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PAST NEWS ARCHIVE
April 28, 2001

AUSTIN HISTORY CENTER FEATURES
EXHIBIT ON AUSTIN PUBLIC LIBRARY

A line forms alongside the APL bookmobile as it makes
neighborhood rounds in the mid-1950s. [PICA 01442]

The Austin Public Library is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, and to help commemorate the important milestone, the Austin History Center is presenting a new exhibit entitled, "Austin Public Library Jubilee: 75 Years of Building Community," on display May 4-November 18, 2001. The exhibit traces the history of the Austin Public Library from its humble beginnings in a small upstairs room on Congress Avenue in 1926 all the way up to present day.

Viewers are offered an intriguing and informative look at some of the people, organizations, programs, and challenges that have shaped the organization in various ways over the years. A wonderful collection of historical photographs has been gathered for the exhibit, including images of the APL bookmobile in the 1950s and some beautiful interior/exterior scenes of Austin's Central Library in the 1930s and 1940s. The exhibit also features artifacts, a pictorial timeline, and plenty of library memorabilia.

The free exhibit may be seen during regular hours at the Austin History Center: 9 a.m.-9 p.m., Monday-Thursday; 9 a.m.-6 p.m., Friday and Saturday; and noon-6 p.m. on Sunday. The Austin History Center is located at 810 Guadalupe Street, adjacent to the John Henry Faulk Central Library, and serves as a special branch of the Austin Public Library system. For more information on the Austin History Center Association, which is a nonprofit citizens' group dedicated to the support of the Austin History Center, visit http://www.ahca.net or call 512-974-7383.

Two traveling exhibits offering condensed versions of the exhibit will be circulating among APL's various branch libraries for the remainder of the year. For more information on the traveling exhibits or on APL's 75th anniversary "Jubilee Celebration," visit the APL Web site at: http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/library/.

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