Tag Archives: Austin Public Library
Arts panel faces procedural misstep
On Monday, the Art in Public Places panel felt caught in the middle of a procedural misstep taken by the Austin Public Library Friends Foundation, which wanted donated art installed at the new Central Library. John Gillum, the library facilities…
City Hall • By Lisa Dreher • Jul 14, 2017
Austin public libraries to expand videoconferencing
The Austin Public Library Friends Foundation received a $120,000 grant from Google.org last Friday for Austin Public Library to expand videoconferencing to the rest of its branches. The foundation applied for the grant that will fund needed technology, and it…
Austin • By Lisa Dreher • Jul 3, 2017
Construction of new Central Library overdue, again
City Council members learned last week that the completion of the new downtown public library has been hit with delays, again. “I do think that it is getting very close, but I don’t have a specific date that I can…
City Council • By Audrey McGlinchy, KUT • Mar 28, 2017
New library cost could climb to $126 million with Council's OK
City Council will consider what is hoped to be the final spending increase for the long-in-the-works Austin Central Library on Thursday, with the total price tag for the project set to fall somewhere just under $126.6 million. The agenda item…
City Council • By Chad Swiatecki • Nov 30, 2016
Austin libraries not giving up on CDs
Even in the Live Music Capital of the World, there are undoubtedly plenty of people who haven’t bought a physical music album in years. All Austinites, however, continue to buy compact discs through their taxes. On Thursday, City Council approved…
City Council • By Jack Craver • Aug 5, 2016
'Library for the future' soon will be a reality
A decade ago, Austin voters approved a $90 million bond to build a new central library that would better fit the growing city’s needs. Another $30 million later, the “library for the future” is nearly complete. The 200,000-square-foot facility –…
Austin • By Eva Ruth Moravec • Mar 1, 2016
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County boots city's request for parking discount
Travis County Commissioners on Tuesday shot down a request from the city of Austin for a slightly more generous pricing agreement on scores of downtown parking spaces. The rare failure to reach interlocal accord underscored that the increasing popularity of…
Travis County • By Caleb Pritchard • Sep 17, 2015
OSHA fines Central Library contractors $88K for excavation hazards
The Occupational Health and Safety Administration has cited construction contractors working on the new Central Library with fines totaling $88,000. According to the citations (here and here), on March 4, four employees were installing rebar in the rain in a…
Austin • By Elizabeth Pagano • Sep 4, 2015
Library budget talks reveal Council divide
Last week, City Council dug into the Library Department’s budget, and it became clear that there are some deep ideological divides on the dais. As part of their budget work session, Council members grilled Austin Public Library Director Brenda Branch…
Budget • By Elizabeth Pagano • May 28, 2015
Audit calls Public Library’s equity into question
Despite not having a formal definition of “equity” available to the public, the Austin Public Library insists that it uses equity as a guiding principle in all decisions. The city’s public library system challenged a report presented last week at…
Austin • By Alex Dropkin • Nov 3, 2014
Library staff holds the line on 2015 funds
Despite the imminence of a glowing new Central Library on the horizon, the library department kept it humble Wednesday afternoon. As part of the city’s budget process, City Council heard from Brenda Branch, director of the Austin Public Library department.…
Local Politics • By Elizabeth Pagano • Aug 14, 2014
Library offers lean budget now in hopes of increase in future years
City Council members heard a humble request from the Library Department last week. ThoughLibrary Director Brenda Branch is requesting an increase of 4.4 percent in next year’s operating budget, her presentation to City Council noted that that increase did…
