Location

124 9th Street

Blessing, Texas 77419

Phone and Fax Number

(361) 588-7717

Hours

Monday     1-6

Tuesday    1-6

 Thursday   1-6

 Friday       1-6

History

In 1914 the ladies of the town formed a Library Club. The Blessing School building was used for several years as the headquarters. The first president was Miss Edna Woodruff, the first grade teacher at the time. In 1917 the old Pierce office and original bank building, which had been used as a reception house at Rancho Grande, was donated to the Library Association by Abel B. Pierce. It was moved from the site near the Southern Pacific Depot to the town square and used as a library.  In 1921 the Community House was built in front of it and the two projects were combined. The Community House is still used for various functions of the community. However the library had a difficult time surviving only on volunteers and donated books. It was shut down and reopened numerous times until in July of 1988, Palacios Library announced its decision to re-establish the Blessing Library as its branch library. With the Palacios Library being a member of the Texas Library Association it gave the residents of Blessing the opportunity to take advantage of the same privileges. A library in Blessing was needed as the closest libraries were in Bay City (18 miles) or Palacios (15 miles). With Blessing being a branch of the Palacios Library meant that the patrons wouldn't have to travel to get what they needed or wanted.

In the years since Palacios has opened the Blessing Branch Library, it has grown and improved. The Blessing Library has since moved from the community center to renting another building on the corner of 10th and Mulberry Street. We have gone from some donated books to over 6,000 books. Computers with printing capabilities and Internet computers for patrons have been added. The Blessing Library is a welcomed addition to the residents of the town of Blessing.

In 2000, the library had a long waiting list for the Internet computer usage and constant computer repairs on all its computers.  It needed a complete technology overhaul. So the branch library applied for a TIF grant. In 2001 the branch library was awarded $32,049 TIF grant. With this grant the library replaced its donated worn out computers with six new ones, and installed a print server along with a laser printer. A wireless LAN that is connected to an ISDN line gives Internet access to all the computers in the building. All the computers also have printer capabilities and the wireless LAN was set up to make the library a Wi-Fi Hot spot. The library automation program was upgraded, a library catalog computer was added for patrons, a UPS system for the library automation computer, and a portable circulation/inventory unit were purchased and installed. A scanner and Microsoft Office with Powerpoint was also purchased and installed for patrons and librarian use.   

The TIF grant was completed by the summer of 2002. By the end of the year the usage of computers and the internet had increased four times as much as before. The grant had met the branch libraries goals and objectives.