The numbers say it all.

The Audelia Road Library has an inventory of 100,000 items, and 400,000 checkouts per year.

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“Yes, the Audelia library is the most used branch in the Dallas system,” says librarian Penny Washington. “The item turnover is actually a little higher than that.”

On an average day, for example, Lake Highlands residents check out more than 1,500 items from the library, located near the intersection of Church and Audelia.

“I actually live closer to another library, but prefer the longer drive because the personnel at Audelia is exceptional,” says Pat Wright, who reads at least three novels a week. “It is a very light, cheery atmosphere, but it is the staff that means so much. I cut my teeth on the Downtown branch, and have visited others, but Audelia always has a good selection. Many neighborhood libraries do not.”

Those are the types of customers that Washington welcomes.

“A well-read community who knows this is their library, they know what a library should do for them,” says Washington, who has been at the Audelia branch for six years.

“We have become a diverse community with many African-American, Asian, Hispanic and Russian residents,” she says. “These families may come from all over the world, but their interests are the same: continuing education for their children and themselves, as well as reading for pleasure.”

Washington began her career in the Dallas library system 31 years ago, taking a seven-year hiatus to spend time with her children. She has worked in six branches throughout Dallas. Lake Highlands is different.

“When we have experienced various budget cuts over the years, our users wrote letters and made phone calls,” she says. “They are politically involved and know how to make the situation work for them.”

That’s because Lake Highlands residents appreciate their library.

“They do the best job they can, given their limited budget,” says Mary Jane King. “I am so very impressed with their children’s story hour. It reminds me of the time I spent in the library with my children.”

Washington tells the story of the woman looking for Marcel Proust’s “Remembrance in Time,” a book the Audelia branch didn’t have.

“Upon locating the book at another location,” she says, “the woman chose instead to purchase a copy for our library for other Lake Highlands residents to enjoy.”

Last year after Memorial Day, the library suffered extensive ceiling damage from faulty plumbing. The accident forced the library to close for eight weeks. But committed residents would not be without their library.

City Councilwoman Donna Halstead, who represents Lake Highlands, and RISD board member Joel Claybrook helped arrange temporary facilities at Northlake Elementary School. Some 10,000 books were stored in the school cafeteria.

“The strength of the Audelia Road Library has been ongoing for 21 years,” Washington says, “because the residents here have demanded a good library. And they have it.”