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JUNE
2026
news & updates
| | DON'T MISS OUR JUNE 30 ANNUAL MEETING | | |
We look forward to seeing you at the FoDPL Annual Meeting on Tuesday, June 30, as we celebrate friends old and new, review the year gone by, induct new board members, hand out our annual awards, and kick off the upcoming year in style.
The reception begins at 6:30 p.m., followed by the meeting at 7. It's at the beautiful Communities Foundation of Texas headquarters, 5500 Caruth Haven Lane, on the western side of Central Expressway. It's free, but we'd welcome any help in defraying the day's costs. Either way, please RSVP here.
| | MEMBERSHIP SURVEY - WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU | |
Please help us learn more about you and your membership experience with the Friends. Check your email for your personal survey link. If you don't see the email, please check your spam folder.
The form takes about six minutes to complete, and your responses will help us build programs and share information in the best ways. Thank you!
| | ADVOCACY UPDATE: REACH OUT AND SPEAK UP | | |
Here's an advocacy update from our Executive Director, Denise McGovern:
Thank you for all your communication with City Council members as we continue through this budget cycle. There is one more month of council meetings before the group breaks in July for vacation.
Please continue to reach out to help keep libraries in the conversation and to restore the $2.6M to the budget. The Friends' talking points are:
- We support the flagship library model, and we do not want to see any branch libraries close.
- We ask that the council members direct City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert to restore the $2.6M to the next year's budget and not to cut the library budget for the FY28 year.
- Please support the direction of the proceeds of the sale of the Skillman/Southwestern Branch Library to the libraries' line item.
| | IT'S THE GOOD OL' SMART SUMMER TIME... | |
SMART Summer at Dallas Public Library is here. One of the Friends' most important initiatives kicked off on May 30. The 10-week program helps kids and adults stay sharp over the summer and earn prizes for Reading, Discovering and Creating.
You can still sign up here. Thanks so much to our generous sponsors, whom you'll see just below. You can still join that list. Just click the red button.
| | AND A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO ATMOS ENERGY | |
Our SMART Summer Visionary Sponsor, Atmos Energy, has steadfastly supported the Dallas Public Library for the past 17 years.
We are grateful for their meaningful impact across our community, their partnership with us, and their investment in Dallas' future.
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WHAT DO THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE
AND THE FIFA WORLD CUP HAVE IN COMMON?
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The Dallas Public Library's 250-year-old rare original copy of the Declaration of Independence is going on display at the Experience FIFA Fan Festival at Fair Park throughout the World Cup soccer championships.
The national treasure, acquired in 1968 with the help of the Friends, is one of only about two dozen copies printed on July 4, 1776, that are still in existence. It's on permanent display on the Central Library's 7th floor, but you will find it at the Hall of State during the World Cup celebration.
| | OUR CHAIR IS ON MODERN LUXURY'S POWER LIST! | | |
Congratulations to Nicole Paquette, the Friends' Board Chair, who's been named to The Power List in the new issue of Dallas Modern Luxury magazine.
"From CEOs to cultural icons, Dallas has always been an epicenter for trailblazers," the magazine declares. "Here are the top Dallas luminaries in sports and entertainment."
The list includes Carlos Basualdo, director of the Nasher Sculpture Center, Broadway Dallas president and CEO Kenneth Novice, Dallas Mavericks star Cooper Flagg - and our Nicole, who's the Senior Director of Communications, Public Relations and External Affairs at the Communities Foundation of Texas.
| | THIS MONTH AT THE LIBRARY | | There are endless reasons to visit the Library this summer, and you'll find a complete list here. Here are just a few highlights: | | |
The Central Library 1st floor will host a special art showcase to mark the Juneteenth holiday on Saturday, June 13, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Canvas of Freedom celebrates resilience, freedom and creativity, sparking conversation and connections. Details here.
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The Audelia Road Branch Library is celebrating Flag Day on Saturday, June 13. with Stars and Stripes Family Day.
There will be learning sessions, flag ceremonies, art projects, lots and lots of flags, food vendors, and more. Details here.
| | | Rumi, Mira and Zoey at the Library? You bet! Mountain Creek Branch Library is hosting a K-Pop Party on Saturday, June 20 from 2-3:30 p.m. Expect high-energy music, crafts, interactive games, and action-packed fun for the whole family. Details here. | | | Spanish Texas During The American Revolution, is an ongoing exhbit on the Central Library 8th floor. It highlights how Tejanos and Spanish settlers contributed to the American Revolution while navigating challenges of daily life on the Texas frontier. Details here. | | | HAPPY TRAILS, CATHY ALLSHOUSE! | |
Cathy Allshouse, our indispensable Staff Accountant for the last nine years, will retire on June 30. She'll go from keeping our books to reading more books with a lot fewer numbers, as well as traveling more and other pursuits that don't require Excel and QuickBooks.
We wish you the best, Cathy, we thank you for everything, and we'll see you at the library.
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