Bastrop has a rich history, and one of our goals as your local library is to preserve and provide you with access to that history.  This sounds like a simple task, but it can be quite challenging. 

Challenge: What is in the Local History Room?  

Over time, the knowledge of what was in the room dwindled. So, our first project was to inventory the room. There are five unique collections in the history room: the Genealogy Collection, Texas Reference, the Vertical Files, the Wildfire Collection, and the Microfilm Collection. We went through everything, and we learned a lot.  

Challenge: As a library, what should we include in the Local History Room?   

As much as we might want to keep everything, our responsibility is to curate a collection about Bastrop County’s history. We examined what other libraries collect and looked for professional guidance to keep materials that support our local history researchers. 

Challenge: How do we make the collections more user-friendly? 

The collections’ organization system was not working. The information was difficult to access and not always detailed or complete.  

First, we wanted to develop a call number system for the Genealogy and Texas Reference Collections that make them more user-friendly and move like items together. The Genealogy Collection now starts with local information and progresses to national/international resources. The Texas Reference Collection is still a work in progress.  

Second, we established a digital archive to preserve and provide access to our history.  The library chose the Preservica platform to serve as a database, a digital storage server, and a digital preservation system for our records. As of January 2025, we have 174 items digitized, fully catalogued, and available to view on the Preservica portal. This will be an ongoing project. 

Third, as we look at each item to assign a new call number or digitize the materials, we are adding more details, if possible, to the records. This project could take years to complete.  

Challenge: How do we generate interest in the collections and promote Bastrop’s history to the public?  

We started Quarterly History Talks. We host speakers knowledgeable about local history and then highlight materials from our collection. We invite you to help us bring history alive on the first Saturdays of March, June, September, and December for these events. Email us at info@bastroplibrary.org to sign-up for History Talk announcements. 

There are many more challenges for the Local History Collections in the future, but we wanted to share what we’ve been doing to make local history more accessible to you. If you are interested in helping, we are always looking for volunteers. Just reach out: info@bastroplibrary.org, and we’ll match you with a project that sparks your interest.