To celebrate its 20th anniversary, the Semmes Branch Library will host a free celebration at 10:30 a.m. Dec. 13.

The details

According to a news release, the event will include family-friendly activities, such as a goat petting zoo, a photo booth, balloon art, outdoor yard games and cement mold painting. Children will also be able to craft bird feeders and paper streamers. Additionally, the San Antonio Public Library mascot Smarty will make an appearance.

Other activities will be used to showcase the branch’s patio, which features interactive outdoor musical instruments and two outdoor chess tables.

The background


The branch first opened on Nov. 5, 2005 and is named after Julia Yates Semmes, a woman who experienced vision loss, learned to live independently with her disability and became an advocate for people with vision disabilities, according to the news release. In 2000, the Semmes Foundation donated $1 million to the San Antonio Public Library Foundation to fund a special collection that includes books and equipment for the visually impaired.