tejano, echoing the building of the Ben F. McDonald Library every last Wednesday of the month.

"The event has brought in a great number of people," Casta?ón said. "It got to the point where Laura had to get us a dance floor because everyone gets up and dances."

All of the branches do community center-oriented events, Garcia said. While people may come to the library for reliable information, they are also able to have fun.

Courtney Gonzalez reads to 1-year-old daughter Isabella Gonzalez at Janet F. Harte Public Library on Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024, in Corpus Christi, Texas.

In the near future, Garcia said a sensory room at La Retama Library and a renovation of said library will be done. As well as possible kiosks located around town where people can check out books, similar to Redbox.

Garcia said she hopes the sensory room will be completed in March and will be able be expanded to other branches.

As for renovation, Garcia said mostly exterior work will be done.

"It's hoped that we will have an observation deck looking into Blucher Park," Garcia said. "Because of the birding that's done in there, individuals won't have to go into the park but be able to observe from the deck."

Southside growth has also been on Garcia's radar. Discussion of another library to open in the future has taken place.

'Resource for the community'

A "resource for the community" was a constant phrase the Caller-Times heard from Garcia, and the managing librarians, Allen and Barrera, to best describe the Corpus Christi Public Libraries.

Barrera said libraries are a great resource for the community, particularly for those in the community who are disadvantaged and can make good use of the access to books and technology.

Allen said a library is an important resource to any community. She said relying on a computer isn't always faithful, but published text is.

Emily Allen talks to the Caller-Times after returning a book to the Janet F. Harte Public Library on Jan. 16, 2024, in Corpus Christi, Texas.

"They've been saying the library is dying for a long time, yet it still manages to be relevant," Allen said. "I think our kids would lose if that were to happen."

Garcia said not only are the public libraries a resource, but they are "quality of life departments."

"When we open our doors, we open our doors to everyone," Garcia said. "We feel that it's very important because we want to service everyone in our community. We don't look at anybody's background; we're just here to provide services. We really enjoy that part of the job for our community."