They are the kinds of places where the public, private, and philanthropic partnerships work together to build a better society. Libraries are gathering places where people from different backgrounds, passions, and interests can engage with each other.
We believe that Houstonians deserve better. For being the fourth largest city in the U.S., Houston’s library system ranks seventh in the nation on per capita expenditures. The Houston Public Library Foundation is the advocate and fundraising champion of the library system. They bridge the technology gap, increase literacy, and connect you to lifelong learning. Your Houston Public Library is striving to provide equitable access to resources across the city. However, they can only stay for two hours at a. Researchers can make appointments to see the collection. The real problem is how library programs are keeping up with the demand. Mayer explained the library allows public access to the rare books room, but its limited. Library circulation, program attendance, and technology usage are increasing. The problem the Houston Public Library faces isn’t irrelevance. Click here to schedule a curbside contactless drop off.THE CHALLENGE Equal Access For Everyone In Houston The warehouse hope to resume volunteer activity sometime in the new year so keep an eye out for volunteer opportunities.īook donations are welcomed at the Friends of the Houston Public Library warehouse. Bryan is working to sort donations as well as coordinate some local distribution of books. While COVID-19 has put a pause on volunteer engagement at the warehouse for now, the work has not stopped. “I love to enlighten myself and look through the cookbooks, art books, comic books and poetry anthologies that get donated.” Much like volunteering, books also expand our world. “I get surprised by books every day,” Bryan said while talking about what gets donated to the warehouse. The warehouse is a perfect fit for Bryan, as it combines his love of volunteering and books. “One of the best parts of my job is having the opportunity to meet new people and work with organizations like the Astros Foundation and Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation,” said Bryan. In his role, Bryan is still ‘expanding his bubble’ and get the opportunity to expand the bubble of each volunteer that donates their time at the warehouse. Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation has warehouse space at FHPL and as such Bryan has been an integral part of our volunteer activities in the warehouse. Bryan feels like part of the team and truly makes us feel at home in his warehouse. Bryan accepted the role in 2017 and is still managing both volunteers and the warehouse. Bryan declined, wanting to focus on his degree, all the while still volunteering. Bryan was offered the position of Volunteer and Warehouse Coordinator of the Friends of the Houston Public Library Warehouse by the former coordinator while he was still in college. Little did he know that starting to occasionally volunteer at the FHPL warehouse in 2016 with classmates would lead to so much more.Īfter volunteering a few times, Bryan began supporting fellow volunteers, lending a helping hand moving pallets or talking through the condition of a book. The leadership he showed as a volunteer did not go unnoticed. This is accomplished through a FHPL warehouse where books removed from circulation as well as those donated by the community are either recycled or sold. Being an Education major with a focus on 4th – 8th grade English Language Arts, working with books and to promote literacy was a perfect fit for Bryan. “I learned more about the community and those in it making a difference.”įriends of the Houston Public Library’s mission is to advance literacy in the Houston area by funding and supporting programming at the Houston Public Library. “Volunteering was a way to expand my bubble,” said Bryan. It was there that his love for volunteering began to grow. Bryan had not really volunteered before college, but a friend invited him to become a part of the Metropolitan Volunteer Program hosted by UH. Through the efforts of our volunteers and partner organizations, we are able to recycle, donate, and resell over 800,000 books each year Because of these efforts, we are making it. Bryan Cardenas started volunteering at the Friends of the Houston Public Library warehouse while he was a student at the University of Houston. We believe in the importance of books, our Houston Public Library system, and the power of a literate and connected community.
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