Julia Ideson (Houston Public Library photo)
Julia Bedford Ideson was appointed Houston’s first professional librarian of the Houston Lyceum and Carnegie Library in 1903. She was born July 15, 1880, in Hastings, Nebraska, and moved to Houston as a child. Julia graduated in the University of Texas’s first class of library science. She held this position at the library for more than 40 years. Julia was elected president of the Texas Library Association in 1911. After spending a year in Paris, she organized a library at Camp Logan (which eventually became Memorial Park) for the soldiers. The American Library Association sent her to Brest, France to manage the Camp Pontenezeon library.
By 1904 Houston’s population had grown and the library was too small for a city of its size. After three years of campaigning in 1922, $200,000 in bonds was approved by voters for a new library.
During her career, Julia served as president of the Southwestern Library Association and the Texas Library Association. She was also active in the American Library Association. She increased the library collection from 13,228 to 265,707 volumes. Annual circulation grew from 60,000 to 600,000. Her efforts led to the addition of five branches, a new Central Library, and the first public bookmobile in Texas.
Julia Ideson was active in civic causes and organizations. In 1920, she and other women met at the Rice Hotel to found the Houston chapter of the League of Women Voters. She was also involved in the Foreign Policy Association, the Houston Open Forum, and the Texas Interracial Commission. In 1929, she was selected as the Torchbearer of the Year. In 1932, she was the first Houston women woman chosen to be included in Who’s Who in America.
While visiting Pennsylvania, Julia Ideson died on July 15, 1945. She is buried in the Historic Hollywood Cemetery in Houston. The 1926 Central Library building is named in her honor. The building houses the Houston Public Library’s archives, special collections, and the Texas Room, which serves as the primary reading room for viewing Houston Metropolitan Research Center materials.
The Julia Ideson Building, seen from Smith Street in Downton Houston (Creative Commons photo attribution: photo courtesy Ed Uthman)
