OLLF Newsletter – Spring 2026
From the President:In the last newsletter, I discussed the proposed city budget for fiscal year 2026-27 and how four branches yet to be named would be closed. Those library branches were revealed on January 20th and the Oak Lawn Library was included in the list of four despite our long history (opened in 1929) and our high usage as a branch library, voting location and value to the surrounding community.
Unless the city manager restores $2.6 million to the library budget for fiscal year 2026-27, one of the following will take place. Four branches will be closed and there will be five regional branches with enhanced services with a loss of 32 positions, or the four branches will remain open and over 60 jobs will be lost and hours reduced at all branches except the proposed regional branches.
Councilman Paul Ridley has been a champion for the Oak Lawn Library at the Quality-of-Life (QLC) Committee. At the next QLC meeting on March 23rd, the library director, Manya Shorr will present a revised proposal. However, the only way to ensure that our current number of branches and hours are preserved is to ask the City Manager, the Mayor and the city council to restore $2.6 million to restore the proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2026-27.
OLLF Funding Decision
At the February 2026 OLLF board meeting, the board working with library staff decided to only provide funding for $2,600. This will fund programing through the end of September 2026. We decided to not fund the purchase of any additional sewing machines for our popular sewing programs or buy any more books until the know the fate of our branch.
We will, however, continue to encourage members to join or renew and we will continue to seek grants with the hope that our branch will continue to serve the community. If we are still around next year, we will begin planning for the Centennial of the Oak Lawn Library in 2029.
Upcoming programs this Spring
Paws and Pets Market
For all our pet owners and lovers, the Oak Lawn Library Friends and Union Coffee 3705 Cedar Springs Road will have a special Paws and Pet Market on Saturday April 11th from 10 – 2 p.m.
Library Giving Days April 6th through April 13th
The Oak Lawn Library Friends (OLLF) will be participating in “Library Giving Days” this year along with 25 other libraries across North Texas. I will send out information in the next few weeks about this event.
OLLF Website
Our website currently has 5,523 author pages. It covers new and old authors with author biographies and books in order of publication. It is updated with new authors on a weekly basis. Many of the authors added this year are first time authors from around the globe.
Book Recommendations for Spring 2026
Fiction:
Daikon by Samuel Hawley. A great what if book. In this case, what if there were a 3rd nuclear bomb in August 1945 and it was lost on Japanese soil. How would the Japanese have dealt with this strange new bomb and what might have happened.
The English Experience by Julie Schumacher. This is the 3rd in a series of books about Professor Fitger who is the head of the English dept. at Payne University. In this book, Professor Fitger is a reluctant instructor for a 3-week program in England with 11 students. His motley crew of students and he have a series of issues and problems to deal with which are humorous and sad at the same time.
The Keeper of Night by Kylie Lee Baker is a fantasy novel set in the 19th century in London, England and then Japan. The lead character, Ren, is of mixed birth. Her father was English and her mother Japanese. Ren is a Reaper, who reaps the souls of people as they are dying. She is not accepted in England. After a serious incident of bullying, she leaves the country with her brother Neven and travels to Japan. She is seeking her mother and trying to become a Shinigami, the Japanese version of the Reaper.
In the Shadow of Vesuvius by Tasha Alexander. A Lady Emily murder mystery set in the ruins of Pompeii. This time Lady Emily, her husband, and friend try to solve the murder of a journalist in the ruins of Pompeii. This book has 2 parallel stories, the murder in 1902 and the story of a slave in 79 AD, the year Mt. Vesuvius erupts and covers Pompeii and Herculaneum.
The Bell in the Fog by Lev Rosen. The 2nd in a series of murder mysteries set in post WW2 San Francisco. Evander (Andy) Mills is an ex–San Francisco cop who is starting over as a private eye living over a gay bar in San Francisco. He has a past (from the war) that keeps intruding into his present precarious life trying to make a living and find his place in life.
Moderation by Elaine Castillo. A novel about an online content moderator and her life in Las Vegas. Girlie is a Filipino woman. She monitors online content and is offered a new job to monitor content in a virtual reality situation while navigating family and relationship issues.
Non-Fiction:
The Scapegoat by Lucy Hughes-Hallett – a biography of the Duke of Buckingham, who was a favorite of King James 1 of England and a close of friend of King Charles 1 He was the lover and chief aid to King James and a fixer for King Charles. He lived a short life (he was assassinated at age 36). He led a colorful life of sex, helping govern England and as an art collector.
Louis B. Mayer and Irving Thalberg by Kenneth Turan. A biography of the two men who worked together to make MGM the biggest and best movie studio in the world during the 1930’s. Irving Thalberg was the husband of Norma Shearer.
Whitaker Chambers by Samuel Tabenhaus. A biography of Whitaker Chambers who was a Communist in the 1930’s. He is most famous for revealing that Alger Hiss was a communist in 1948. There were several big trials and investigations that resulted from his confession.
Glitz, Glam and a Damn Good Time. This is a biography of Mamie Fish, a prominent socialite and party giver in the Gilded Age. She led an interesting life and led high society in Newport and New York in the early 1900’s.
Love Queenie by Mayukh Sen. A biography of Merle Oberon, a movie star in the 1930’s thru the early 1960’s. She was born in India but kept her nationality secret her whole life due to prejudice against South Asians.
The Feather Detective by Chris Sweeney. This is a biography of Roxie Laybourne who created the science of identifying birds by their feathers. She worked for the Smithsonian and the Fish and Wildlife Service for over 40 years.
King of Kings by Scott Anderson. This is a very well written book about the Iranian Revolution and how a dithering Shah and a clueless American govt. did not see the revolution coming.
For suggested books, you can use this link: https://oaklawnlibraryfriends.com/book-recommendations/
To check out upcoming events at our branch, you can View our online calendar at dallaslibrary.org/events
Shop Kroger & Benefit the Library
You must re-enroll starting August 1st each year. If you have a Kroger Care card, link your card to number # 41560 and you will benefit the Oak Lawn Library Friends every time you shop at Kroger.
Spring time gardeners
If you love to garden, spring is early this year. Stop by the Oak Lawn Library to check out some seeds for your home or patio garden to add some color to your life this spring and summer.
Oak Lawn Library Friends Membership Form
| Name(s) | ||||
| Address | ||||
| City, Zip | Home Phone | |||
| Email Address | ||||
| Membership Status (please check one) | ||||
| Student/Senior $6 | You can pay with cash, check or PayPal. The PayPal option is on the Oak Lawn Library Friends website. | |||
| Sustaining $20 | ||||
| Pet Membership – $10 | ||||
| Household $25 | ||||
| Non-profit $50 | ||||
| Close Friend $75 | ||||
| Corporate $250 | ||||
| Other | ||||
| MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO: Oak Lawn Library Friends 4100 Cedar Springs Dallas, Texas 75219 | ||||
We have added a new pet membership. The cost is $10 a year and all funds raised from these memberships will be used to support pet programming and fund the purchase of books about pets. Our sewing classes have made some pet bandanas. When your pet joins, you get a free bandana for your pet.
You can join online for yourself or your pet. If you want, you can send a photo of your pet, and we will put them on our Instagram feed and on a dedicated page for pet members.
The link to our membership page is: https://oaklawnlibraryfriends.com/membership-page/
Finally, I encourage you to join OLLF as a member or consider serving on the OLLF board. The board meets several times a year with staff. We discuss which programs and books the staff and the community want. We also explore ways to raise money or provide volunteers to meet those needs.
Oak Lawn Library Friends 