A New Central Library for Austin

A New Central Library for Austin Banner

How Do You Envision Austin's New Central Library?

If you were unable to attend the Public Input Meetings New Central Library suggestion cards are available at all Austin Public Library locations.

Once the public input is collected and sorted, recurring themes will be identified as priorities. These priorities will be considered as the design is developed. The design team will share these priorities and the designs with the Library Commission and the City Council at the project's approval milestones.

For additional information about the new Central Library please call Cindy Jordan, Project Manager, 512-974-7183 or John Gillum, Facilities Planning Manager, at 512-974-7495 or visit library.austintexas.gov.

Tentative Schedule for the New Central Library

December 9, 2010 - Architectural Building Program approved by Council
January, 2011 - Design Phase initiated
August, 2011 - Council approval of a Professional Services Amendment with the design team
Fall, 2011 - Schematic Design completed (30% completed design); City Council, Library Commission and Design Commission briefed
Spring/Summer, 2012 - Design Development completed (60% completed design); City Council, Library Commission and Design Commission briefed
Summer, 2012 - Design Phase completed
Spring, 2013 - Construction Document Phase completed
Summer, 2013 - Guaranteed maximum price approved by Council
Summer, 2013 - Permits received, Groundbreaking Ceremony, construction begins
Fall, 2015 - Construction completed
Winter, 2015 - Grand Opening Ceremony Celebrated

Great Cities have Great Libraries
More than 500,000 customers utilize the resources at the Faulk Central Library each year. However, the current facility cannot be expanded to accommodate Austin's population growth. The Library's collection outgrew the building's capacity more than 15 years ago. In November of 2006 voters approved a bond to construct a $90 million new Central Library to replace the 110,000 square foot John Henry Faulk Central Library that was built in 1979. On December 11, 2008 the Austin City Council selected the Joint Venture of Lake | Flato Architects and Shepley Bulfinch Richardson and Abbott to design our city's new Central Library.

Lake | Flato Architects, Inc.
Established in 1984, Lake | Flato Architects has gained national recognition for architecture that is rooted to its place and successfully merges with the landscape. In collaboration with their clients, Lake | Flato creates buildings that are tactile and modern, environmentally responsible and authentic, artful and crafted. Lake|Flato has received wide critical acclaim. The American Institute of Architects selected Lake | Flato as the Firm of the Year in 2004. In 2006, Lake | Flato was the only firm to have two projects selected as Top Ten Green Projects by the AIA Committee on the Environment. A third was a 2007 Top Ten Green Project. In all, Lake | Flato's work has been recognized with 37 national awards (including the AIA's Honor Award in 1992, 1997, 1999 and 2007) and 51 state awards. For more information about Lake | Flato Architects please visit www.lakeflato.com.

Shepley Bulfinch Richardson and Abbott Incorporated
Shepley Bulfinch offer clients innovative design solutions in architecture, planning, and interior design. A nationally recognized leader of library programming and design, Shepley Bulfinch works with libraries as they face changes to their physical space and operations, positioning them for their expanding and evolving roles in the 21st century. The firm was established in 1874 by Henry Hobson Richardson. "Richardsonian Romanesque", though now in the pantheon of architectural styles, was a dramatic break from the works of his contemporaries. The firm carries forward his vision of innovation and his legacy of design excellence. In doing so, they draw on their nationally recognized expertise in the design and construction of sustainable, energy-efficient buildings. Their public library portfolio includes central libraries for the cities of Cincinnati, Memphis, and Eugene, Oregon; and the phased renovation of Boston Public Library/ For more information about Shepley Bulfinch Richardson and Abbott please visit www.shepleybulfinch.com.

A Message From The Director

Photo of Brenda Branch The current John Henry Faulk Central Library, which opened in 1979 to serve a population of 300,000 and support 10 branches is inadequate to meet the needs of the current population of 757,688 and 20 branches, much less the needs created by Austin's continued urban growth.

The new 250,000 square foot Central Library will include:

Increased research and circulating collections augmenting branch collections
Additional seating, meeting and study room space, a café, and an auditorium
Improved information technology including a high tech center
Program and exhibit space for community and cultural events
Dedicated program space for youth and teens
A family center offering programs and services for all ages
Increased parking and accessibility, including close proximity to public transportation and pedestrian and bicycle facilities
A business and career center, positively contributing to the economic well being of the community

All in all, the new Central Library will provide a high tech, cultural and information center offering engaging programs and services for all ages. We are excited to create a state of the art library that will be a downtown destination and a source of civic pride for this community!

Thank you again, Austin!
Brenda Branch
Director of Libraries

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does the John Henry Faulk Central Library need to be replaced with a new central library?
- Nearly 600,000 customers visit the Faulk Central Library each year to use its many resources. However, the current building has many deficiencies:
- The collection outgrew the building’s capacity 15 years ago and there is no room for expansion of the collection.
- There is no space for additional Internet workstations. The Central Library was built before the Internet and other electronic resources were considered essential to library services.
- It has no room to add additional seating.
- There is no dedicated youth programming area or separate teen space.
- It has minimal space for exhibits and displays that complement and promote collections.
- It has no auditorium or meeting rooms for community use.
Why is the Central Library essential?
- The Central Library is the hub of the Library system. It provides a centralized operating system for 20 branch libraries.
- The expanded materials collection will be available for check out from any library location.
- Professional librarians at the Central Library will provide subject expertise to support the information needs of branch library customers.
- The new Central Library will be a community center with the following public spaces:
  - A dedicated youth programming area
  - A separate teen area
  - Public meeting and study rooms
  - Exhibition space
  - An auditorium for literary and cultural programs.
- The Central Library will serve the entire Austin region, but will also function as the library location for the increasing downtown population.
Will the new Central Library take money away from the branches?
- The new building will be built with general obligation bonds, not from the Library’s operating budget.
- The Austin Public Library Foundation will conduct a fund raising campaign for enhancements to the New Central Library.
- No funding will be diverted from branch operations.
How will the project be funded?
- $90 million ~ provided by Proposition 6 of the 2006 GO Bond Election for the New Central Library Project
- $10 million ~ Repurposed from Block 21 proceeds (originally identified to help fund operation of the New Central Library)
- $15 million ~ Contractual Obligations (debt issuance to acquire equipment) for Technology
- $5 million ~ Books/Equipment purchased through the Annual General Fund Budget (Operating) and One-Time Capital Budget
- $1 million ~ Retail/Parking (proceeds from New Central Library) supported debt
- $120 million ~ Newly proposed funding total
Shouldn’t the funds go to improve the Branch Libraries?
- The City’s Library Building Program has previously focused on rejuvenating the entire branch library system by renovating, expanding, and building branch libraries.
- Over the last four bond elections the community invested in branch libraries.
  - 10 new facilities were added.
  - 7 more facilities were relocated from lease spaces to new facilities.
  - 3 facilities were expanded
Why do we need a new central library when we have branch libraries?
- Branch libraries cannot function without essential services from the Central Library.
- A central library is the hub of any good library system. Branch libraries rely on the Central Library for selection, acquisition, and cataloging.
- Branch libraries typically hold books and audiovisual materials that cater to general interest. Branch library collections focus on the most popular titles and topics. Unlike branch libraries, a central library should have the space to house a more in depth collection of research materials and an extensive circulating collection available to customers at any of our locations.
- The Faulk Central Library annually delivers approximately 200,000 books and other materials requested by branch customers to their neighborhood branch for pick-up.
Where will the new Central Library be Located?
- The New Central Library will be located at the confluence of Shoal Creek and Ladybird Lake. It is the western portal to downtown and terminus to Second Street. Bounded by Seaholm and the Green Developments, the New Central Library takes advantage of Austin’s investment in revitalizing west downtown and Shoal Creek.
Will there be parking and easy access to public transit at the new Central Library?
- The new Central Library will have adequate public parking, and be near public transit.
- Unlike the Faulk Central Library, which has only 40 metered parking spaces, the new facility will have 200 parking spaces.
What will the new Central Library look like?
- While the exact space needed to accommodate the functions of Austin's New Central Library will be determined in the design phase of the project, it is presently anticipated that it be in the range of 185,000 - 200,000 square feet.
- Some of the amenities included in the Architectural Building Program are:
  - Generous space to house collections
  - Parking spaces for up to 200 vehicles
  - Variously sized meeting spaces to accommodate groups of 4 to 350
  - A dedicated Children’s Area
  - A dedicated Teen Space
  - A technology rich environment with computers spread throughout
  - A satellite operation of Recycled Reads, the Library's bookstore
  - A battery of Self-Check Machines
  - Four (4) Information Kiosks distributed throughout the building
  - An automated materials sorting area
  - Unique outdoor spaces overlooking Shoal Creek
Why did we decide to build a Library for the Future?
- As part of the building programming process and in an effort to plan the appropriate square footage for our new building, we engaged the services of Joan Frye Williams, an internationally acclaimed Library Futurist. The insights Joan shared with us regarding likely future scenarios to be faced by public libraries led us to rethink our assumptions about space usage in our planned facility. Joan's input to the process resulted in the realization that we had at our disposal a new model for delivery of library services which would allow us to construct a building which would address the present and future central library needs of our community. Usually referred to as the "Library for the Future" model, this new service delivery approach has but recently been adopted by the most innovative public library systems in Canada and the United States for the development of their branch library facilities. While no municipal or county public library system has yet attempted to design a facility on the scale of a central library according to the imaginative constructs found in the Library for the Future model, we are excited about the opportunity this model offers for the delivery of a new central library for Austin which will serve our community well for many years to come.
What are the main characteristics of a Library for the Future?
- Flexibility is the cornerstone which supports all the other building blocks offered by the Library for the Future model. Instead of the discrete, segmented and single-purpose areas typically found in even the newest of central libraries, the Library for the Future calls for flexible, blended, multi-use spaces which can be readily adapted for still other purposes as the Library's mission continues to evolve in the fast changing world of today and tomorrow. For example, in our new design scheme, the Children's Program Area is easily modified to serve as a family reading and laptop computer use area when no Children's Programs are scheduled to be presented.
- A Library for the Future succeeds in being that great “Third Place” between home and work where persons of all ages and walks of life gather to interact and discuss the matters that are of importance and interest to the community. Austin’s Central Library for the Future will provide gathering spaces of all sizes to promote education through conversation. The key community gathering space will be the multi-purpose Event Center which can hold large library or community meetings as the occasion demands, or can be rapidly partitioned to accommodate smaller programs. The Special Event Center will also be available for rental for private events. A variety of smaller meeting rooms and study rooms will likewise be provided.
- State of the art technologies will be the order of the day for the Central Library for the Future. Downloadables and eBooks will increasingly become a larger proportion of our available collection while laptop computer use by customers will be encouraged throughout the facility through comprehensive WiFi capacity and an equally widespread provision of electrical outlets conveniently placed. The facility, itself, will stand and be operated as a “Smart Building” with its myriad building systems – heating, ventilation and air-conditioning, lighting, elevators, security cameras and door access elements controlled by a fully integrated computer system.
- Libraries for the Future incorporate the electronic delivery of information, and that emphasis will be pervasive in Austin's new "Central Library for the Future". From a reference area devoted to research by means of data bases and other electronic resources to an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) system for organizing and transporting the collections throughout the building, and including a generous complement of self-check units designed to encourage customer self-sufficiency, Austin's new Central Library will thrive on the new and developing electronic means of information delivery.
- In recognition of the many different ways that customers today study, research, use computers and read for recreational purposes, the Library for the Future model calls for a mixture of both quiet and lively zones within the building to accommodate all. Spaces suitable for contemplative pursuits will be provided for both reading and computer use, while more upbeat, even playful areas will accommodate the more collaborative efforts of our customers. Careful attention to adjacencies and sound attenuation during design and construction will allow users of the differently purposed areas to find their library experience equally pleasurable.
- Collections are displayed to encourage discovery. Rather than row upon row of formidable stacks, our Central Library of the Future will be equipped throughout with shelving of more innovative manufacture so that more materials may be displayed face-out with their interesting covers serving as enticement to “impulse checkout”. The overall ambiance created will be more like that of a popular, upscale bookstore with a user-friendly layout.
Will the new Central Library be LEED certified?
- The Austin City Council, through its Resolution #00608-43, requires all new municipal buildings to achieve at a minimum USGBC-LEED (US Green Building Council – Leadership in Energy and environmental Design) Silver” certification. LEED is an internationally recognized green building certification system providing third-party verification that a building was designed and constructed using strategies aimed at improving performance across all the metrics that matter most: energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 (carbon dioxide) emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality, and stewardship of resources and sensitivity to their impacts. The design team will meet and possibly exceed this minimum requirement of “Silver” certification.
How will the project be funded?
- $90 million - provided by Proposition 6 of the 2006 GO Bond Election for the New Central Library Project
- $10 million - Repurposed from Block 21 proceeds (originally identified to help fund operation of the New Central Library)
- $14 million - Contractual Obligations (debt issuance to acquire equipment) for Technology
- $5 million - Books/Equipment purchased through the Annual General Fund Budget (Operating) and One-Time Capital Budget
- $1 million - Retail/Parking (proceeds from New Central Library) supported debt
- $120 million - Newly proposed funding total
What is the timeline?
See the updated timeline
How would a new central library impact the downtown area?
- The proposed site of the Green Water Treatment Plant is a perfect location for the new Central Library in the opinion of library support groups and library administration because it will be right in the heart of the emerging cultural/entertainment district. A study following the opening of the new Seattle Public Library in 2004 determined that $16 million of funding was brought to the downtown area in a one year time period. It was projected that over a 10 year period $160 million of funding would be brought to the downtown area.

Downloads

9/26/2011 PRESENTATION TO LIBRARY COMMISSION
Architectural Building Program Presentation
Architectural Building Program Draft
Architectural Building Program Appendix Part 1
Architectural Building Program Appendix Part 2
Austin Public Library Facilities Master Plan
Peer, Texas Library Comparisons
Library Comparisons 2006

Other New Central Libraries
The pictures and links below highlight the many new Central Libraries that have recently been built or are in the process of being built in other peer cities across the country.

Seattle, Washington
Image of Seattle Washington Library