Our Lady of the Lake University Wants to Utilize La Feria Public Library

by Tony Vindell/LFN

Our lady of the Lake University wants to use the La Feria Bailey H. Dunlap Memorial Library to further the education of its students and to strengthen its link with the community.

That is the idea behind a proposal representatives of the school of higher education presented to the city council doing Tuesday’s October 16th meeting.

Rosa Rivera – Hainaj, assistant vice president for aka demick affairs at the San Antonio main campus and Patricia Blanco, director of the La Feria campus, said they would like to co-utilize the public library for the benefit of students and local residents as well.

They said the University, which offers bachelor, graduate and doctoral degrees, does not have a library but using the public library would be an asset.

“We would like to enhance the education of our students,” Rivera-Hainaj said,” and to engage the community in this endeavor.”

By doing so, she believes the University can be instrumental in breaking the cycle of poverty in the area.

The University has a testing center that can be extended to the library and would get involved in children’s programs.

Council woman as Esmeralda Lozano said she likes the idea, adding La Feria has a sizeable migrant population.

City manager Jaime Sandoval said letting the University c0-utilize the public library will strengthen the partnership the city has with OLLU.

Although the action was required concerning the proposal, the two entities agreed to look into the idea as there are a few things to iron out before reaching an agreement.

In other business, the council approved extending to leases between the city and to farming operations for a total of 27.8 acres.