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Friends of the Library urges basic repairs, announces 75th‑anniversary drive
Summary
At the July 20 Bellaire City Council meeting, Friends of the Bellaire Library president Lucinda Contos highlighted heavy summer program attendance and asked the city to fund exterior waterproofing, carpet replacement and other maintenance to protect the 75‑year‑old building.
Lucinda Contos, president of the Friends of the Bellaire Library, told the council the library's summer programs are drawing strong attendance and said the building is due for preventive maintenance.
"The staff is very busy ... the new children's or youth services librarian, she has gotten 70 people to attend things on a regular basis," Contos said, and she urged the council to support waterproof exterior paint and carpet replacement as part of needed preventive work. Contos said the Friends will mark the library's 75th anniversary with a membership drive and a fall celebration that will accompany the group's biannual book sale.
The library topic was also present in written comments read into the record: a Friends of the Library letter cited more than 1,350,000 visitors since October 2011 and warned that delaying exterior water sealing and interior carpet replacement could raise future repair costs. Staff later told council that a library facility needs assessment and related staff recommendations are included in the proposed FY2027 budget (a $66,000 allocation for assessment and a capital request that includes carpet, paint and brick resealing). The council did not take immediate action but will discuss budget requests at the July 28 workshop and at the August public hearings.
