Written by: Anton M., Marketing and Events Coordinator
Tina Steiner is the current Secretary of the Friends of the Round Rock Public Library. Steiner has been coming to the Round Rock Public Library since she was five. She has 55 years of literacy, is a reading teacher, and is an active Friends member, serving on the Board for one year.
Steiner has utilized the library as a study space to obtain her: associate’s, bachelor’s, and two master’s degrees. She is currently working on her doctoral degree at the Round Rock Public Library.
Read the interview about Tina Steiner and her journey to become a Friend of the Round Rock Public Library.
What does your job entail as a Friends member?
I am the Secretary for the Friends of the Round Rock Public Library. My job is to record the minutes of the meetings and ensure that all of the information is placed on the Friends drive.
Who inspired you to pursue the active role in the Friends group?
Serena Guin. She helps with The Little Libraries. I met Serena years ago when she came to the neighborhood clean-up in my neighborhood. I have seen her at many of the neighborhood conferences and every time I saw her, she’d say, “Hey, you need to join the Friends.” Cynthia Davis, the President of the Friends.
What’s the best advice you can give to someone who is hesitant to join the Friends?
I would say join and support. It has valuable community programs and offers personal benefits, as well. It is a small commitment with a big impact, connecting you with fellow library enthusiasts.
What are the toughest challenges you’ve had as a Friend?
I’ve only been on the Board for a year. I think fundraising (sometimes) is a bit of a challenge as well as coordinating volunteers for some things. But, overcoming these challenges often involves teamwork, which we have. Creativity. And a deep commitment to the Library’s mission.
What is the typical commitment for someone that would invest in the Board?
The commitment offers a meaningful way to support and shape the Library’s future. But, you do have to commit to meetings. We do have monthly meetings, some are virtual. Every other month, it’s virtual and we have some in-person. Event participation, you know. Like, in the float in the Fourth of July parade, which is a lot of fun.
There’s committee work. There are several committees that we are on. There is not a lot of time investment if you look at it, but the biggest portion of it is advocacy. We really have to represent and advocate for the library and its needs within our community.
What’s your secret talent no one knows about?
I don’t know if many people know, but Cathy Kincaid is the one who advocated for me being secretary because I type 90 words per minute. That’s one of my superpowers, I guess you would call that a talent. And I am an avid gardener. Most people don’t know that about me.
Who are some of your biggest inspirations within the Friends of the Round Rock Public Library?
I love the way it [the Friends] champions literacy, community involvement, and engagement. Everybody is so enthusiastic and committed about it. Our recent social was so amazing. We played games; we got to have fun. As Secretary, I am so focused on taking the minutes, that I don’t get to talk to anyone. It was really cool to get to meet some of the people.
One of the questions [during the Friends social] was, “Who is the longest-living person in Round Rock?” And I always want to have that honor. There was a lady who had been here a year longer than I was. It was neat to talk to her and go over the history that we have both seen.
Tell us something about you that most people don’t know.
As previously mentioned, I am a Master Gardener. My family is fifth-generation Round Rock. I have spoken at several historical events at the Library. My great-great-grandfather is in some of the history books on the shelves. He was known as the “Cotton King of Williamson County” and I think therein lies my passion for gardening because it’s in the blood.
Another thing, I love to be involved with the community. Many people don’t know that I am a former City and County Commissioner. I was the City Commissioner for the Housing Authority and the Historic Preservation Commission. I was also the County Historical Preservation Commissioner. History is very important to me.
Why should someone join the Friends of the Round Rock Public Library?
I think that if you are a huge advocate for supporting literacy, which is something that is so prevalent especially for our youth now, there are so many wonderful things you can do. Even in my classroom, as teachers, I promote the Library. You can learn about genealogy. I do some of my Master Gardener training here.
Is there anything that you want to mention outside of the questions that I asked?
I love the library. I truly love the library. Chip jokes sometimes and says, “You know, we’re going to get you your own wing [in the library].” And I say, “Well, you haven’t already?” (laughs). Because I am here almost every night. Patrick and everyone here is so friendly, caring, and helpful.
This has always been a safe space for me. I love that, every now and then, I will get a second-floor study room because of Mrs. Mellownie and Mr. Joe Johnson. Mr. Johnson was my sixth-grade math teacher and Mrs. Johnson was my third-grade world geography teacher. So, I love being in a room where these people who inspired me to be a teacher are on the walls.
If you would like to learn more about how to join the Friends of the Round Rock Library, please visit roundrocktexas.gov/friends.
