Metz Publishing Co.

1974 clipping from The Austin American-Statesman about Metz Publishing Co. entitled 'Parents Publish Children's Books'

Metz Publishing Company

Metz Publishing Company, founded in 1974, celebrated the creativity and ambition of writers at all stages of their literary careers. As indicated by its title, Metz Publishing Company facilitated the assemblage and publication of student-authored works, providing students with the opportunity to present their writing in annual book fairs, with the Metz Library later absorbing the all of works into their permanent collection. Throughout each school year, students wrote, edited, rewrote, and published their books, ultimately producing a triplicate edition series.

"Though the Metz Publishing Company, as it would become to be named, had humble beginnings, it grew into something very impressive.” (Bos, 13).

Soon after the conception of Metz Publishing Co., founder José Flores put together a grant proposal requesting support from the school district. He cited a want to improve reading and writing test scores among his reasons for beginning the project, along with his larger mission to provide resources for bilingual and bilcultural students. The grant was approved in 1976 for the amount of $480.00, which is $2,578.92 in 2021. Some of the materials purchased with the funds include: two irons, a used sewing machine, a paper cutter, a primary typewriter, thread, wrapping paper, cardboard, and various types of paper. In his description of the purpose and description of the project at its beginnings, Flores writes: 

"The purpose of this project is to provide the means of making permanent student publications by binding them into hard back books. Authorship provides opportunities for the child to express an idea or feeling to someone else in a meaningful form, study language usage, improve style and form in writing, compare and contrast ideas with those of other people, compare and contrast ideas with those of other people and become a more effective communicator...

The children at Metz school are predominantly bilingual and bicultural. Therefore, many of the books will be published in Spanish as well as in English. This will serve a double purpose by providing high interest, low reading level material to be shared with all grade levels as supplementary reading material and may be incorporated into the existing bilingual-bicultural program." (Flores, 1974).

Student-made book entitled 'La Immagracion'

The Metz Publishing Company was an ambitious endeavor, one that was possible only through unique community support. After students completed their works, volunteer parents bound, sewed, and covered the books. Although Metz Publishing Co. was not an official library program, the librarians and library volunteers fully committed themselves to ensuring the success of the project. “The pride generated by everyone’s hard work and the student’s sense of accomplishment must have been a satisfying reward in itself.” (Bos, 15).

“The program [Metz Publishing Co.] invigorated and involved all of the critical stakeholders; students, parents, and staff; and then successfully attracted substantial outside participation from several subsets of the community at-large. It was a grand scheme brought to flawless fruition by a school community unified in purpose and pride.” (Flores, 2003).