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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 19, 2008
Contact:
, Austin Public Library, (512) 974-7379
Fax: (512) 974-7379
George Washington Carver Branch Jubilee: Then and Now
Celebrating 75 Years of Building Community
Join us for the Carver Branch Jubilee Celebration: Then and Now from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Saturday, September 6, 2008 at the Carver Branch of the Austin Public Library, 1161 Angelina St. Bring the whole family for an afternoon of festive fun including a puppet show, live music, and dancing. Then and Now is a tribute to the Carver Branch’s 75 years of service to the east Austin community. The celebration is free and open to the public. For more information please call 512-974-1010 or visit www.cityofaustin.org/library.
Carver Branch History
The George Washington Carver Branch has a unique place in Austin Public Library’s history. In 1933 a 26,000 square foot Italian Renaissance building replaced the original 1,800 square foot wooden frame building as the new Central Library. The original 1800 square foot building that was the Austin Public Library was moved to Angelina Street and became the Colored Branch of the Austin Public Library. The Black citizens of east Austin had strongly advocated for a new library. In 1979, after further citizen input, a new 10,000 square foot facility was built to better serve the multipurpose needs of the community. The original Carver Branch Library then became the Carver Museum.
The Carver Branch Today
In the 1998 City of Austin Bond Election, voters approved the funds to expand the Branch Library to more than 15,000 square feet. The new Carver Branch opened, October 30, 2004 with expanded space for adult and youth computers, a collection of more than 75,000 volumes, four public meeting rooms, a separate youth area, VICTORY Tutoring study rooms, ports for laptop computer hook-ups, wireless internet access, and an art exhibit space. On September 2008 the Carver Branch celebrates 75 years of serving African Americans and other members of the east Austin community.
The Carver Branch Collection
The Carver Branch’s unique book collection includes African American fiction and non-fiction, as well as other fiction and non-fiction selections. The African American Culture Collection at the Carver Branch includes masks and dolls from Africa, autographed photographs of famous African Americans, as well as Black Americana artifacts. The Sue McBee and the Larry Wilkinson Collections comprise part of the African American Culture Collection. Some items are on permanent display, while other items in the collection are rotated annually.
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