PHOTO: Mayor Duane Crocker uses a Victoria Public Library card to remove materials from the library’s on-site pickup locker during a ribbon-cutting ceremony on March 5.
Residents who live far from downtown will have an easier time checking out Victoria Public Library materials after the library installs its new off-site pickup locker at the Victoria Mall next month.
Both the off-site locker and the library’s existing on-site pickup locker were funded by a grant from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services (Grant # LS-253655-OLS-23) to the Texas State Library and Archives Commission under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act (2024).
Improving access for everyone
PHOTO: The Victoria Public Library’s new off-site pickup locker will be located at the Victoria Mall near the food court entrance.
The library added a 24/7 on-site pickup locker in March 2024 to better serve residents who are unable to come to the library during working hours. Since then, cardholders have used the locker to check out more than 700 library materials.
However, distance from the library still poses an obstacle for some library patrons. Residents on the north side of Victoria may need to make a 30-40 minute round trip to reach the library, and the distance can be greater for Victoria County cardholders.
The Victoria Public Library’s community-driven master plan, which was adopted in 2023, recommended adding an off-site pickup locker as a short-term solution to meet the needs of the growing population on Victoria’s north side.
The new locker will also help to serve low- to moderate-income residents who live far from the library. Although most of the City’s low- to moderate-income Census tracts are located within three miles of the library, an LMI tract near the mall is home to more than 600 cardholders.
In addition to serving current cardholders, library staff hope that the convenience of the off-site locker will attract new library patrons.
“Having a locker on the north side of town will help improve the visibility of the library for those who don’t live near the library building,” said Kayla Martin, development and partnership coordinator for the Victoria Public Library. “Our goal is to improve services for all residents, including those who are not current library users.”
How it works
PHOTO: A Victoria Public Library book drop is located at the Victoria Mall parking lot near Murdoch’s Ranch & Home Supply.
Residents will be able to request materials through the library catalog at www.victoriatx.gov/library or by calling 361-485-3301 or emailing vpl@victoriatx.gov. A staff member will place the materials in the locker, and residents can pick up the materials using their library cards.
Residents can drop off materials at any time using the book drops at the Victoria Mall (in the parking lot near Murdoch’s Ranch & Home Supply), the Victoria Public Library or the Dr. Pattie Dodson Public Health Center.
Stay connected
To learn more about Victoria Public Library programs and services, visit www.victoriatx.gov/library.