Bastrop Public Library

History

In 1852, the first library was established by the Ladies Magazine Club. The Library fell on hard times and closed in 1927. Bastrop did not have a library again until 1962, when the Jaycettes (a women's organization) adopted the library as a civic project.

The Belle Moore Jones Memorial Library, using Mrs. Jones' personal library as the core of its collection, was established. On June 6, 1971, a new, air-conditioned building was opened with a collection of 3,000 volumes. This building is currently the Bastrop Senior Center. On March 29, 1974, the Bastrop City Council passed a resolution stating that the City will own, operate, and maintain a municipal library and will provide a new facility for housing the Library and assume full responsibility for its operation.

In September 1978, the Library joined the Texas State Library system and became a member of the Central Texas Library System. In October 1986, the Bastrop City Council voted to give the Library a location for new construction if they could raise $100,000. They also voted to match the money raised. In August 1987, the City Council gave the library the old City Warehouse property at 1100 Church Street and set aside the rest of the $234,000 needed for construction.

In 1989, the Library opened its doors at 1100 Church Street. In 2003, the citizens of Bastrop passed a bond to triple the size of the Library. This construction was completed in 2006. The current library is 18,000 square feet and houses a collection of over 48,500 items.

Contributions

The library has a local history collection providing books and documents about the history of the town and surrounding community. Genealogists often use our resources to discover more about their family roots. Access to the Bastrop Advertiser, the local newspaper which began publication in 1853, is a crucial part of this search. Through the generous support of the Tocker Foundation, access for the years 1854 to 1954 is now available digitally on this website.