Decloaking Wakanda: Creating Space for BIPOC Nerds

 

Originally published September 25, 2026
Library Developments Blog  |  Library Development and Networking Division

Texas State Library and Archives Commission

Community-Centered Library Connections:
Three Texas Stories of Libraries Leading with Purpose

Libraries are often at their best when they help communities see new possibilities in the places they already call home. Whether connecting families with the wildlife in a nearby bay, turning a library card into a gateway to community experiences, or creating welcoming spaces for Spanish-speaking families to learn and connect, libraries are listening to their communities and leading in ways that make a tangible difference. These stories from Taft, Carrollton, and Garland show that public value is not simply about what happens inside a library—it is about how libraries bring people together, open doors to opportunity, and help communities thrive.

Inspiring a Community to Discover and Protect Its Coastal Home | Taft Public Library System (Taft, Texas)

In the coastal community of Taft, the bay is more than a beautiful backdrop—it is home to marine wildlife that connects generations of families to the natural world, yet many residents have few opportunities to encounter and learn about the creatures living just beyond their shores. Recognizing an opportunity to deepen that connection, Taft Public Library partnered with Captain Whitney Curry and her Texas Floating Classroom to bring the wonders of the bay to the library’s end-of-summer reading celebration. Children and adults gathered around tables of shells and specimens, marveled at live crabs, and reached into a touch tank filled with shrimp, fish, and other marine wildlife. Through hands-on discovery and shared excitement, the community not only enjoyed an unforgettable experience but also gained a greater understanding of how to protect the marine life that makes their home special. One library partnership transformed a summer celebration into an opportunity for generations of residents to connect with their local ecosystem and become stewards of its future.

This is the public value of library leadership: recognizing the strengths within a community, bringing the right partners together, and creating opportunities that enrich lives, inspire learning, and empower people to care for the place they call home.

Building Community Through the Joy of Reading | Carrollton Public Library (Carrollton, Texas)

Each September, community members nationwide have an opportunity to rediscover what their library card can unlock—but simply having a card does not always translate into discovering all that a library and its community have to offer. Carrollton Public Library turned Library Card Sign-up Month into an invitation to explore, read, participate, and connect through its annual Library Card Sign-up Month Challenge, welcoming both new and existing cardholders to complete activities across reading, in-person experiences, and other community-centered opportunities. Participants tracked their progress through Beanstack, earning drawing entries along the way, while a free-book voucher and prizes donated by local businesses added an extra incentive to join in. The result was more than a month of library engagement: residents were encouraged to read, visit, try something new, and experience cultural and recreational opportunities throughout their community. In its second year, the challenge connected library participation with dozens of opportunities for discovery and more than a dozen donated experiences and prizes from community partners.

This is the public value of library leadership: creating pathways that turn a library card into a gateway to learning, belonging, local partnerships, and the many experiences that help a community thrive.

Creating Belonging Across Languages and Generations | Garland Public Libraries (Garland, Texas)

In Garland, nearly half of the community speaks Spanish, and Garland Public Libraries recognized that serving the whole community meant doing more than translating information. It meant creating meaningful opportunities for Spanish-speaking families to read, learn, create, and celebrate together. Through expanded Spanish-language storytimes, early literacy programs, maker classes, book clubs, collections, digital resources, and the Chicas Con Lentes podcast, the libraries have built a growing network of ways for patrons to engage in the language they are most comfortable using. At the heart of that work is Cuentos y Cantos, a Spanish-language storytime that grew from one location in 2022 to two, with average attendance at the flagship location increasing from about 20 participants to 70–90 per session—roughly a 300% increase. Its success inspired Cuentos y Espantos, a bilingual celebration of Halloween and Día de los Muertos, while a redesigned 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten program now includes Spanish-language materials and a bilingual graduation celebration.

Today, Spanish-speaking families are not simply finding a place at the library—they are helping shape what the library can become. From children creating mini-piñatas and graduating from early literacy programs to adults gathering for Club de Lectura and Pintar Como, these programs create opportunities for generations to connect through language, creativity, literature, and culture. With Spanish-language programming now offered across multiple locations and formats—and Cuentos y Cantos alone growing by roughly 300%—Garland Public Libraries are demonstrating the powerful impact of meeting a community where it is.

This is the public value of library leadership: listening to the people a library serves, removing barriers to participation, and building programs and partnerships that ensure every family can see themselves, their language, and their possibilities reflected in their library.

Together, these stories illustrate the many ways library leadership can strengthen a community: by recognizing local assets, building meaningful partnerships, removing barriers, and creating opportunities for people to participate and belong. The library may provide the space, connections, resources, and leadership, but the community is at the heart of every success. When libraries understand what their communities value and respond with creativity and purpose, they become more than places to access information—they become catalysts for lasting impact.

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