About the Library
The award-winning Austin Public Library (APL) has been the community’s premier source of knowledge, technology, and inspiration for nearly a century. It provides library programs, technology, collections, and space through its state-of-the-art Central Library, Austin History Center, and 20 library branches. It also provides services and resources out in the community through outreach and partnerships.
Vision
Austin Public Library: A model of equity, inclusion, access, and diversity.
Mission
Inspiring all to discover, learn, and create.
Strategic Goals
Strategic Goals
Intellectual Freedom
We work hard to engage residents from all walks of life in a safe and respectful environment – free and open to all in accordance with the American Library Association's Library Bill of Rights.
Strategic Goals
Our efforts and resources and the programs, services, and materials we offer are tied to these goals:
- Provide community-centric programs and services.
- Design and develop spaces for community connections.
- Foster stakeholder relationships.
- Expand library access.
- Engage staff.
Executive Team
Executive Team
Contact the Executive Team at: APLexec@austintexas.gov
Hannah Terrell
Director of Libraries
Dinene Brown
Assistant Director, Support Services
John Cabiya
Finance Manager
Joe Faulk
Information Systems Manager
Baylor Johnson
Public Information & Marketing Program Manager
Katherine Cantrell
Chief Administrative Officer
Carmaleta McKinnis-Williams
Equity, Inclusion Manager
Cody Scott
Facilities Process Manager
Equity Diversity and Inclusion Statement
Equity Diversity and Inclusion Statement
Austin Public Library (APL) acknowledges the United States, the State of Texas, and Austin’s long history of systemic racism and racial inequity that continues to this day, from the City of Austin’s Historic “1928 City Plan” as well as historical barriers to accessing library resources. Moving forward, APL aims to use an anti-racist and transformative approach to building a culture of equity and uplifting diversity. APL invites all voices to co-create impactful policies, practices, programs, and services that embodies “Library for All” rooted in humanity.
Equity: the intentional distribution of resources and tools for everyone to have the opportunity to succeed, especially for individuals and/or groups that have been historically underserved and underrepresented.
Diversity: Diversity is Quantity of diverse backgrounds, experiences, identities, and cultures.
Inclusion: Inclusion is Quality of participation across backgrounds, experiences, identities, and cultures.
The Austin Public Library integrates equity, diversity, and inclusion in the Library’s Six Priorities. This APL Equity Statement is a living document that will continue to evolve in our ever-changing world.
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Statistics
Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 in Review
- Customers and Volunteers
- 100,000 new cardholders for FY25
- 346,000 average active cardholders each month
- 3,000,000 visitors to all libraries
- 169 average volunteers each month
- Chart of new cardholders each month. October 2024 was the highest month with 40,000 new cards created when we imported student cards.
- 338,328 total cardholders in FY25
- Technology
- 25,000,000 website hits
- 478,000 WiFi sessions
- 333,000 computer sessions
- 11,000 checkouts of hotspots and laptops
- Events and Outreach
- 6,475 programs in FY25
- 131 virtual programs
- 694 outreach events
- Chart of program attendance by audience. Children have the highest audience attendance overall, followed by adult then teens.
- Chart of the number of attendees by quarter. FY25 Quarter 1 attendance 37,000; Quarter 2 65,000; Quarter 3 46,000 and Quarter 4 50,000
- Circulation
- 3,730,000 physcial items checked out
- 4,000,000 digital items checked out
- Heatmap comparing the digital and physical checkouts by adult or youth materials.
- Adult digital materials - 3,700,000
- Youth physical materials - 2,300,000
- Adult physical materials - 1,400,000
- Youth digital materials - 300,000
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