Austin Public Library Locations

Although the Spicewood Springs Branch opened in far Northwest Austin on November 4, 1985, the Branch actually began in 1979 with the opening of the North Oaks Branch in the Lamar Savings building in the North Oaks Shopping Center. Operating from its small corner station in the bank lobby, the North Oaks Branch was soon circulating over 30,000 books annually. In 1985, in dire need of more space, the ‘lobby library’ was moved into two rooms on the second floor of the bank. While the new upstairs space improved matters greatly, the Branch would ultimately require a larger, more permanent facility in order to meet the growing needs of Northwest Austin. For years concerned citizens and neighborhood groups like the North Oaks Neighborhood Association had lobbied for a new, full-service branch in their area. Their efforts paid off when voters approved funds for a new branch in the September 1983 bond election. Construction began in February of 1985, and on November 4, 1985, the Spicewood Springs Branch opened for business.