Tag Archives: Library Commission
Austin to offer free library cards to people outside the city
People who live outside the city will soon no longer have to pay $120 for an Austin public library card. City Council voted to remove the fees last week after the Library Commission recommended the change. In their recommendation, commissioners…
Education • By Luz Moreno-Lozano, KUT • Dec 19, 2023
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…
City Council • By Nina Hernandez • Dec 13, 2023
Austin Public Library prepares for First Amendment auditors
The Austin Public Library is busy with summer reading programs, passport services and book ban resistance. Newer to the list? Trying not to go viral. Library staff recently received a briefing on First Amendment audits, in which citizen journalists and…
Austin • By Emma Freer • Jun 29, 2023
Library legislative working group gets update on ‘bills of concern’
The Library Commission spent the majority of its regular meeting on Monday discussing proposed legislation viewed as potentially harmful to the mission of libraries in Austin and statewide. Commissioner Courtney Rosenthal, who is leading the commission’s legislative working group that…
Texas State Legislature • By Ava Garderet • Mar 3, 2023
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Library Commission working group to track bills restricting access to library materials
Since the Texas Legislature reconvened for its 88th session in January, the city’s Library Commission has been tracking a number of bills concerning restriction of library materials. At last Monday’s regular meeting, commissioners expressed their concern about some of the…
Texas State Legislature • By Ava Garderet • Feb 1, 2023
Austin leaders brace for state lawmakers to take up bills restricting library content and resources
After Texas lawmakers placed limitations on how Texas teachers approach lessons on history and racism and passed anti-trans legislation in recent sessions, Austin leaders are preparing for further action on these fronts when the Legislature convenes for its 88th session…
Education • By Andrea Guzman • Nov 30, 2022
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Council opposes book banning, adopts Freedom to Read resolution
Council unanimously adopted a resolution Thursday promoting the American Library Association’s Freedom to Read declaration and opposing book banning. According to the resolution, the city supports the Austin Public Library’s materials selection process, recognizing the work of the library and the…
City Council • By Jo Clifton • Sep 2, 2022
City working toward enhanced library cards as a form of ID
The city of Austin has begun working on a way to use a souped-up library card as a form of identification, which is a service that would be particularly helpful for those who might not have an official ID, like…
Austin • By Willow Higgins • Jul 1, 2022
Amid push to ban books, library commissioners brush up on the basics
With efforts to take books off library shelves ramping up in some parts of Texas, Austin’s Library Commission took the timely step of reviewing the city’s policies to see how our public collections are protected. The commission and the Austin…
Austin • By Willow Higgins • Mar 1, 2022
Library Commission pushes for fine-free books
Austin librarygoers may be in luck: The Library Commission unanimously voted Monday to do away with late fees for overdue library books. While City Council still has to approve the resolution in order for fine-free libraries to become the new norm,…
Austin • By Willow Higgins • Jan 26, 2022
In push to raise funds, History Center makes a bid for formal partnership with the city
The Library Commission has postponed the decision to officially recognize the need for an agreement between the Austin History Center Association and the city of Austin. According to the proposed agreement from the association, the group would have a seat…
City Hall • By Sumaiya Malik, Reporting Texas • May 7, 2021
Library Commission punts fine-free initiative amid Covid-19 uncertainty
The Library Commission pledged to keep working on its Fine-Free Libraries program Monday, with the understanding that it may take a year or more to win City Council’s approval due to the budgetary uncertainty caused by Covid-19. “I think there…
