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Board members of the Friends of the Dripping Springs Library pause for photo at the event.
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Friends of the Dripping Springs Community Library held its 15th annual Pouring Over Books fundraiser on March 1 at The Prospect House in Dripping Springs. The group’s biggest fundraiser of the year drew guests for an afternoon of books, music and wine.
Texas novelist Elizabeth Crook took center stage for a discussion and book signing. Her latest work, The Madstone, is set in the Texas Hill Country of the late 1800s. Crook is a recipient of the Texas Book Festival’s Texas Writer Award, the Lon Tinkle Award for Lifetime Achievement from the Texas Institute of Letters, and the 2024 Texas Medal of Arts. She has also earned a Spur Award from Western Writers of America and the Jesse H. Jones Award from the Texas Institute of Letters.
The New York Times has called her “a treasure of Texas letters whose voice recalls the likes of Charles Portis and Mark Twain,” while the Washington Post praised her as “a master at rustling up competing forces to create cinematic calamities.” The Washington Post said The Madstone is “the perfect adventure to curl up with on some desolate winter night.”
Moderating the discussion was Kristen Currie, Morning Meteorologist at KXAN News in Austin, who guided the conversation with Crook.
“We were very pleased with the turnout, decor, and rustic Texan theme,” said Natalie Mahany, vice president of the Friends of the Dripping Springs Library. “We had many returning guests and several book clubs also joined us.”
In addition to the presentation, the Hot Texas Swing Band provided live music, and a silent auction helped raise additional funds for the cause.
The funds raised go directly to supporting the Dripping Springs Community Library, which serves more than 54,000 people across its service area and counts over 13,000 active cardholders. In 2025, the Friends contributed $30,000 to the library, including:
• $13,000 for Summer Programming including the purchase of 10 ukuleles, Professor of Universe, Wildlife on the Move, and more
• Viewsonic large screen teleconferencing system
• Podcasting equipment for library patrons to checkout
• Summer Reading and 1000 Books Before Kindergarten prizes
• Community Wildflower Center passes for patrons
• An upgraded outdoor play space with new chairs and sensory tables.
For more information, visit www.fodscl.org.
