All five of the different types of public libraries in Texans share the mission of providing materials and services for the members of their communities. However, they differ in how they are funded. City libraries, which are also known as municipal libraries, are funded by the village, town, or city municipality that they serve. County libraries are usually funded by public taxes collected in the county that governs them. A multi-jurisdictional public library is governed by more than one local government entity and their funding can come from a variety of sources including ad valorem, property, or other taxes. Non-profit public libraries also receive some form of tax support, but they also rely heavily on donations to fund their operating expenses.
Our library is the fifth type of Texas public library, a library district. As a library district we are not associated with, nor do we receive any type of funding from, any other government entity such as a city or county. We are not part of the City of Liberty Hill or Williamson County’s municipal governments. Liberty Hill Public Library District is considered a stand-alone political subdivision and independent governmental entity and we are classified as one of the 3,350 special purpose districts in the State of Texas.
Library Districts in Texas
In 1997, the supporters of Westbank Community library successfully introduced Senate Bill 1674 to the 75th Texas State Legislature to permit the establishment of library districts in areas of the state where residents did not have convenient access to municipal public libraries. On June 20, 1997, Governor George W. Bush signed the Library Districts Act into law and the act was amended in 1999 by House Bill 1618 and in 2001 by House Bill 440. The Library District Act permits the creation, administration, powers, duties, operation, and financing of library districts in Texas by voters. The provisions of the Library Districts Act are found in Title 10, of the Texas Local Government Code, Chapter 326.
The Library District Act states that the purpose of a library district is to establish, equip, and maintain one or more public libraries for the dissemination of general information relating to the arts, sciences, and literature and to make valuable information resources available to the community with a defined geographic area. A library district can be established when a majority of residents vote to form a library taxing district with defined geographic boundaries by approving the collection of a percentage of dedicated local sales and use tax to financially support library services in their community. However, creating a library district does not increase sales tax, it just allows the district to collect the voted-on percentage of available local sales tax. In 1998, Westbank Community Library formed the first Texas library district, and as of 2025 there are now fifteen library districts in the state, including Liberty Hill Public Library District.
In the State of Texas, library districts are considered stand-alone and independent governmental entities, political subdivisions of the state, and special purpose districts. There are over 40 different types of special purposes districts in Texas and they all exist locally to provide infrastructure and deliver specific services to their communities. Library districts are governed by a five-member unpaid elected Board of Trustees who serve two-year staggered terms. Elections are called once a year, but they may be cancelled if candidates for the Board of Trustees are unopposed. Most library districts have paid staff to run their libraries and a library director who oversees all aspects of operation.
Library districts are subject to the Open Meetings Act (learn more in the Open Meetings Act Handbook) the Public Information Act, the Public Funds Investment Act, and various other laws pertaining to ethics, elections, finances, purchasing, and employment. You can read more about Texas public library districts on the Texas State Library and Archives website.
If you have any questions or want to know more about library districts, please contact the library director, Angela Palmer. She is happy to answer any question! Submit a question via this website, email her at [email protected], or call the library to speak with her at (512) 778-6400.
