“The design of the Semmes Branch is in keeping with the intentions of the philanthropist Andrew Carnegie,
the man credited with making the concept of publicly supported libraries a reality across the United States. Carnegie’s idea of the library was that it should be for the mind, the body and the spirit. The original libraries had bowling alleys and art galleries. So with that vision in mind, the idea of having the Semmes Branch library in a park, where there are hiking trails and other physical fitness type opportunities, and with the public artwork that will be on display there, is very much in keeping with Carnegie’s original concept.”
—Kaye Lenox, President, San Antonio Public Library Foundation

Teacher Chip Haass knows he could stump his class at Saint Mary’s Hall if he asked them this question: What is about to open at Comanche Lookout Park?

A) A library?
B) A playground for children?
C) An outdoor learning center?
D) An art gallery?

The answer is E) All of the above. The Julia Yates Semmes Branch Library is a few more things, too.

“Northeast San Antonio has never seen anything like it. It is a jewel for the city,” said Haass, who also moonlights as a San Antonio City Councilman representing District 10. “The art amphitheater, the outdoor learning facilities, the park with separate playgrounds for older and younger kids – they’re all part of an amazing area that will attract people from all over the city.”

“This is the future of community spaces.”

The new Julia Yates Semmes Branch Library at Comanche Lookout Park is San Antonio’s newest public library. Once open, the $4.239 million facility is expected to become a national model for green libraries because it incorporates numerous features making it environmentally sensitive and energy efficient.

A 20-foot glass wall along the parkside view of the building will help bathe the interior of the 15,000 square-foot library in a generous amount of indirect sunlight, providing the best light for reading and working while cutting down on utility costs.

The building itself is built for rainwater harvesting, so that water that hits the roof will collect in cisterns to be redistributed on the grounds for irrigation. The remaining surface water will be channeled into a new landscaped wetlands area that will naturally filter the water and contribute to the park’s ecosystem. Recyclable materials will be used throughout the building.

The library is in the middle of a booming housing and retail area off Loop 1604 and Nacogdoches Road, but visitors will hardly realize that when they are sitting in the serene surroundings indoors.

“It’s been designed so that when you are inside, you won’t see any streets or hear any cars,” said Ken Rehler, whose design firm Rehler Vaughn & Koone, Inc. drew up the plans for the new library. “You will feel like you’re in the woods, away from the city and out in the country.”

This venture marks the first time a library has been planned so that it works within a park environment. The 96-acre Comanche Lookout Park is a popular Northeast Side attraction, drawing hikers to the fourth highest point in Bexar County with an elevation of 1,340 feet. Native Americans used this hill with its lush vegetation as a vantage point for warfare and hunting. The Apache, and later, the Comanche Indians dominated the area as they hunted along waterways including nearby Cibolo Creek.

“The model we’ve used is something that’s never been done before in San Antonio. It’s truly unprecedented – taking municipal parks, libraries and arts venues and placing them in one community space,” Haass said. “From that standpoint, I think we’re cutting edge.”

The design of the Semmes Branch is in keeping with the intentions of the philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, the man credited with making the concept of publicly supported libraries a reality across the United States, said Kaye Lenox, President and CEO of the San Antonio Public Library Foundation.

“Carnegie’s idea of the library was that it should be for the mind, the body and the spirit,” Lenox said. “The original libraries had bowling alleys and art galleries. So with that vision in mind, the idea of having the Semmes Branch library in a park, where there are hiking trails and other physical fitness type opportunities, and with the public artwork that will be on display there, is very much in keeping with Carnegie’s original concept.”

The library also will be an incredibly rich learning environment. City Public Service, San Antonio Water System and North East School District all have plans to bring programs that emphasize nature learning to the branch, Lenox said. An outdoor amphitheater and reading areas will provide library patrons with a more natural setting to enjoy the periodical or book of their choice.

The library is named after Julia Laura Yates Semmes, a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Daughters of the Republic of Texas. In the second half of her life, Mrs. Semmes developed macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness in Americans older than 55. Despite her loss of vision, Mrs. Semmes—a lifelong library user—continued to enjoy reading by utilizing books on tape and large print books, which were provided to her by the library.

Before she died in 2002, the Semmes Foundation donated $1 million to the San Antonio Public Library Foundation to create a special collection throughout the San Antonio Library system that includes books and equipment for the visually impaired. The Semmes Foundation then gave a $500,000 challenge grant to the Library Foundation for materials and equipment for the Semmes Branch at Comanche Lookout Park, which resulted in an additional $250,000 being raised for enhancements to the branch.

Semmes Foundation President Tom Semmes, son of Julia Semmes, said his family’s interest in supporting public libraries dates back to the Depression era, when his mother was president of a woman’s club that operated the Santa Fe Public Library in New Mexico.

“I’m very pleased and I think mother would have been pleased,” Semmes said. “The San Antonio Public Library Foundation and everyone involved deserve a lot of credit for making this project a reality.”

“It fits into what we are interested in, and I’m pretty darn sure the community is going to like it.”

“The Semmes branch is a good example of what the entire community can do when we put our minds to it,” Lenox said. “It doesn’t have to be just a library or a park. The sum can be something much more vital for our community.”

A grand opening ceremony is scheduled for Saturday November 5, which is the anniversary of Mrs. Semmes’ passing.