Council to consider eliminating nonresident library card fees

City Council will consider an item this week directing the city manager to amend the fee and fine ordinance to do away with the nonresident library card fee for residents of the city’s limited-purpose and extraterritorial jurisdictions.

Currently, Austin residents can get a free library card only if they live within what’s called the full-purpose jurisdiction – the area where the city provides full municipal services, assesses taxes and enforces city ordinances. Those who live in the surrounding areas must pay a nonresident card fee of $120 annually. Item 68 on the agenda is a resolution directing the city manager to return to Council with an ordinance ending the practice by March 5. Limited-purpose areas are beholden to some city ordinances, and the city collects no taxes and does not provide municipal services.

The item is sponsored by Council Member Vanessa Fuentes and co-sponsored by Mayor Pro Tem Paige Ellis and Council members Natasha Harper-Madison, José Velásquez and Ryan Alter.

“The non-resident fee affects people who live in Austin’s extra-territorial jurisdiction and limited purpose jurisdictions as well as those who work in Austin but live in the surrounding areas, including many former Austinites forced to relocate due to ongoing gentrification and the increase in the cost of housing,” the resolution reads.

The city’s Library Commission approved a recommendation on this subject at its Nov. 27 meeting in a vote of 6-1 with Commissioner Courtney Rosenthal voting in opposition.

“Some constituents of Districts 6, 2 and 8 also fall outside of the full purpose jurisdiction areas and are negatively affected by this fee,” the recommendation reads.

The Library Commission notes that Austin Public Library provides workforce and economic development, digital inclusion, STEM and computer training, and literacy advancement, in addition to numerous other programs, resources and services.

“Expanding access to these valuable services will only contribute to creating a more informed and skilled community for all Austin residents,” the recommendation states.

The recommendation also points to local precedent for expanded library card access. “From 2008-2015, Austin Public Library waived the non-resident fee for anyone who was a resident of the state of Texas. There are several library systems that continue to provide that benefit for all Texas residents including the Houston Public Libraries,” the recommendation reads.

In 2017, APL created the Library for All Students program, through which it partnered with the Austin Independent School District to provide library cards to all students regardless of their residency status. The program expanded to include Del Valle Independent School District in 2019, Austin Achieve Public Schools in 2021 and Austin Montessori School and Manor Independent School District in 2022.

“This has been a great benefit for Austin area students, and that support should be extended to the many adults that live in the surrounding Austin area as well,” the recommendation concludes.

Photo made available through a Creative Commons license.

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