Rosenberg Library

09/02/2026

A look back at the first Rosenberg Library director from the Galveston and Texas History Center:

Frank Patten (1855-1934) was the first individual to lead the Rosenberg Library. He grew up on an Adventist commune in Germania, Wisconsin. He was a solitary and studious person, who attended Columbia and studied under Melville Dewey, creator of the Dewey Decimal System used in libraries to this day. He moved to Galveston in 1903 to open the Rosenberg Library.

Patten strongly supported adult education. In his youth he participated in the lyceum movement, the famous movement centered on discussion and debate, and helped found a local lyceum in his hometown in 1878. Under Patten’s guidance, the Rosenberg Library hosted a free evening lecture series that attracted scholars from across the country and abroad.

08/31/2026

***Update as of Tuesday morning - Sept. 1*** - We now have one temporary printer in place that can assist with printing jobs up 20 pages. We are still without our full printing capabilities and expect things to be restored later this week. We will keep you posted!

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Dear Patrons: Due to unforeseen technical difficulties, our printing services are currently unavailable. We have a technician scheduled to come out and address the issue as soon as possible, and we will be sure to let you know when things are back up and running. We know many of you rely on these services often and for various needs!

In the meantime, we do want to provide you with a list of alternate Galveston businesses that can assist with your printing needs if you need urgent assistance:

🖨 Speedy's Printing
📍 2028 Broadway
📞 (409) 763-1666

🖨 Minuteman Press - Galveston
📍 2629 Broadway
📞 (409) 744-7500

🖨 The UPS Store
📍 6341 Stewart Rd.
📞 (409) 741-1400

🖨 Galveston Pack & Ship
📍 527 21st St.
📞 (409) 765-6165

🖨 The Galveston Mailroom
📍 2724 61st St. Suite 1B
📞 (409) 744-4447

We appreciate your patience and understanding and look forward to providing you with this service once again just as soon as possible!

08/29/2026

Saturday = The perfect day to visit the Friends of the Rosenberg Library's Book Shop! ☀️📚 It's located on our second floor and has gently used books, audiobooks and more for sale!

The Friends of Rosenberg Library is an amazing group that supports library activities through these sales, as well as their big annual sale every March, and we are so thankful for them! To learn more, including how to become a member or a volunteer, click here: https://rosen-lib.org/45NsHqK

08/27/2026

It's the LAST DAY TO VOTE for our Children's Department in the 2026 Readers' Choice competition!!! Help them secure the title for Best Learning Programs / After School Activities. You have until midnight to cast one more vote! Tell your friends! Share the link! https://rosen-lib.org/VoteRosenberg

08/27/2026

Want to help save some lives today? 😊 Stop by this afternoon and contribute to our blood drive! Whether you're a regular donor or giving for the first time, your contribution makes a difference!

Collectable puffer bags and Blue Bell Ice Cream vouchers will be available for donors while supplies last. Walk-ins are welcome, or click here to sign up for a donation appointment: https://rosen-lib.org/BloodDrive

⌚️ 1:30 to 5 PM
📅 Today! (Thursday, Aug. 27)
📍 Donation Bus parked in front of our library on Sealy St.

08/26/2026

This week we're celebrating the one and only Jay Sims! 🎉 Jay wears a lot of professional hats here at the Rosenberg Library, including most recently, Interim Executive Director! He's kept our ship afloat for 14 months serving in this role, (and that's on top of his regular duties! Overseeing our Computer Services Department as well as our Building and Grounds team ...) and he's done so with steadfast effort, dedication, follow-through and perseverance.

And did you know that this is the second time Jay has served in this interim leadership role during a time of transition here? He's stepped up not once, but twice, to keep our fabulous library operating amidst a variety of new and ongoing projects, developments, and changing tides.

We know there are great things ahead for our library, and we also know fantastic work has been completed all along the way. Jay's service is certainly proof of that.

Thank you for all you do for our library, Jay! We're so thankful for your guidance as an integral member of the Rosenberg Library team.

08/26/2026

Happy anniversary to Mr. and Mrs. W. L. Moody Jr.! Galveston entrepreneur William Lewis Moody married Libbie Rice Shearn, daughter of a prominent Houston family, on Aug. 26, 1890, in Hull, Massachusetts. The two were married for 53 years until Libbie’s passing in 1943. In these images, they share a hug at Silver Lake Ranch in October 1924.

We’re fortunate to have digitized the couple’s correspondence during their courtship in spring and summer of 1890. While the Moodys are often remembered for their sharp business acumen, these swoon-worthy letters shed light on the sentimentality and love that persisted in their personal lives. Here’s one written by Mr. Moody to Libbie on May 29, 1890. You can read more on the GTHC Digital Collections site here: https://rosen-lib.org/MoodyAnniversary

08/25/2026

Thank you, Dolly, for all you gave us, and for all the ways you supported children's literacy. ❤

The Library is devastated to learn of the passing of Dolly Parton, not only a talented musician, but also a true titan of children's literacy. Her Imagination Library has received multiple Library of Congress Literacy Awards and, in 2018, Dolly visited us to donate the program’s 100 millionth book to our collection. She even hosted story time. 🦋❤️

Watch the video of her story time reading at the Library. ⬇️ https://blogs.loc.gov/loc/2020/12/dolly-parton-the-library-that-dolly-built/

Image: Dolly Parton reads to children in the Library’s Great Hall in 2018. Photo by Shawn Miller/Library of Congress.

08/21/2026

The Rosenberg Library Children's Department has been providing thoughtful and engaging programming to Galveston youth for many years. (Just take a look at this great throwback photo of our Children Services Manager Karen Stanley from 2012!) 😀

That same passion is consistently present, which is why you should keep submitting your votes for them in the 2026 Readers' Choice competition for Best Learning Programs / After School Activities. Don't forget, you can vote once daily through next Thursday, Aug. 27! Cast your vote here: https://rosen-lib.org/VoteRosenberg