September 5, 2024 - The Fannie Brown Booth Memorial Library is pleased to announce the awarding of the Tocker Foundation Library Transformation Grant in the amount of $100,000. The Tocker Foundation promotes public libraries in communities of 12,000 or less. The Tocker Foundation was established in 1964 to implement the philanthropic interests of Phillip and Olive Tocker. Mr. Tocker was an attorney and built an outdoor advertising business in Waco, TX. In 1993 and 1994, Mr. and Mrs. Tocker endowed the foundation with their estates.
Since 1992, the Tocker Foundation has been supporting small rural libraries to make library services more accessible to the public. The foundation partners with libraries to meet the particular needs of the community. The Executive Director of the foundation is Darryl Tocker.
The Fannie Brown Booth Memorial Library has been serving Center and the surrounding area in its present location on Tenaha Street since 1974. The library is planning a major interior renovation in late fall consisting of new shelves, furniture, carpet, lighting, and amenities to make the library more inviting and user-friendly for the public. An enlarged children’s area, a teen area, and a comfortable reading area are also planned. An open house to celebrate our 50th anniversary is also being planned.
The generous grant from the Tocker Foundation will cover most of the cost of the renovation, but it will not entirely cover the cost of the renovation. The library invites civic groups, corporations, businesses, patrons, and concerned citizens to support this historic project. We invite interested parties to visit the library and receive more information about this exciting event or you may call the library at 936-598-5522.
Sandra Davis, Library Director
