GATESVILLE, Texas (KXXV) — Two books with water damage led to the closure of the Gatesville Public Library in September of last year. For the community, however, the impact went far beyond the closure of a building.
“There are a lot of people who rely on the Gatesville Public Library. It’s a lower-income community, and many people haven’t checked their email in 3 to 5 weeks because the library hasn’t been available to them,” Blayr Barnard, owner of Barnard Beef Cattle Company, said.
For Barnard’s three children, the closure meant losing one of their favorite places to do what they loved.
“We hated seeing how it got molded, and we just couldn’t go in," Connor said. "We probably asked like 20 times, ‘Hey, can we go to the library? Hey, can we go to the library?’ – forgetting it was closed."
Determined to help, the Barnard children decided to give back to the place that had given so much to them.
“My love for reading started there. I read the Percy Jackson graphic novel, and that’s where all the love for reading came from,” Axton said.
The three brothers went door to door, asking local businesses to support the effort.
“We put up 100 flyers in an afternoon,” Zander said.
The fundraising efforts culminated in a raffle that raised nearly $2,500. Barnard matched that amount, raising the total to $5,000 for the Gatesville Public Library.
This effort has given the library a renewed sense of hope, benefiting the Barnards, the community, and future generations.
“Then when our kids are older, they’ll be able to say, ‘Hey, look, there’s my Dad! He helped restock the library.’ They can pick up a book and read the exact one we helped bring back,” Connor said.
According to City Manager Brad Hunt, the library lost $500,000 from the damages.
A temporary location has been set up at city hall until the library reopens.
