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PAST NEWS ARCHIVE
August 17, 2001
Contact: Margaret.Schlankey, Austin Public Library, (512) 974-7386
Fax: (512) 974-7483

Austin History Center Launches Online Exhibits

The Austin History Center announces the August 31st launch of "Austin Treasures: Online Exhibits from the Austin History Center Collections," focusing on the people, places and events in the history of Austin and Travis County. These Web exhibitions, funded by a Tex Treasures Grant from the Texas State Library and Archives Commission, will widen access to some of the important historical documents housed in the Austin History Center's collection, benefiting students, researchers and the casual Web surfer. A link to the Web exhibitions can be found on the Austin History Center's Web site, http://www.cityofaustin.org/library/ahc/exhibit.htm beginning August 31, 2001.

"Austin Beginnings," the largest of the Web exhibitions, shows many of the "firsts" in Austin history, from the first lots sold in the city in 1839 to Austin's first woman elected as mayor in 1977. With the historical photographs and maps used to create this exhibition, "Austin Beginnings" will be a useful tool for students studying the history of Austin. Local trivia buffs looking to enhance their knowledge of the capital city will also find this site interesting.

Exhibitions such as "Capitol Views," "Jane McCallum and the Suffrage Movement," and "Red Points and Ration Cards: Life in Austin During World War II" focus on specific events in local and state history. "Capitol Views" illustrates the history of the Capitol building in Austin, from its humble beginnings in 1839 to the magnificent structure that sits at the head of Congress Avenue today. "Jane McCallum and the Suffrage Movement" showcases a number of manuscript items from Mrs. McCallum's collection documenting the work both for and against the suffrage movement. "Red Points and Ration Cards" takes an interesting look at how Austin citizens adapted to the influx of the military and the shortage of rations during World War II.

Other Web exhibitions include "Green Growth," about development and enhancement of green spaces in Austin; "Just Outside Austin," focusing on the small communities surrounding the capital city; "Hyde Park," showing through text and images the people and businesses inhabiting this historic Austin subdivision; "Austin Streets," and "Lost Victorian Austin," centering on the effects of time and growth on our built environment; and "Austin at Work," illustrating how Austinites earn a living.

About the Austin History Center
As the local history collection of the Austin, Texas, Public Library, the mission of the Austin History Center is to provide the public with information about the history, current events, and activities of the City of Austin and Travis County. To do this, we:

• Collect and preserve information about local governments, businesses, residents, institutions, and neighborhoods
• Provide reference staff and finding aids to assist researchers
• Present our holdings to the public through exhibits and programs

Today, in order to meet the growing demands of its collections and its community, the Austin History Center has expanded to a staff of 19 people under the leadership of Archivist Biruta Celmins Kearl. With new technologies revealing new ways of managing collections and approaching public service and outreach, the Austin History Center is continuing to make sure that our community's "collective memory" keeps growing stronger! The Austin History Center is a division of the Austin Public Library. For more information about the Austin History Center, please visit us on the Web at http://www.cityofaustin.org/library/ahc/ or call at (512) 974-7480.

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