Library History

The Olga V. Figueroa Zapata County Public Library was established in 1983, but not without considerable struggle. Despite stubborn conviction from officials that deemed a library unnecessary for such a small community, Olga Villarreal Figueroa, who boasted titles such as the President of the Zapata County Independent School District Board of Trustees, President of the Zapata County Fair Association, and President of the Zapata Ladies LULAC, fought relentlessly for the construction of a modest 40 x 80 ft building. Though small, she ensured the grand scope of its impact. She, along her cousin and later, other volunteers including Marlyne Lawrence, Mary Rapp, Lou Rawlings, and Beverly Counts, built the foundation of the library’s collection, scrounging everything from Archie and Veronica comic books to third- and fourth-hand books. Meanwhile, Mrs. Figueroa submitted innumerable applications for grants, a testament to her dedication to cultivating literacy and providing the resources every community needs in a library.

Zapata County finally recognized her efforts on November 11, 2006 during a commissioners’ court meeting: the motion passed to rename the library to the Olga V. Figueroa Zapata County Public Library.

Since 2022, the library has been an accredited member of the Texas Library System. In 2024, the library was among the few Texas libraries selected to receive a grant by the J. Frank Dobie Library Trust Awards Committee. According to the Committee, "When famed Texas author and folklorist J. Frank Dobie passed away in 1964, he left the majority of his estate to create the J. Frank Dobie Library Trust for the purpose of assisting small Texas libraries in purchasing books."