Members of Liberty’s Sam Houston Center (SHC) Quarterly Book Club were so inspired by one of their selected titles that they organized a community book drive to provide reading material to American troops.
“The War Librarian” by Addison Armstrong, a novel focused on the American Library Association’s efforts in World War I to raise funds and collect books for camp libraries, military hospitals and similar locations, generated interest among club members to take similar action.
Launched as a Texas America250 initiative, the club began collecting books in early 2026 through July 4, accumulating hundreds of donations. SHC staff coordinated with Operation Paperback, a national non-profit that connects volunteers with American troops, veterans and families, to supply books to participants in that organization’s network.
At SHC, volunteers sorted titles according to a detailed list of fiction and non-fiction genres and Operation Paperback provided a list of individuals in need of books. With a name, address and preferred genres in hand, book club members went “shopping” for each person among the piles of books, filling boxes with reading material that would be most enjoyed.
Volunteers and staff shipped 565 books to troops, veterans and their families at destinations across the country and around the world. Packages with up to 20 books went to 21 states, including Washington, D.C. and various locations overseas. The Southeast Texas readers sent used books to soldiers in Japan and Canada and throughout Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
Forty-five packages were shipped over a two-week period, with the help of workers at the Liberty, Texas post office who graciously supported the book club’s effort to honor America’s military. Books for all ages, including a vast array of genres ranging from poetry to biography and classic literature to fantasy, were mailed.
“Our book club and staff were so pleased to be able to gather books for American soldiers and veterans,” said Alana Inman, Sam Houston Center manager. “I am proud of how hard everyone worked and the community’s generous book donations.”
The SHC Quarterly Book Club meets in January, April, July and October of each year. Visit www.tsl.texas.gov/shc for details and subscribe to the SHC newsletter at https://mailchi.mp/tsl/shc to stay informed via email. Learn more about Operation Paperback at operationpaperback.org.
The Sam Houston Center is a component of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission and serves as the official regional historical resource depository for the 10 Southeast Texas counties of Chambers, Hardin, Jasper, Jefferson, Liberty, Newton, Orange, Polk, San Jacinto and Tyler. The Center’s primary mission is to collect, preserve and provide access to historically significant state and local government records and publications of the designated region and secondarily to serve as a library of Texana and genealogical resources.