Val Verde County Branch Library Opens In East San Felipe

A father and son read together inside the newly opened Val Verde County Branch Library, 315 E Chapoy St.

On Tuesday, April 15, Val Verde County Branch Library opened its doors with a ribbon cutting ceremony to the reveling of many in attendance, including Mayor Al Arreola and SFDR-CISD Superintendent, Dr. Carlos Rios. Situated on the corner of East Chapoy and Contreras, the library aims to serve residents of East San Felipe, a largely underprivileged neighborhood.

Located on the grounds of a re-purposed elementary school (formerly Travis Elementary), the library consists of about 4 classroom-sized areas: a computer room, a library with nearly 4,000 books, a meeting room with a large monitor to cast your laptop screen onto, and a multi-purpose classroom. These rooms will facilitate many modes of use, from crafts to community classes.

Juan Carlos Vasquez, Val Verde County Precinct 2 Commissioner, is the man who hatched the idea of using the vacant rooms to make life-enriching resources available. 

"The vision was to have different entities come in here [the re-purposed school building] to benefit the community. It’s all about the community," Commissioner Vasquez tells Connect Del Rio. "The benefits include free [check-out] on books, DVDs, newspapers. It’s going to be open from 10AM to 6PM every single day of the week. People can use the computers, fax, email. So it’s going to be an awesome place for people." 

Vasquez sees the project of the new community space as a personal one, citing his life-long connection to the neighborhood.

"This area is steeped in my childhood memories, as I grew up just a few blocks from here… in the local housing projects," Vasquez said in his speech during the ceremony. "I have seen first-hand the challenges that families with limited resources face, and I deeply understand the profound impact that access to education and community support have on their lives."

David Bond, director of the Val Verde County Library system, shared his idea of what a library’s purpose is.

Two Del Rio residents walk past the sign for the newly opened Val Verde County Branch Library. These ladies were among the libraries very first visitors.

"Yes, we have newspapers, magazines, books, but while we’re not therapists, we sometimes serve as a buffer against isolation and loneliness. Our library will always be a place of safety and acceptance," Bond said.

In 2024, Val Verde County Library (300 Spring St.) offered 222 programs, or classes and events, that were attended by 5,002 people. Director Bond confirms that the new Branch Library (315 E Chapoy St.) will offer programs on-par with VVCL. The most popular and highest attended program in 2024 was a first-responder showcase event at which U.S. Border Patrol agents brought their horses and dogs to the main library. The new Branch Library features a large outdoor area, which means potential for community programs of a similarly engaging kind. 

The Branch Library currently uses less than half of the available indoor space on the school’s grounds, but Commissioner Vasquez says more community support projects are on the way. In the near future, we can expect a Veterans Affairs office to fill three more rooms at the location, and more non-profit organizations to follow.