Our History

The Jackson County Memorial Library was organized and sponsored by the Eleanor Brackenridge Literary Club of Edna, Texas. The library had a very small beginning and grew slowly for a few years. By 1939 it had 3,400 volumes and was considered one of the best county libraries in Texas in proportion to the population.

For many years the library was located in the Jackson County Courthouse. The club president appointed a chairman for the library. The chairman was responsible for selecting and ordering the books, along with many other library operations. The county allowed a liberal donation to the club to help defray the expenses of the library. Other club organizations and individuals donated books and money to the library.

The library books were moved to a law office when a new courthouse was being built and the old one torn down. The Eleanor Brackenridge Literary Club paid $10.00 each month for the support of this office. After the completion of the new courthouse in 1954, the books were moved once again. This time into the new space provided for them in the new courthouse. The county paid two employees to work in the library in this new location.

The Eleanor Brackenridge Literary Club remained sponsors of the Jackson County Memorial Library until 1966 when it was turned over to Jackson County. This ended one of the fine projects of the Eleanor Brackenridge Literary Club.

The library was located in the Jackson County Courthouse until 1985. At this time it was moved into the County Services Building. Due to a fire in 2004, the library was relocated to a temporary building. The Jackson County Memorial Library returned to the original County Services Building in 2005.

The library has two full-time staff members and two part-time staff members. It houses approximately 28,000 volumes, including books, periodicals, newspapers, DVDs, and audiobooks, plus access to another 32,000 ebooks and e-audiobooks. The library is fully automated and provides free internet and WiFi access to the public.