2009 - 2010 Annual Report
I
Houston Public Library
I
Houston Public Library Foundation
f re e d o m t o succeed f re e d o m t o grow f re e d o m t o create
The library is freedom
Bert L. Long, Jr.’s road to artistic success was a winding one, with a very important stop at the Houston Public Library. Read more about his colorful journey on page 7.
Table of Contents Library Stories Faye Powers Sandy Farmer Bert L. Long, Jr.
2-3 4-5 6-7
Director’s Message Financial Overview
8-9 10-11
Houston Public Library Foundation
12-24
1
Faye’s powers culinary creations scenic woods regional library
2
Freedom to succeed. Faye Powers wanted to cook for a living – and she was a good cook. A friend of her husband’s once jokingly told her, “look, if it doesn’t work out for you two, you can marry me – just for the red beans.” But being a good cook and cooking for a living are two different things. Powers had no formal training – no chef’s school. Yet her dream was to work for herself as a caterer, and while she didn’t know exactly how to make that happen, she did know where to start: the library. She headed to the Scenic Woods Regional Library on Homestead Road near her home in North Houston and looked to librarian Jane McNair for help. Powers started her research by poring over books on home-catering businesses and the rules and regulations of operating a healthy commercial kitchen. She studied City of Houston regulations at the library, and eventually moved on to videos
that showed her everything from proper chopping techniques to advanced food presentation. Armed with new skills and knowledge, Powers launched Faye Powers Culinary Creations. That was seven years ago, and today it’s just Faye’s – a successful business that caters events from big bank conferences to large weddings. Powers’ relationship with the library didn’t stop once her business got off the ground. The Houston Public Library remains a source of recipes to inspire her own creations and for business advice on issues like controlling costs, staffing smarter and using purchased food more efficiently. The passion for cooking, talent and creativity – those came from Faye Powers. But the confidence and insights she needed to turn them into a career? That came from the library.
3
Sandy Farmer manager youth services central library
4
Freedom to grow. It’s a late summer afternoon on the fourth floor of Houston Public Library’s Central Library, located downtown. In one room, teenagers are lined up to play Wii, anxiously waiting for an open console. Urban libraries such as Houston’s serve so many functions for youngsters – not only building literacy, but also by providing a safe, welcoming and enriching environment to simply spend time. And if the shelves beckon, all the better. “You don’t do the job for the books. You do it for the people,” points out Sandy Farmer, Manager of the Youth Services at Houston’s downtown Central Library. She knows well that being a librarian here is as much about community as it is about literature. Even computer games serve the greater good at the Houston Library, in part because they get young people in the door and encourage them to
linger. Instead of parents bringing in their children, checking out books and leaving, the entire family may stick around for a while. The adults discover listening areas for music and comfy chairs and sofas for reading. The kids may explore the stacks or flip through a magazine while they wait for a computer to open up. The longer they stay, the more they find to capture their attention and interest – and the more the world opens ups. Farmer believes that those who work in the library are not simply providing books and videos and programs. Sometimes, they’re simply providing safe haven. Indeed, she sees many young teens who spend their time at the library in order to steer clear of difficult home lives and other turmoil. The library is not a shelter, she’s quick to point out, but it can be a refuge. And in her book, that’s something to be proud of.
5
Bert L. Long, Jr. world-renowned artist central library
6
Freedom to create. Some artists develop their talents as children. Some are formally educated, guided by instructors in technique and theory. World-renowned contemporary artist Bert L. Long, Jr., however, found his art in the Houston Public Library. Long’s work can be seen in museums across the globe and is sought after by collectors; but his road to becoming a successful artist was anything but direct. “All the people in this neighborhood I grew up with are either dead or in jail,” he says, sitting comfortably on a couch in his small, stylish house in Houston’s Fifth Ward. In his 70 years, he has overcome a childhood heavy with responsibility and hardship. He has picked cotton, washed dishes and served in the Marine Corps. In fact, it wasn’t until after his military service that he picked up a brush, displaying his early work in the lobbies of Las Vegas hotels where he worked as a chef. He knew, however, that to paint full time he’d need more than what one high-school art course had taught him, and so he turned to the Houston Public Library’s Central Library.
“I checked out 14 art books at a time,” Long recalls. “It was the maximum they would allow.” Long studied what other artists had done. He pored over the work of the masters, developing new techniques and knowledge. And his work began to sell. Today, Long is a highly respected artist and a happy man. His story is an inspiring one, and in many ways, it all started in the Houston Public Library.
One of Long’s latest works, a 30- foot by 7-foot mural can be seen in the Houston Public Library’s Looscan Neighborhood Library at 2510 Willowick.
7
message from the director Rhea Brown Lawson, MLS, Ph.D.
8
L
ike many of you, I have a library story. I can recall anticipating with great joy weekly visits to my neighborhood library to return and retrieve my treasured bounty of books. I would lose myself in wonderful stories whose characters seemed so real that they would become my friends, and when the story ended, I would be sad to see them go. I would travel to anywhere right from my favorite reading spot on the floor near a window where I would often give in to heavy eyelids and fall asleep holding a book.
Those quiet moments we enjoyed reading as children often seem foreign to us now. Today, our rapidly paced, dynamic lifestyles demand up to the minute global information delivered in a plethora of electronic formats – on devices small enough to fit in our pockets, on laptops, and on big screen TVs. Many of us own or have easy access to multiple forms of technology that provide instant information and can store hundreds of books. The question that many ponder and some ask rather assertively is – are libraries still vital? The answer, as evidenced by the three extraordinary library stories shared in this annual report, is a resounding yes! In fact, libraries may be more vital now than ever. Even with the advent of technology, studies still show that children who use the library tend to perform better in school and are also more likely to continue learning and exploring throughout their lives. The ever expanding use of the Internet to do almost everything in our everyday lives has made public libraries more vital – because there continues to exist in this country a vast digital divide. The divide exists along lines of race and class and is bridged most consistently and equitably through the free access provided by the public libraries in this nation.
Vital to our community. Free to all. The Houston Public Library, within its 42 locations in neighborhoods throughout the city, provides free services, materials and programs to over 13,000 visitors of different ethnicities, cultures and backgrounds each day. Those 13,000 visitors receive assistance from trained information professionals eager to help navigate the vast, and sometimes turbulent, sea of information to identify credible sources and recommend paths to finding answers. While many of us routinely enjoy unlimited access to the Internet, great numbers of Houstonians have no access to computers. About 4,000 people depend on using the technology at our libraries daily to search for jobs, explore electronic databases, research information or connect with family and friends. Many families have budgets that are so tight that they cannot afford to buy books – for those families the books, journals, DVDs, CDs, movies, music they borrow for free from the library provide a vital link to employment, hobbies, travel, homework, mysteries, child development, job search techniques, literacy, cooking, entertainment, and how to do just
about anything. Programs and services also include English as a second language instruction, job search assistance, early literacy programs, author events, book clubs, story times, summer reading programs, financial literacy programs, and much more. There are countless stories that highlight the impact of the Houston Public Library on the lives of Houstonians and our customers across the state, the nation and the world. I am so delighted that we could share with you the powerful stories of internationally acclaimed artist Bert Long, Chef Faye Powers, and children’s librarian Sandy Farmer. Because of free access to libraries these individuals had freedom to succeed, freedom to grow, and freedom to create. What’s your library story? With warm regards,
Rhea Brown Lawson, MLS, Ph.D. Director, Houston Public Library 9
Financial Highlights Fiscal Year 2010
Total Expenditures $37,236,820
City $37,236,820
Personnel Services $26,466,629
Equipment/Others $157,949 Supplies $322,252
Foundation $1,000,000 Grants $1,481,758
Funding $39,718,578
10
Services $4,157,952 Library Materials $6,110,178 Debt Service & Other Uses $21,860
Strength in numbers 6,000,000
Visits
5,000,000 4,000,000 3,000,000 2,000,000 1,000,000 FY06
FY07
FY08
FY09
FY10
0
8,000,000
Circulation
7,000,000 6,000,000 5,000,000 4,000,000 3,000,000 2,000,000 1,000,000
FY06
FY07
FY08
FY09
FY10
Every year, the Houston Public Library touches more lives in more ways. In fact, in 2010 alone we had more visits than even our local sports teams can claim – that’s the Astros, Rockets and Texans combined. Or think of it this way: if every PowerCard-holder joined together to form a city, it would be the fourth largest in Texas – and a well-read one at that. With a usership that vast, the library has the power to enrich our city in a big way. Students succeeding in school; non-readers becoming readers; workers gaining skills and employment – it’s not only happening here at the library, it’s happening on an unprecedented scale.
0
11
Books Alive! houston public library’s first annual children’s book celebration, may 2010
12
Helping keep the library free. While the City of Houston pays for the bulk of the Library’s expenses, it is the Houston Public Library Foundation that contributes significant funding for books and materials, programming, critical staff development and training, communications materials and building refurbishment. Contributing to the Foundation directly supports our community libraries and the lives they touch every day.
13
letter from the president Susan Bischoff
14
F
or some, the Houston Public Library is simply a place to find a great read, gardening advice or perhaps research material for a third-grade science report. But for many of our neighbors, the library is a lifeline – a place to find a huge range of opportunities and resources free for the asking. The stories in this year’s annual report give you a sense of how life-changing our libraries can be. Now more than ever, as economic hardship continues nationwide, our libraries offer practical help, hope and possibility. Those lines of people you see waiting for our doors to open these days?
Many are job-seekers who depend on the library daily for free workforce development programs, information and Internet access. And programs for the unemployed are just the beginning. Each year, the library offers thousands of programs ranging from children’s story hours to financial literacy classes, reading materials in 19 languages, a 24-hour homework assistance line, After School Zones and much more. And it is the private Houston Public Library Foundation that funded all the non-payroll and training costs of the more than 5,000 programs last year. The Foundation also added more titles to the Houston Public Library shelves last year. We provided stewardship for Microsoft’s $4.3 million “WeCAN Works” initiative, creating Wi-Fi hubs throughout the city. When a free community meeting room was needed, we funded its construction in Spring Branch’s Elizabeth L. Ring Neighborhood Library. And when the community asked for an inspiring piece of art for the African American Library at the Gregory School, we joined with the Houston Arts Alliance and the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs to fund Kermit Oliver’s 2009 portrait of former Mayor Lee P. Brown. We introduced a wide range of Houston’s philanthropy community to a wealth of information
Freedom starts with you. available through the Clayton Library Center for Genealogical Research at our Third Annual Party in the Stacks. Through its Annual Bargain Book Sale, the Friends of Houston Public Library has put more than one million books in homes. With significant budget cuts at our libraries, your support for the Foundation is needed more than ever. “New hours” signs posted outside our libraries reflect reduced service hours. All libraries are shut an extra day of the week. Yet more people than ever are using library facilities. By helping us, you’re helping each of them. We need your financial support now, because somewhere in our city, there’s a library story waiting to happen.
Susan Bischoff President
15
Board of Directors
2009 and 2010 Board Cathryn Rodd Selman
Mayor Bill White
chair
ex-officio–2009
Harriet Calvin Latimer
Mayor Annise D. Parker
1st vice chair
ex-officio–2010
Anne Shen Chao
Supt. Abelardo Saavedra, Ed.D.
2nd vice chair
ex-officio–2009
Jesse H. Jones II
Supt. Terry B. Grier, Ed.D.
treasurer
ex-officio–2010
Juanita Elizondo
Diane Durbin
secretary
Franklin D.R. Jones, Jr. immediate past chair
Cathryn Rodd Selman Chair
16
E. Fred Aguilar, III Zarine M. Boyce Bonnie Gayle Brooks Patricia J. Lasher Alison Leland McKinney Annette Mullins Tina Arias Peterman Ann Short J.S. Stone, II, M.D. Robert B. Tudor, III Lisa Mouton Wallace Cyvia Wolff
ex-officio
Rhea Brown Lawson, Ph.D. hpl director
Susan Bischoff hplf president
Discussion of HPLF Financials The Foundation’s $338,000 funding of the first meeting room in the Elizabeth L. Ring Neighborhood Library in fiscal 2010 will allow the Houston Public Library to present programming on a regular basis at the Long Point Road location. Due to the building’s iconic one-room, round construction there has been no way to have programs without disturbing all patrons. Construction of the new meeting room coincides with the City’s current renovation of the facility. Other expenses in fiscal 2010 increased primarily due to the addition of an experienced development officer to the Foundation’s professional staff. Contributions and other income declined in fiscal 2010 due to the absence this year of Microsoft’s $200,000 cash contribution made as part of the WeCAN Works initiative
the previous year and timing of grants by certain contributors. In addition to the cash contribution in 2009, Microsoft awarded approximately $4.3 million as an in-kind donation of software licenses for the WeCAN Works initiative in the same year. In fiscal 2010 the Foundation benefited from the moderate global economic upturn with investment income of $1.8 million. The previous year the late 2008 economic downturn resulted in a $3.6 million investment loss to the Foundation.
17
Houston Public Library Foundation Summary Statement of Net Assets for years ended
Assets Cash and cash equivalents Investments Pledge receivable - in-kind Pledge receivables Intangible assets Total assets
June 30, 2010 382,061 15,631,064 3,934,187 61,023 318,922 20,327,257
June 30, 2009 475,688 14,653,209 4,316,893 200,000 00 00 00 19,645,790
Liabilities Accounts payable 36,644 44,102 Funds held for others - 32,611 112,967 Total liabilities
69,255
Fund Balances and Net Assets Total liabilities and fund balances 69,255
157,069
157,069
Net assets: Restricted: Expendable 17,572,245 16,248,404 Nonexpendable 2,404,973 2,404,973 Unrestricted    -- --280,784 -----835,344 Total net assets
18
20,258,002
19,488,721
Houston Public Library Foundation Summary Statement of Activities for years ended
Expenditures/Expenses Programmatic Fundraising Management and general Investment management fees Total expenditures/expenses
June 30, 2010 1,452,226 220,713 205,106 ----15,350 1,893,395
June 30, 2009 1,084,740 161,995 127,784 14,100 1,388,619
Revenues Contributions 441,834 616,510 Special events 137,244 206,318 Book sales 240,044 198,049 In-kind contributions 15,630 4,316,893 Gain (loss) on investments 1,423,709   (3,645,430) Interest and dividend income 404,215 401,299 Total revenue
2,662,676
Changes in Fund Balance/Net Assets Fund balance and net assets, beginning of year
769,281 19,488,721
Fund balance and net assets, end of year
20,258,002
2,093,639 705,020 ------18,783,701 19,488,721
19
Friends Along with the Houston Public Library Foundation, these five groups are solely dedicated to supporting the Houston Public Library.
20
Friends of the Houston Public Library
Clayton Library Friends
The Friends of the Houston Public Library is the most publically recognized part of the Houston Public Library Foundation. Through its Annual Bargain Book Sale, now in its 33rd year, and its membership program, the Friends reach out to the entire community. The Friends, powered by volunteers, raise money and awareness through the spring Bargain Book Sale, the fall Children’s Book Sale and membership dues. Beyond raising much-needed funds for the Library, the book sales help books receive a second chance in peoples’ hands, hearts, and homes. It takes over 14,500 volunteer hours to sort and price books, and staff the book sales. Their $150,000 gift to the Library over the past two years has been put to good use funding “the link” publication which is distributed bimonthly to over 10,000 library patrons, providing scholarships and continuing education to ensure the next generation of librarians is well-equipped to handle the emerging issues of urban libraries and supporting the over 5,000 annual free programs offered by the Houston Public Library. www.friendsofhpl.org
Clayton Library Friends are dedicated to furthering genealogical research and public awareness of the programs, services and materials available through the Clayton Library. They also raise resources to improve the permanent collection and the facilities of the Clayton Library Center for Genealogical Research, including raising the funds to renovate the Good Brick award winning and Gold LEED certified Clayton House, Guest House and Carriage House. www.claytonlibraryfriends.org
Friends of Neighborhood Libraries Friends of Neighborhood Libraries was created to secure a larger site for a new Looscan Neighborhood Library, then went on to advocate and raise funds for the ongoing enhancement of its grounds and programs. www.hpl.lib.tx.us/looscan-neighborhood-library
Julia Ideson Library Preservation Partners Julia Ideson Library Preservation Partners was established to raise the funds needed to restore the public spaces of the original Julia Ideson Library building to its original grandeur. This fall, the Partners celebrated raising its $32 million goal, including $15 million from the City of Houston, to build the 21,500-square-foot archival wing and restore the historic facility. The restored space will open to the public in the fall of 2011. www.ideson.org
Friends of the Texas Room Friends of the Texas Room supports the Texas and local history collections of the Houston Public Library. The Texas Room, housed in the newly added section of the Julia Ideson Building, is the primary location for viewing those collections and those of the Houston Metropolitan Research Center. www.friendsofthetexasroom.org
Rey Mysterio joined other WWE Superstars and Divas in the historic Julia Ideson Building for the WrestlemaniART! exhibit and auction of their own artwork that benefited the Houston Public Library Foundation.
21
Donors The Houston Public Library Foundation and the Friends of the Houston Library thank their generous donors for the 2009 and 2010 fiscal years. This listing represents cumulative totals of both of the fiscal years. J u ly 1, 2 0 0 8 – J u n e 3 0, 2 0 1 0
$ 100,000 + The Brown Foundation, Inc. Houston Endowment Inc. Microsoft Corporation $50,000 - $99,999 FINRA Investor Education Foundation Estate of Marilyn Fisher Lurine Karon Greenberg Fund Spectra Energy $25,000 - $49,999 H-E-B John P. McGovern Foundation The Vince & Linda McMahon Family Foundation The Meadows Foundation Maconda B. O’Connor Wachovia Foundation Cyvia and Melvyn Wolff The Woman’s Club of Houston $10,000 - 24,999 Anne and Albert Chao ConocoPhillips Estate of Warren A. Culbertson Juanita Elizondo Fiesta Mart Inc. Eleanor & Frank Freed Foundation
22
The Melbern G. and Susanne M. Glasscock Foundation Greenberg Traurig, LLP Houston Chronicle Demetra and Franklin D.R. Jones, Jr. Scurlock Foundation Cathryn and Doug Selman Ann and Don Short Phoebe and Bobby Tudor Verizon Wireless Vinson & Elkins, L.L.P. Lisa and Barron Wallace Nina and Michael Zilkha $5,000 - $9,999 Stanford and Joan Alexander Foundation American Library Association Anne and Bob Baillio Susan Bischoff and Jim Barlow CenterPoint Energy Citibank The Coca-Cola Company Comcast Continental Airlines, Inc. Dazzio Gutierrez Family Foundation Susie and Joe Dilg ExxonMobil Susan Clayton Garwood and George Peterkin III
Estate of Jane G. Goldston Lynne and Lewis Gottschalk Humana Health Plans Marianne and Rob Jones Jesse H. Jones II Carol and Michael Linn Macy’s Tina and Mitja Peterman Nancy and John Sherwood Diana Strassmann and Jeffery A. Smisek Shirley Toomim Melanie Gray and Mark Wawro Andrea and Bill White Isabel and Wallace S. Wilson $1,000 - $4,999 Edward H. Andrews Foundation Anonymous Bernard Aptaker Beverly and Daniel C. Arnold AT&T Texas Peggy and Ray Bailey Bailey Architects Ginger and Jack S. Blanton Minnette and Peter Boesel Lucile Borden Tennant Zarine and Meherwan Boyce Brazosport Genealogical Society Bridgeway Capital Management, Inc.
Cecily and Richard L. Burleson Kathryn and Ron Butcher Barbara and James Butler Rick Campo Janet Clark Anne and John Clutterbuck Anne and Tom Conner Gwen and Lewis J. Crockett Diagnostic Marketing Group Audrey Fersten and Bradley Sabloff Elaine and Marvy Finger Ray C. Fish Foundation Martha and Donald Freedman Ann and J. Kent Friedman Merle H. and William L. Garwood Green Bank Marc Grossberg John F. Guess, Jr. Halliburton Jeff Hardy Leigh and Todd Harris Gloria Herman Jacob & Terese Hershey Foundation HISD Library Services Barbara and Charles Hurwitz IKEA Jill and Dunham Jewett Ann and Arthur Jones
KBR Ann Kennedy and Geoffrey Walker Elizabeth and Albert Kidd Kroger Food Stores Ladies’ Reading Club Kathy and Randall B. Lake Susan and Jack Lapin Patricia Lasher and Richard Jacobs Harriet and Truett Latimer Kase L. Lawal Marilyn and Fred Lummis, Jr. Nancy McGregor and Neal Manne Mary McIntire and James Pomerantz Estate of John William McMillin Anne and John Mendelsohn Ginni and Richard Mithoff Nancy Powell Moore Beth Sanders Moore and Jess Moore Nancy and Lucian L. Morrison Annette and Eric Mullins New Age Distributors, Inc. Oceaneering International Edward Oppenheimer Hanni S. Orton* The Oshman Foundation Petrello Family Foundation
Linda and Mark Quick Michelle and Thomas K. Reckling Y. Ping Sun and David Leebron Lillie T. Robertson Regina J. Rogers Barbara and Victor Samuels Suzanne and David Saperstein Carrie and Ed Shoemake Anita and Gerald Smith Smith & Company Architects Sara Dodd-Spickelmier and Keith Spickelmier Mary A. Stanton Dr. & Mrs. J.S. Stone, II Karen and Steve Stuyck Susman Family Foundation Texas Book Festival Becca Cason and John F. Thrash The Diana and Conrad Weil Jr. Family Foundation Wells Fargo Bank Whitworth Family Association Beth G. Wolff $250-$999 Gail and Louis Adler E. Fred Aguilar, III Carolyn and Willie J. Alexander Cynthia and J.D. “Bucky” Allshouse Linda and John A. Barrett Adele and Lan Bentsen
C. B. Bergin Tricia and Doug Berry Heather and Berry Bowen Susan and Robert Boykin Brazos Bookstore Bonnie Gayle Brooks Anne B. and Peter Brown David Buckler Zinetta Burney Jane Ellen* and Ray Cable Margie and Jim Sam Camp Deborah and Gardner Cannon Cherri Carbonara and Tom McGhie Kristen Carrier Robin K. Cavanaugh Cathryn and Paul D. Chapman Betty Chappee Chevron Creative Marketing Services Bill Coffey Marilyn and Ed Cogburn Comerica Bank-Texas Complete Pictures, Inc. Rosemary and Charles Conlon Elizabeth and William P. Conner Misty Connolly W. Mark Cotham Charlie Cuevas Carla Dansbury Barbara and Jonathan Day
Fredell and Robert Deutser Clare Doyle Barbara J. Duganier Diane Durbin and Hans Olsen Susan Elmore Gayle and Robert Eury Rebecca Fieler M.J. & Joseph Figard Debbie and Tom Fiorito Cheryl and Andrew Fossler Harriet and Joe B. Foster Julia and Russell M. Frankel Tom Fricke Paula and Alfred L. Friedlander Charles Fuller Gensler Andrea and Jonas Georgsson Harry Gianakis Bette and Jerry Gips Betsy and Merrill Glasgow The Goodman Corp. Linda Goodrum Aileen Gordon Michael Gregory David Grizzle Zoe Gulley Zachary Haines Allison and Gregg Hammer Shannon Buggs and James Harrison
Champions of freedom.
23
Donors J u ly 1, 2 0 0 8 – J u n e 3 0, 2 0 1 0 $250-$999 co nti nu e d
Patricia Harvey Barbara and Douglas Havlik Wendy and Jeff Heger Dorene and Frank Herzog Julie and Bill Hixon Dorothy Knox Houghton Houston Pride Band Katherine S. Howe Brian R. James Alan Jamison Theresa and Ken Janda Paula Jarrett Patricia Jimenez Rita and Blair Justice Joan and Marvin Kaplan Jennie S. Karotkin Susan and Richard Keeton Winifred and Mavis Kelsey Heather Kendall Anne Lamkin Kinder Melissa and William E. King Maurice Kness Carla Knobloch Daniel Kornberg Shari Koziol KUHF Radio Meller Langford Faye Lazarow
Barbara Jean Lee Rich Levy Penny Linsenmayer Kimberly Mack Martha and Kemp Maer, Jr. Jodi Malanga Judy and Rodney H. Margolis Mary Lynn and J. Stephen Marks Jacqueline S. Martin Samantha and Saul Martinez B. Lynn Mathre Robin McCorquodale Flo and William McGee Alison Leland McKinney Christi Megow The Merfish Jacobson Foundation Arnold & Suzanne Miller Charitable Fund Sis and Barry Moore Murder By The Book William M. Nix Roberta and Eric Nordstrom Northern Trust Bank of Texas Miki Lusk and Ralph E. Norton Omega Engineers, Inc. Pat and Dee S. Osborne Elizabeth and Duncan Osborne Genevieve and Chris O’Sullivan
John Parrill Gail and John Peterkin Carol and Daniel Price Kathryn and Richard Rabinow Fairfax and Risher Randall Ann and Joshua Reiss William Reyes Sally and Norman Reynolds Carolyn and James Robertson Bret Rummelhart Kimberly A. Sauke Sue Schechter Maureen Scopes Sandra L. Sessoms Bethann and Greg Simpson Elizabeth Singleton and Mark Coady Margaret* and Louis H. Skidmore, Jr. Debbie and Wendel Skolaski Ed Smith Jenna Somar Southeast Coalition of Civic Clubs Lois Stark Ruth Ann Stimley Cassie Stinson Susan Straub Peter C. Sullivan
Change lives. Give freely. 24
Jerrod Sumner Richard A. Taber Janet and Leonard Tallorine, Jr. Courtney and Philip Tardy Eleanor Tinsley* Emily L. Todd Kelley and Harper Trammell Betty and Jesse Tutor Karen Twitchell Burdine Clayton Johnson and Christophe Venghiattis Sherry Vest Laura and Robert Walls Lila D. Washington Nora and John G. Watson Val and Roosevelt Weeks The Weingarten Schnitzer Foundation Margy and Ben White Phillippa R. Wiley The H.W. Wilson Company William and Marie Wise Family Foundation Sallie and Robert P. Wright Richard Wright Tarek Ben Youssef *deceased
Visit a library near you. For a complete list of programs, services, locations and hours: w w w. Hou stonLi brar y.org To support HPLF and your neighborhood libraries: w w w. Hou stonLi brar y.org /GIV E
10%
The materials used to print this publication contain 10% post-consumer waste and are completely recyclable.
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is an independent organization promoting the responsible management of the world’s forests. FSC certification means the products are independently certified to assure that they come from forests that are managed to meet the social, economic and ecological needs of present and future generations. Certification by the Rainforest Alliance guarantees that the products are the result of practices carried out according to a specific set of criteria balancing ecological, economic and social considerations. Printed with soy inks.