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PAST NEWS ARCHIVE
October 9, 2001
Contact: Patricia Fraga, Austin Public Library, (512) 974-7528
Fax: (512) 974-7442

Austin Public Library Receives Brownstone Book Fund Gift

The Austin Public Library Youth Services Division has received a gift from the Brownstone Book Fund, a private nonprofit foundation based in New York City. The gift will add over one hundred children's picture books to the Oak Springs Branch collection located in East Austin. The Brownstone Book Fund does not accept applications for funding, preferring to surprise the selected libraries with an unexpected gift. Mrs. Diane Brownstone says, "The public library of my youth gave me an addiction to books that has enriched my life and my wish, with this collection, is to give this experience and pleasure to many other young people." Mrs. Brownstone provides a selection list that includes contemporary and classics of children's literature, and a selection of Spanish-language and Texas-themed books. "We hope these books will be used to excite and foster an early interest in and a love for books and reading," says Jeanette Larson, Youth Services Manager.

About the Oak Springs Branch
The Oak Springs Branch, located in East Austin at 3101 Oak Springs Drive, opened in 1967 on a three-acre site and was designed by the architectural firm of Coates & Legge, AIA. In 1998 the building received new carpet, fresh paint, new restrooms, and a new circulation desk.

The library contains approximately 39,870 items in its collection. Highlights of the collection are the African-American materials and the Spanish-language materials for both adults and children. These materials are reflective of the library's service area population, which is nearly 50% African-American and 50% Hispanic.

The library has moved into the computer age and now has four computers available for general public use. These computers are connected to the Internet and have word-processing and other software capabilities. Additionally, the library opened a Michael and Susan Dell Wired for Youth computer center in May of 2000. This center consists of six computers available for use by youth under the age of eighteen. They are connected to the Internet and are loaded with a variety of word-processing, graphics, and animation software.

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