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Sims Library reports rising use, wins nearly $44,000 state grant and plans new services
Summary
Sims Library Director Jennifer Graff told the Waxahachie City Council that visitor counts rose to about 100,000 and program attendance jumped 37% this year; the library won an almost $44,000 Texas State Library grant, will install four ADA‑compliant study booths and expanded outreach projects funded by local donations.
Jennifer Graff, director of Sims Library, told Waxahachie City Council on Oct. 20 that the branch experienced rising usage and several new funding wins that will support expanded services.
Graff said the library’s visitor count rose to about 100,000 this year and active library cardholders grew from about 16,700 to 17,100. Circulation of physical items totaled about 177,000, and program attendance increased roughly 37 percent. “We were up 29,700 in program attendance,” Graff said.
The library won an almost $44,000 grant from the Texas State Library and Archives Commission to purchase four study booths (one ADA‑compliant) intended for telehealth, quiet study and deposition work. Graff also said the library raised about $34,000 in local donations and that Atmos Energy funded a book vending machine for children; Friends of the Sims Library contributed $1,000 to stock the vending machine.
The grant will also fund a pair of small‑scale building improvements and a pollinator garden to be built at a side entrance, Graff said. She described ongoing efforts to add adaptive programming for neurodivergent children and to expand streaming and digital resources for patrons who lack home subscriptions. “We’re trying to figure out what people do not have access to at home,” Graff said.
Council members and staff praised the library’s outreach and fundraising. Council liaison Wright thanked Graff for leading the library through a year of policy changes and increased public attention; he noted the library’s navigation of recent state restrictions on children’s books and displays. Mayor Billy Wallace and other council members expressed appreciation and asked to take a photo with staff following the presentation.
Graff closed by thanking the city and library volunteers, noting three retiring board members and newly appointed trustees. The library director said staff will use the TSLAC grant and private donations to prioritize ADA access, quiet study spaces and community programming in the coming year.
Next steps: staff will proceed with procurement for booths and implement the landscaping and vending‑machine projects with donor funds and the state grant.
