The Eula Hunt Beck Public Library — set at the center of Main Street in Florence — has served
the Florence community for 50 years.
A “50 Years: Looking Nifty at Fifty” display is proudly showcased on the windows. The walls are lined with custom wood shelves, with portable metal shelves occupying the center of the room. Nearly 10,000 books make up the library’s collection.
Designated reading sections are sprinkled throughout the library. Each section has its own theme and presence. Toward the back of the building, a reading corner dedicated to the library’s founder adds a cozy, “at home” feel.
Friends of the Florence Library Treasurer Jennifer Moreland described it as, “a comfortable library.”
“You walk in and just know your home,” she said.
Named after the founder and “instigator” Eula “Sis” Beck, the nonprofit library shows no signs of slowing down after 50 years. On October 25, cake, champagne and balloons made their way amongst library attendees as musicians played festive melodies for the special milestone.
The library’s beginnings date back to 1974, when Ms. Beck was working in the Killeen Public Library as a volunteer. She found out that her niece had to travel more than 18 miles to find library resources for a school project, and reached out to the Killeen
library for help.
Through her determination, Killeen donated a mobile library with 500 books to the area. In October 1974, the Florence Public Library was incorporated into the City of Florence.
In February 1983, the library set up shop in its current building, located at 207 East Main Street in Florence.
Now, the library has more than 1,860 patrons and serves 150 children a week for its summer reading program.
The Friends of the Library has 15 members who help run the library.
“It’s always been a strictly volunteer [library],” Friends President Petrea Norman said. “I just always liked the fact that it was a bunch of people that cared about [the library.]”
From volunteering to teaching an English/Spanish Language class, there are plenty of stories about kids who participated in the summer reading program and came back to the library after they graduated from a major university.
“We’ve had numerous volunteers over the years,” Ms. Norman said. “They come and go, but they always come back. I’ve just seen so many different manifestations of the library. I just feel privileged to just been privy to it.”
Vice President Elaine Eddings moved to Florence to be with her grandchildren in 2019. After meeting with Ms. Norman, she joined the Friends.
For the library’s 50th birthday celebration, she came up with the “$50 for 50 Sponsorship” promotion. Community members can donate $50, representing the 50 years the library has been around.
“It just came out of my head,” Ms. Eddings said with a shrug and a smile. “I thought it would be fun to have this fundraiser, and I’m all for the community.”
Ms. Eddings took her idea and presented it to the Florence Chamber of Commerce. From there, she said people started donating and a good portion of the donors were not members of the chamber.
“Yay,” she said. “We had a foundation donate $2,000, the chamber donated $800, then somebody donated $1,000. It just kept building.”
Throughout the year, the Library held events about the 50th anniversary. One of the events was a logo unveiling and reception in the Spring with an art gallery displayed in the library. Other events included a Book-n-Bake Sale and a Herd and Wine Workshop.
“We are just going to celebrate the fact that we’re here and we’re thriving,” Ms. Norman said. “This area is going to blossom and grow and our goal is to keep up with that growth. [We] just want to grow with our community and provide services they need.”
Within the next 2-5 years, the library hopes to add two full-time positions, including a library director and a children’s program director. The children’s director started out as a volunteer in 2021 and now works part-time, overseeing nearly 200 kids.
Additionally, the Friends group aims to replace the front windows to make them more heat-resistant, while growing the library and keeping it going.
“There’s really no one particular story that stands out,” Ms. Moreland said. “It’s just been the collaboration of volunteers, getting more volunteers, seeing the friends grow, being able to bring our donations from $500 a year to $5,000 a year for the first time. That I think resonates with me more than anything else.”
The Florence Public Library is located at 207 East Main Street and is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2-5 p.m. The library is closed on Saturdays and Sundays. More information can be found at www.florencetex.com/departments/eula-hunt-beck-florence-public-library/.