Women Book It!

What could be better for a community than a community library? Anyone can enjoy reading there AND taking books home—all for free. Plus, our Georgetown library has always offered tons of engaging activities as well plus community outreach all over town through bookmobiles and oral-history collecting and much more.

But we wouldn’t have a library if it wasn’t for the determination and endless volunteer hours of a largely female force that continues on from the library’s beginning in 1966.

And Georgetown is also host to awesome bookstores owned or operated by women, most notably Lark & Owl and the store that inspired some of Lark & Owl’s all-female owners, Hill Country Bookstore. Let’s take a look at how women book it for books!

Lobbying for a Library

Way back in the early 1960s, Georgetown had just over 5,000 residents, and was a bit in the shadow of Taylor, which had nearly 10,000 residents AND a library. By 1966, though, Georgetown did have a first library in a rental space (with free rent for six months donated by building owner Don Scarbrough of the Williamson County Sun) at 802 Main Street.

Our first library space in 1966—enter at the green shade on the right!

A group of library-hungry citizens started the process by forming a Friends of the Georgetown Area Library group, with 11 women as footsoldiers. More women joined them. They solicited citizens to donate books, working largely with area churches. They didn’t hesitate to use children to pull at community heartstrings, with this group parading about the square with pro-library signs and handbills to come to a library friends meeting and join the organization with fundraising dues.

Georgetown kids march in favor of a library. Photo courtesy of the *Williamson County Sun*

A few folks emerged at the forefront. Anna Aiken, a mom of five small children and PTA president, led the library drive as chair of the library board. Books were pouring in from citizen donations and the library had found a temporary home on Main Street. But Anna had done her research and interviewed people at other area libraries, and she knew that in order to get needed state and federal funding, the city would have to commit to 50% funding of a library.

Anna lobbying city council for funds; photo courtesy of the *Williamson County Sun*

At the Main Street library, women volunteers served as librarians and shelvers and everything needed to keep the library open. Georgetown newcomer Verne Philpott accepted an invite to be the first paid librarian. The Friends of the Library membership had grown, and books donated or bought through charitable contributions now numbered in the thousands.

Volunteers sort, catalog, and shelve books. Photo courtesy of the *Williamson County Sun*

Fundraising for a permanent, city-supported library continued, with success fueled by some convincing fundraisers such as Harry Gold of Gold’s department store and educator Everette Williams. The Friends of the Library garnered a $10,000 grant from the Rockwell Foundation—Henry “Foots” Rockwell had been a Southwestern University grad in the early 1920s.

All the groundwork paid off when the city agreed to a library to be constructed the corner of 6th and Main. Down came the Davis Furniture building (which had also been the first Masonic building) and up went the new Georgetown City Library in 1970.

Photo courtesy of the *Williamson County Sun*

The opening ceremony brought out hundreds of city library fans, including those who had put in untold hours making it happen. Anna Aiken was elated as she cut the ribbon.

Anna got that library built! Photo courtesy of the *Williamson County Sun*

Anna didn’t stop with her tireless support for the library. She continued being a strong library advocate until her death in 2021. A few years before that, her friend Linda interviewed her about her role in making a library reality for Georgetown. Listen to a bit of what Anna said in this video.

Georgetownians from toddlers to elders loved the new library and continued to support it over the next decade with book donations. Women’s clubs often contributed—here’s librarian/library director Verne taking the donation of Women in Early Texas from San Gabriel Woman’s Club members.

And here’s Verne with members of Georgetown Women’s Political Caucus accepting a few of the “Mae Dee” series about a Black girl growing up in Austin in the early 1900s, given in honor of Black History Month.

By the end of the 1970s, the library had outgrown its space. In 1984, a library construction bond failed—by three votes! The library repurposed a community room as a children’s room and made do. Two years later, a bond passed, and the library at 808 Martin Luther King St. (now City Hall) opened in 1987. The city also made the library a City department that year, which guaranteed more funding and oversight.

Georgetown’s second library building on MLK

Judy Duer came on as the first professional librarian. Judy had been an Air Force linguist who spoke Spanish, German, and Chinese, and she used the GI Bill to get her librarian degree at University of Texas. “Duer’s a Doer,” the newspaper noted, and indeed Judy went on to enact many improvements and make the library inviting and useful to the entire community.

Judy Duer, professional librarian and library doer; photo courtesy of the *Williamson County Sun*

Library director Sheila Ross Henderson

Women continued on as directors. Mary Pat McLaughlin took over from Judy Duer; then came Sheila Ross Henderson, who headed the library from 1996-2000. This dynamo director scored a big boost in the book budget, nearly doubled the staff, established a library foundation, instituted a kid’s library card campaign with the Georgetown school district, and started a home-bound program for book-lovers who weren’t able to physically get to the library.

Looking back, Sheila marvels at how Georgetown rallied around the library. “The camaraderie and community support was amazing,” she says. Dedicated supporters such as this group of Library Board members (below) helped carry out goals to expand library services.

Anna Aiken (she’s with the group above standing far right) continued to be a partner to grow the library’s offerings. At a library gala, Anna took off her shoe, put a $1,000 check in it, and passed it around for more contributions. Sheila then put Anna’s shoe in the library, and used it to collect community donations that grew into a golden egg for the library.

Sheila with First Lady Laura Bush (right)

And Sheila is proud of the people she invited to come honor our library—including First Lady Laura Bush, who was a librarian before her life with US president and Texas state governor George W. Bush. Liz Carpenter, a close aide to President Lyndon Johnson and the White House’s first female press secretary to Lady Bird Johnson, also came to the library to be a gala speaker.

Eric Lashley became the first (and only so far) male library director in 2000. Eric says, “Sheila was amazing—she really taught me so much about being a director. She has been a mentor to me for years.” When Eric left after 20 years in 2020, current director Sally Miculek took over.

Eric directed the transition to another building, as enthusiastic use made it clear this library was also too small. A bond for a bigger library again failed in 2001 by 187 votes, and again a community room was repurposed to meet needs. But the tides turned, and by 2007, Georgetown had its current library.

Women from the Georgetown community—hundreds of them over the years!—have been a powerhouse that has fueled the growth and diverse programming of the library! The Friends of the Library (FOL) began in 1965, and the effects of their work have blossomed mightily in recent years. With 1,300 members (mostly women), the FOL—in just THIS YEAR so far—has lassoed $107,000 in grants for the library and raised over $50,000 in the Second-Hand Prose used bookstore in the library and in online book sales.

Volunteers staff the Second-Hand Prose used bookstore upstairs at the library.

One FOL member of recent times has a hallowed spot in FOL history (see her plaque on the above photo). Martha Ann Lawlor had spent her career in technology and marketing and had come to Sun City to “retire” and have fun with two cousins living there.

Martha got real busy in her retirement with FOL, and she’s credited with being the mover behind establishing the Second-Hand Prose used bookstore; procuring the library’s big bookmobile and a home-delivery van; launching the monthly Sunday live music programs at the library; and creating the Hill Country Authors series. Martha and her cousins did get in some good fun and traveling before Martha passed in 2020.

And the dedicated library staffers are essential to the high quality of the library. You can “meet” one such devoted staffer on the second floor of the library. As you finish the stair, look slightly right to see a stained glass dedicated to Dixie Sue Hanna.

Dixie Sue started selecting adult books in 1986 and continued even as she reached 80. One September day in 2007 after doing another full day’s work at the library, she died. Dixie Sue had previously worked as a nurse, and friends say she found her true calling selecting books.

The big bookmobile that the Friends of the Library actualized

If you like time with books or just supporting our library, check out the Friends of the Library here to volunteer with them or the library.

History Hound?

And if you’re interested in history—either community history or personal family genealogy and history gathering—you have awesome resources at the library. The library’s Clara Scarbrough History Room has loads of material on Georgetown and Wilco. And Ann Evans, reference library AND historian AND museum veteran, is an invaluable asset.

Ann got a history degree before getting her MLS (Master of Library Sciences) at the University of Texas, but she has always been fascinated with the history of objects. As she notes in a Williamson County Sun article, a middle-school trip to the National Holocaust Memorial Museum made her realize that everyday people and the materials and words of their lives are crucial to the making and telling of history.

Ann did just that as curator at the Williamson Museum for seven years, taking on everything from selecting among the Museum’s 15,000 items for exhibits to building a replica of the first Williamson County jail (an an overturned wagon the deputy had to sleep on so his prisoner couldn’t escape) in her backyard.

She came on board the Georgetown Library in 2020, and as one regular visitor remarked recently on her acumen of local history, “Ann has EVERYTHING in her pocket.”

Ann also hosted with former city planner Britin Bostick a fascinating series of history videos focusing on topics including the history of the Black and Hispanic neighborhoods, unusual historical buildings, women realty leaders, and more. See them here.

People themselves—just people; not the “important” leaders—also make up the fabric of our history. And it is important for us to document that history, especially when that holder of history gets older.

The Georgetown Library can help you do this. Their Archivist in a Backpack gets library cardholders a digital recorder to capture family member memories in their own voices. The digital archiving kit features a portable flatbed scanner that digitizing family photos and small pieces of memorabilia. Check it out here!

The Achivist project is funded by the Friends of the Library, who gifted it under the inaugural Eric Lashley Trailblazer Awards. The FOL award honors Eric, library director for 18 years who left in 2020, for all his innovative work for the library, which went beyond the library walls to extend to improving and enriching the community with projects such as the profusion of beautiful and instructive murals. Learn more about Eric.

Book Women

Over the years, women have given us some supercool spots to hang out and browse books and listen to awesome speakers and of course, bring those favorite books home to keep. And they’ve been savvy in brainstorming community events to intrigue visitors and increase a love of books.

Bookstore owner Susan Garrett at opening day with Mayor John Doerfler cutting the ribbon

Back in 1977, Susan Garrett opened her Book Nook, advertising it as “off the Square . . . next to the library.” The Georgetown Public Library was then located at the corner of Main and 7th streets, so book lovers could do dual duty at the corner. Susan sold all types of books and hosted local writers such as John Bigley, a librarian at Southwestern University who coauthored many Texas travel books with spouse Paris Permenter.

Susan turned her book skills in 1990 to Southwestern University, where she and husband Larry Connell ran the SU Bookstore. Susan continued to book interesting and eclectic authors.

Another early female bookstore owner was Margarite Holt, owner of Hill Country Books at the northeast corner of 8th Street and Main. From 1995 to 2010, Margarite hosted a roomy, inviting book space that included favorites for all kinds of folks who wandered through the Square.

Margarite (standing left) with core staff

Margarite often featured local writers, including many in the local San Gabriel’s Writers League. Margarite recalls that local author books sold well, including Cindy Weigand’s Texas Women of World War II. Another popular one was Grand Old Texas Theaters That Won’t Quit, by prolific writer Joan Upton Hall and Stacey Hasbrook, and When Roles Reverse: A Guide to Parenting Your Parents, by Jim Comer. Local history attracted many book browsers, with Clara Scarbrough’s history of Williamson County, Land of Good Water a topseller, Margarite notes.

Another key to success was snaring favorite authors to speak. Margarite got a savvy mixture, from well-loved Hill Country writer Susan Wittig Albert, whose China Bayles herbal mysteries (protagonist China is the owner of an herb store) come with actual advice for growing and using herbs.

Fans also came to see former Navy pilot and Vietnam POW Dave Carey talk as well as Jack Terry, western painter and author of cowboy books. Science fiction writer Elizabeth Moon, whose work has won a Nebula Award, also brought in visitors.

In addition to a large and enticing and children’s section, Margarite also enchanted kids from Georgetown and beyond with events such as a late-night book party for kids AND adults to mark the release of each of the enormously popular Harry Potter series. Crowds wearing Potter character costumes would gather, and local students that Margarite recruited through the middle and high schools would entertain or sell Potter-linked items such as magic wands and stuffed owls. She’d let them keep all the sales money and was amazed to see how responsible and enthusiastic the young workers were.

Local businesses got a boost when Margarite asked them to tweak their offerings a la Harry Potter. Cianfrani’s Coffee made record sales with their “butter beer” and restaurants intrigued customers with menu item names switched to Potter-inspired ones. Here are a few snaps of the Harry Potter parties on the Square.

This sense of a community bond is something Margarite prizes above any aspect of the business she loved and ran for 15 years. She’d made good money as a data processing consultant in New York City, but it left her little time to connect with her neighbors there. She and husband Bob picked Georgetown to retire to because their good friends lived here and extolled Georgetown’s sense of community.

“Everyone was so good to me,” she recalls. Larry Connell, who ran Southwestern University bookstore with his spouse Susan Garrett, taught her the ropes of bookselling. She’d commented at a downtown business owners meeting that she’d already spent what she’d budgeted for her annual advertising on a store sign, and the next day Harry Gold showed up. “He told me that I could advertise because he’d given me part of his reserved ad space in the Sun,” Margarite recalls. “I didn’t even really know him, but he did that for me.”

Margarite gave back the caring actions she’d received in many ways. She’d hire moms with little work experience or young adults seemingly in search of a life path to hone their work chops at the store. She offered elementary school kids a chance to add up her payroll or tax numbers so they’d see how math was something they’d use in real life. Margarite would read stories at schools and give away books, asking the children that in return they should make a drawing that would advertise the book that she’d post in the store. “Some of those ads were really creative,” she says. “And I loved displaying them in the window.”

Women-owned Lark & Owl Booksellers magic continues!

And when Jane Estes, now co-owner of Lark & Owl Booksellers, came to Margarite hoping for a little advice on opening a bookstore, Margarite didn’t hesitate to share everything she knew. “I just want to pass forward all the opportunity that people offered to me,” she says.

Lark & Owl co-founder Jane Estes knew of the magic that Margarite and her Hill Country Bookstore wove way before she visualized Lark & Owl. She’d hauled her three young children to the Hill Country-sponsored Harry Potter book events in a wagon, and they’d loved every minute. And Jane would love seeing how the whole community and local businesses jumped in to make the Square a wonderland for each new Potter book.

That’s the feeling Jane wanted to recreate when she got her first inklings that Georgetown needed a bookstore to fill the void after Margarite closed the store in 2010. Jane had met authors through her volunteer job with the Writers’ League of Texas and invited them up to Georgetown to fill the literary void. She’d host a local or regional writer in a big gathering at a private home; the visitors got a closeup with an interesting author in a cozy setting and bought books directly from the delighted authors.

L-R: Co-owners Rachael Greulich Jonrowe, Jane Estes, and Misty Adair are the day-to-day managers, buyers, and programming masterminds.

After an event where 50-plus people turned out on a cold December night for a group of children’s book authors, Jane knew it was time to transfer that inviting book experience to a bookstore open to all. That’s when she called together a group of like-minded women friends and they talked turkey. Nine women went in with her to start a store. And when 300 more like-minded folks contributed $35,500 in a crowd-fund appeal, Jane and her cofounders knew the time was right.

In 2019, Lark & Owl opened in a wonderful space just a block off Georgetown’s well-visited square at 205 6th Street. They added a bistro, with seasonal menus and drinks (including adult ones) making the store a destination in itself. (The bistro side is in transition currently; light fare and desserts are available while another bistro shapes up.)

Their savvy buyers bring a mix of eclectic and fun merchandise and gifts ranging from from literary socks to “sweary” dishtowels to cool art-making kits. Jane, Rachael, and Misty keep the shop percolating day to day with the help of a diverse staff.

Austin-based Anne Wynter, Ezra Jack Keats Honor-winning author, captivated young L & O audiences.

L & O mothership managers aim for a compelling mix of books and programming that reflect Georgetown’s fast-growing diversity of people and worldviews. “We LOVE that people from all backgrounds feel welcome in our store,” Jane says. Right away, she recalls, “many people have taken us aside to thank us for the representation. To know that you made someone feel seen is truly powerful and even life-changing for all involved.”

Julia London brought in lots of rom-com fans.

Local authors are a draw, including children’s book authors Jarrett and Jerome Pumphrey and electrical engineer/young adult writer P. J. Hoover. Rev. Aurelia Dávila Pratt of Round Rock’s Peace of Christ Church drew seekers with her book, A Brown Girl’s Epiphany: Reclaim Your Intuition & Step into Your Power. Rom-com lovers came for Julia London, while fans of history Texas and beyond came for Stephen Harrigan.

Intriguing events and authors attract locals and those flocking from afar. The Death Café nights, where guests share thoughts on, yep, death and dying positivity, attract many, who also appreciate practical aspects, such as workshops on “Write Your Own Obituary.” Book clubs abound, including clubs for crafters and for those seeking courageous conversations about race and justice. Poetry night brings out a wide range of folks, as do adult spelling bees and make-your-own workshops for plants or knitting.

Texas novelist Katherine Center is a favorite who attracted 135 fans with the last of her five visits to L & O celebrating her new releases such as the NYT bestseller How to Walk Away. Delia Owen’s Where the Crawdads Sing drew a record crowd, as did media stars Marlo Thomas and Phil Donahue when they tuned in virtually for the event.

Books, food, gifts, and awesome community events at L & O

Most of all, L & O staffers aspire to meet the book-browsing customers where they are. “It may look like a customer is just browsing, but you really never know what a person is going through,” notes Jane. A person could be grieving and looking for a lifeline in a book; seeking guidance for troubling life issues, or just looking for a source of a good laugh. Their aim is to facilitate that “moment of true connection.”

We love Georgetown’s Book Women of library and stores, and we LOVE BookWoman, the beyond awesome feminist bookstore in Austin at 5101 N. Lamar Street. Susan Post and 12 other women formed the Common Woman Bookstore Collective in Austin nearly 50 years ago. They were inspired by this poem by Judy Grahn.

Susan kept the bookstore going through location changes and tough economic times (continuing) to offer an oasis for the feminist-minded. Check out BookWoman’s books for adults and kids, magazines, and cool gifts. And follow BookWoman to know about the amazing author talks and events at one of the handful of feminist bookstores still open in the US.

Lobbying for a Library

History Hound?

Book Women

Taking Care of Business

Georgetown’s First Peoples