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PAST NEWS ARCHIVE
December 11, 2001
Contact: Dave Shaw, President
Austin Public Library Foundation
(512) 344-2043

AUSTINLIBRARY.ORG GOES LIVE TODAY AS THE NATION'S FIRST
INTERACTIVE LIBRARY SUPPORT GROUP WEB SITE

AUSTIN, Texas — December 11, 2001 — The country's first interactive library support group Web site will go live today with the help of the Austin Public Library Foundation and the Friends of the Austin Public Library. The new site, Austinlibrary.org, will be used to promote the Library and its community advocates.

"Two organizations devoted to making Austin's library great have joined together to create a powerful resource on its behalf," said Dave Shaw, president of the Austin Public Library Foundation. "The new site serves as an incredible advocacy tool and is a convenient way to learn more about the Library, its projects and community involvement. It features volunteer information and current events and offers an online donor and membership sections."

The site's launch comes at an ideal time as the Austin Public Library Foundation makes its final push to match a $500,000 challenge grant from the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation. From now until December 31, 2001, every donation made to the Austin Public Library Foundation will be matched dollar for dollar by the Dell contribution.

The grant by Michael and Susan Dell created the Wired for Youth Program, a technology-driven effort designed to help bridge the "digital divide" for youth who are least likely to have access to personal computers and technology.

That initial donation from the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation has been used to equip 10 Wired for Youth technology centers at library branches in South and East Austin and at the John Henry Faulk Library central location with computer hardware and software. Contributions made online in the Ways to Give section will be used to buy books for the Austin Public Library's youth collection and will be matched with funding for the expansion of the Wired for Youth program.

"The Wired for Youth Challenge is making such a positive difference in the lives of our area youth," said Ken LaRonde, president of the Friends of the Austin Public Library. "These centers provide both exposure to new technology and Wired for Youth Librarians to work with students as they learn about these new technologies."

"We appreciate the efforts of these support groups in making Austin Public Library more accessible and visible in the community," said Patricia Fraga, marketing manager of the Austin Public Library. "This new site allows us to reach so many different audiences about our services and programs."

The Austinlibrary.org Web site was made possible by a donation from the RGK Foundation and was designed and implemented by Convio, Inc., an Austin-based Internet software company specializing in non-profit interactive initiatives.

"The Wired for Youth challenge campaign is just the beginning of how Austinlibrary.org will change the way the community engages with the Library," said Vinay Bhagat, founder and CEO of Convio. "This site is a great example of what today's non-profits can do to leverage the power of the Internet to support their missions. It should enable the Library to educate the public, as well as build and sustain relationships with its supporters."

Austin Public Library Foundation
The Austin Public Library Foundation is a non-profit 501(c) (3) corporation founded in 1995 to increase public awareness about the Library and its importance to the community, and to enhance library collections, programs and services through financial support. The Foundation has raised close to one million dollars from individuals, foundations, and corporations, with major gifts from the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation, the RGK Foundation, Advanced Micro Devices, Dell, H-E-B, the Webber Family Foundation and Tokyo Electron.

Friends of the Austin Public Library
The Friends of the Austin Public Library is an organization that was started in 1962 by Mary Rice, then Library Director, and Eleanor Harris. The Friends is a group of volunteers dedicated to the support of the Austin Public Library. The purpose of the group is to enlarge the number of Austin citizens who take a profound interest in the Library's activities and to the promotion of reading and literacy in the community.

Convio, Inc.
Founded in 1999, Austin-based Convio is the foremost provider of integrated software that enables nonprofits to efficiently use the Internet for building strong constituent relationships - key for fundraising, advocacy effectiveness and other mission-critical activities. Convio's nine modules delivered over the Internet empower organizations to: communicate often with supporters through email; wage fundraising, membership and advocacy campaigns; publish personalized and dynamic Web content; manage registrations, RSVPs, ticket sales and other event logistics; tap volunteers and their personal networks for campaigns; track constituent interactions; connect online systems to off-line donor databases; and more. Convio's technology platform automatically shares data among the suite's modules, giving administrators a unified view of each constituent's interests so staff can engage in more personalized, and targeted marketing. Convio also provides Internet marketing consulting services to help nonprofits adopt online marketing best practices.

Convio serves national and regional organizations in all segments of the nonprofit sector including advocacy, associations, disease and disorder, education, healthcare, human services, political campaigns, public broadcasting, museums and other visitation facilities. Clients include Planned Parenthood Federation of America, The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and The National Foundation for Cancer Research.

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