TexShare: Improving Reading Through Statewide Library Resource

In the State of Texas, there is a growing interest among literary interest among children as well as adults. From urban to rural communities, libraries are joining together to share learning resources and reading materials in an effort to encourage a broader access to reading, sharing and learning among Texas residents. The program, called TexShare, is reaching phenomenal membership numbers.

As a Texas resident, in a rural community, the public library, for many years, would have often been limited to only those reading materials donated by the local community or purchased through grant donations and fundraisers of the community library facility. Today, with the new TexShare program, rural libraries are provided with additional funding from the State of Texas for purpose of purchasing additional reading materials, engage in learning resource programs and supply rural libraries with the electronic technology required to bring rural communities the most advanced research programs and databases.

In exchange for library funding from the State of Texas, urban and rural libraries, when choosing to participate in the TexShare program, are required to open library membership to those members of the community in addition to non-residents of the community. While the library may continue to assess a fee for non-resident memberships, many rural Texas libraries are choosing to eliminate non-residence fees for all library patrons under the TexShare program and allow for open access to library supplies to all residents of the State of Texas.