Our Project
Protecting Pieces of the Past project is focused on preserving books, magazines, newspapers and other items in the library’s Local History & Genealogy room.
EVENTS & PROGRAMS
The Friends of the Tyler Public Library are participating in East Texas Giving Day on April 25, 2023!!
What is East Texas Giving Day (ETGD)?
East Texas Giving Day is an 18-hour day (April 25) of giving that provides critical funding for our area nonprofit organizations. The purpose of an area-wide Giving Day is to bring the region together on one day and as one community, raising money and awareness for East Texas nonprofits. This initiative, organized by East Texas Communities Foundation (ETCF), provides citizens an easy platform to support the mission of local nonprofits that serve our many communities.
The Friends are participating in ETGD this year, and will be able to accept donations!
Why is Friends of the Tyler Public Library in ETGD and seeking additional funding?
We are participating and seeking additional funding to help support the vital programs and free resources we provide to 104,000 community members each year.
How can YOU help?
We are inviting you to donate. Whether you contribute yourself or start a fundraiser with your family or friends, every part of the donation goes directly to supporting the programs and resources the Friends provides to the Tyler Public Library. We can begin accepting donations on April 3 and the minimal donation amount is $10. Help support the vital services we provide to the East Texas community!
When is East Texas Giving Day?
April 25 is East Texas Giving Day! From 6 a.m. to 12 a.m. (Central Time), people from all over are able to make donations to Friends of the Tyler Public Library! We encourage EVERYONE to donate; employees, patients, friends, coworkers, your church, siblings, grandparents, your next-door neighbor, local organizations and businesses, random strangers, ex-boyfriends… anyone! Any individual with a credit card, debit card, or checking account and access to the internet can donate! If someone wishes to send a physical check or cash, they may do so by mailing it to the following address: ATTN: Friends of the Tyler Public Library P.O. Box 4057 Tyler, TX, 75712-4057
How can you donate or tell people to donate?
Click this link: https://www.easttexasgivingday.org/friendsofthetylerpubliclibrary
Or scan the QR code:
Want to donate before April 25?
No problem! Donors can follow this link: https://www.easttexasgivingday.org/friendsofthetylerpubliclibrary starting April 3. All donations made April 3 through the conclusion of Giving Day will go towards Friends of the Tyler Public Library’s grand totals.
Interested in learning more?
Check out this link: https://www.easttexasgivingday.org
The goal is to raise $40,000. It will provide the library with a subscription to ancestry.com’s military records, digital equipment and new space-saving shelving.
Tyler’s Local History & Genealogy Department contains things you still can’t find online. Rare books and original manuscripts tell us about the towns early history, who was here, and how we’ve changed over time. These documents need a highly regulated environment which they don’t currently have.
That means mold, mildew and bugs that enjoy munching on paper and book binding glue have access to an entire collection of historic material.
New space-saving shelving systems will keep these precious library collections stored at optimal temperature, humidity and airflow. Locking doors will protect priceless artifacts. One modest model suggests new shelving will create 200 more square feet of floor space, deliver a 3 year return-on-investment, and offer a minimum annual cost reduction of $4000.
Protecting pieces of the past also has a modern element. Friends has already funded a subscription to original military records that include the stories, photos, and personal documents of the men and women who served throughout the world. The next phase adds equipment to digitize these local collections so they will be available online.
If you’d like to be part of this project, please join the Friends below.
See the Tyler Morning Telegraph
The third floor of the Tyler Public Library contains unique pieces of the city’s history that the Friends of the Library aim to protect.