1. Library Service in
Baytown
From Goose Creek Branch to Sterling Municipal Library

2. "This building is gift
of Houston oil man to
Goose Creek
community, to be
supervised by Harris
County Public
Library." -- back of
photo. Miss Lucy
Fuller, Librarian, is
supervising.
This branch library
was built on a site
donated by Ross S.
Sterling, and stocked
and staffed by Harris
County. The City of
Goose Creek paid
utilities and other
facility expenses.
Construction of Goose Creek Branch
Library, 1925

3. A view of the front of
the Branch Library,
part of the Harris
County Public Library,
around 1931. The
building was located
at the corner of Jones
Street and Texas Ave.
Goose Creek Branch Library

4. Interior of the library,
circa 1931.
By 1955, the
population of the
service area now
incorporated as the
City of Baytown had
increased from 4,000
persons to 25,000
persons, and the once
ample library building
could no longer
accommodate the
increased demands
on its space.
Goose Creek Branch Library

5. Henry J. “Hank”
Blasick, pictured
right, was hired as
the first City Librarian
in 1961. Also pictured
is Sally Evans, a
member of the
original Sterling
Municipal Library
staff.
New books for the new library!

6. Sterling Municipal
Library under
construction. Source:
The Baytown Sun,
May 31, 1962.
The new library,
named in honor of
Ross S. Sterling, was
designed by the
architect Lowell
Lammers.
Pictured, left to right,
are City Attorney
George Chandler,
Librarian Hank Blasick,
and City Manager J. B.
LeFevre.
Library Columns Up

7. The building opened
to the public in 1963.
This photo is a close-
up of the front of the
library, circa 1968.
The building had
12,000 sq. ft., and
was featured in
Library Journal on
December 1, 1963.
Sterling Municipal Library

8. The second City
Librarian, Flora
Richardson Wilhite,
took up her post in
1965.
She would oversee
two building
expansions and the
addition of
Bookmobile service
during her tenure as
director.
Flora Richardson Wilhite
Source: The Baytown Sun, June 27, 1965, p. 1

9. Bookmobile service
commenced in 1971,
funded in part by a
Harris County stipend
of $20,000 per year.
The Bookmobile
visited areas of
Baytown that were
farther away from the
library building, as
well as delivering
materials to nursing
homes and to the
homebound.
An early Bookmobile, decked out for a
Christmas parade. 1970s.

10. By the 1970s,
Baytown’s population
had grown to 49,000.
The collection
exceeded 80,000
items and more space
was needed.
The architectural firm
Davis & Burge headed
up the building
expansion in 1977,
increasing the square
footage from the
original 12,000 sq. ft.
to 30,000 sq. ft.
Architect drawing for Sterling Municipal
Library Additions, circa 1977

11. In 1995, the Sterling
Municipal Library once
again needed to grow.
The architectural firm
of Burge & Lammers
headed up the
expansion of the
building to its current
size of 50,500 sq. ft.
Interior of Sterling Municipal Library,
circa 2008. Walls and floors same as
1995.

12. Flora Richardson
Wilhite, second from
the left, was director
from 1965-1998.
Denise Fischer,
second from the right,
succeeded Ms. Wilhite
as director from
1999-2004. Also
pictured are Ross
Wilhite (l.) and Gary
Fischer (r.).
Two Directors, One Photo

13. A new bookmobile
vehicle took to the
streets in 1999,
following the
retirement of the
original bus.
Pictured are Fernando
Ocegueda (L.) and
Karen Knight (R.)
with the new vehicle,
photographed in
2002.
This vehicle, and
wider Bookmobile
service, were retired
in 2008 due to
flagging attendance
and rising fuel costs.
Bigger, Better Bookmobile 1999-2008

14. Katherine Skinner
Brown was hired as
City Librarian in
January 2005.
Ms. Brown has
overseen tremendous
reorganization of the
interior of the library
building, as well as
reexamining and
restructuring library
services.
Katherine Skinner Brown

15. In March of 2008 the
library closed for two
weeks to complete a
lightning facelift of the
interior.
The building received
new carpeting and a
fresh coat of paint. The
custom-designed
entryway for the
Children’s area was
constructed by the
City’s Parks and
Recreation
Department.
Interior Remodel -
2008

16. All murals and
decorative painting
were completed by
Library Staff!
Pictured are Karen
Knight, Catherine
Cameron, and Susan
Chandler.

17. Since the 2008
renovations, the
Library has continued
to reimagine what the
best library service
for Baytown looks
like.
We have added:
•New Toddler
Bathroom
•Additional Study
Rooms
•Reimagined Teen
Activity Center
•eBook and eReader
support
•And much more!
Sterling Municipal Library – 2008-2012

18. What will the future hold for
library service in Baytown?
We can only begin to imagine. And so can you! We’d love
to hear your thoughts.
Click on the link below to visit our comment page:
http://baytownlibrary.org/about-sml/contact-us/feedback