The Lewisville Public Library has a long history of serving the Lewisville community. The Library started in the early 1950s as a volunteer run community library. In 1965, Opal Oswalt was hired as the first full time professionally trained librarian. On September 1, 1968, the City designated the Library as a city department and Cynthia Bennett was hired as the first Library Director. In 1990, the Friends of the Lewisville Public Library was established as a volunteer group, providing support to the Library. December 1992 saw the installation of the automation system, shifting from a manual system of managing the Library's collection and records to an electronic circulation system and online catalog. Over 100,000 books were barcoded!
In it's over 50 year history, the Lewisville Public Library has been located in seven different buildings (click here for location history), and at one time maintained two locations for several years. In 1989, the Library relocated to the Municipal Annex at 1197 W. Main Street at the northeast corner of Main Street and Civic Circle. The Library added it's first public computers in 1998 with eight PCs that offered Microsoft Office and the Internet. Teens got their own area and collection in 1998.
In 2002, voters approved the 4B sales tax which provided funding for a major library expansion. In July 2005, ground broke on the expansion that would more than triple the size of the library building. The library space that was part of the Municipal Annex was renovated to become the Cynthia Bennett Children's Wing, and the building was expanded to include the two floors that house the Adult, Teen, World Language, and media collections you see today. The newly expanded Lewisville Public Library grand opening was held February 17, 2007. The expansion also included a computer lab, meeting rooms, study rooms, a drive-up window, additional public computers, and wireless internet.
In 2006, the Library incorporated radio frequency identification (RFID) on all materials, allowing for the addition of the self-check out service, security gates, and smartchutes for automatic check-in of materials. RFID implementation greatly improved patron service, as well as the automation and management of the Library collections.
Things just keep getting better at the Lewisville Public Library! A variety of exciting resources, services, and programs have been implemented in the last decade such as ebooks, STEM kits, circulating mobile hotspots, The Hive makerspace, Story Stroll at Central Park and East Hill Park, and much more.
In September 2018, the Lewisville Public Library celebrated it's 50th anniversary!
Directors of the Lewisville Public Library pose for a photo at the Library's 50th Anniversary celebration in September 2018. Left to Right: Carolyn Booker (Director 2015-present), Cynthia Bennett (Director 1968-1999, and Ann Wiegand (Director 1999-2015).