Longview Library Wins a Rare State Grant to Put a Storybook on a Walking Trail
Longview's library will use a $9,909 Texas Reads grant to install a StoryBook Walk at Broughton Park, where families can read a whole book one page at a time along the trail.
Some of the best things a town can do for its children don't cost much. Longview's library hopes to prove it with a walking trail and a picture book.
Longview's city council agenda for Oct. 8 included a consent item letting the Longview Public Library spend $9,909 from the Texas State Library and Archives Commission. The money comes through the commission's Texas Reads Grant program and will pay for a StoryBook Walk at Broughton Park. Minutes from the meeting were not yet posted, so Dock Line could not confirm the council's vote on the item.
How a StoryBook Walk works
According to the staff summary in the agenda packet, the project puts permanent pedestals along the park's walking trail. Each pedestal holds one page of a book, so visitors read the whole story as they walk the path.
The idea is simple. A parent and child walk a few steps, stop, read a page, and walk on to find out what happens next. The child gets outdoors, the parent gets time with the child, and the book holds both of them to the end. Nobody needs a screen, a membership, or a ticket.
The grant covers equipment and materials. The library will be reimbursed for what it buys.
One of 14 in Texas
The staff summary calls the program highly competitive. The state commission awarded the Texas Reads Grant to only 14 libraries statewide, which put Longview "one of a select group of proud recipients." The budget ordinance in the packet says the city was formally told of the award on Aug. 18, 2026.
The agenda lists Library Manager Jennifer Eldridge as the staff contact. It lists the source of funds as "No Funds Necessary," because the grant pays the cost. The council is asked to amend the 2026-2027 budget to put the $9,909 in the right account.
Trees, too
The same consent agenda included another item paid for with outside money. The city would contract with Texas Tree Farms of Waxahachie, SRH Trees Inc. of Dallas and Lonestar Land Services of Longview to buy trees for the Beautification department. A reimbursable Community Greening Grant from the Texas A&M Forest Service would cover the purchase.
The packet says four bids were on file on Sept. 3, 2026, and the city reserved the right to award each species and size separately. Six line items ended in a tie between SRH Trees and Texas Tree Farms. Staff found SRH Trees more responsive overall because it followed the bid instructions.
Small things done well
A book on a trail and new shade trees will not make headlines in Austin. But they are what a neighborhood remembers. Families who want to know when the walk opens can call the library, whose agenda contact number is 903-237-1340.
Hero photo: pasa47 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 (license).
