A new nook for reading

Little library added to Blanco Gardens

There’s a new nook in which local children can kick back and read a book under a tree in the Blanco Gardens neighborhood. Sara Lee Meyers has had a small library, coined the Children’s Tiny Imagination Library, custom made and carved out of a tree trunk as well as a new bench by Alamo Haus, a new custom woodworking business owned by Brennen Hughes and John Slack. The library will be set up in Meyer’s front yard, located at 1415 Harper Drive, by the end of the week with access from the road and plenty of street parking.

“It's about community,” Meyers said. “It's about caring for one another, looking out for the children and keeping everyone safe in our wonderful town of San Marcos.”

Meyers said the mission behind setting up the library was to be friendly and kind to her neighbors in Blanco Gardens. She added that Hughes will be installing solar lights into the library so it will be accessible and visible at night as well.

“I thought we need to be kind to our children and have our children have a safe place to get off the street,” Meyers said. “I'll put a Hopscotch [configuration] in blue painter's tape out there, and they can bring their parents and just be right out there and have a safe place under the pecan tree to sit and read a book.”

Meyers has dedicated the library to her sister in law, Barbara Meyers Tarpley, who was born and raised in San Marcos and went to school at Texas State University. She was a school teacher for over 22 years, most of which was spent in Big Spring. Tarpley is now retired but has been a reading tutor for ten years and has dedicated her life to teaching children to read.

“That's what she's committed her life to, and she sees a real need for parents to be reading to their children and having children read to their parents. And she's not seeing it, and it's very scary,” Meyers said. “When she gets them in the tutor class, they get to go to their library, pick a book that's suitable and then come and read it to her in her tutoring classroom.”

Meyers said the point of the library will be to sit and read the books there instead of the “bring one, take one” model that is seen at some community libraries.

“And if they want to take it, no problem, because I have a lot of donors donating books,” Meyers said. “Books are not the problem; it's about reading.”

As for the Alamo Haus, the business responsible for the library and bench, Hughes said they have only been in town for a month, but this is not his first furniture venture.

“We do custom slab type furniture: big river tables, Lichtenberg Burning, basically anything custom made with slab type furniture,” Hughes said. “I actually grew up in my grandpa's shop, and he did this stuff. I've always known how to do it and just did it on the side and stuff for friends and family. Then about six years ago, I was building homes and put on paper whether I was making more money doing this or my normal job, and it wasn't even comparable. So I quit my job the next day and never looked back.”

Alamo Haus is located on the I-35 South Frontage Road between Fuego and the Red Roof Inn.