The Norman Williams Public Library will be closed on Friday, June 19, in observance of Juneteenth (short for “June Nineteenth”), commemorating the end of slavery in the United States.

On June 19, 1865, federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, to take control of the state and ensure that all enslaved people be freed. While considered the longest-running African-American holiday, it only officially became a federal holiday in 2021.

Juneteenth National Independence Day is also known as Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, Black Independence Day, and in Texas, Emancipation Day.

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When the library is closed, patrons can use our online catalog to renew books, and place books on hold in addition to accessing eBooks, eAudiobooks, and movies to download and stream.