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About Us

As the local history division of the Austin Public Library, the Austin History Center provides the public with information about the history, current events, and activities of Austin and Travis County. We collect and preserve information about local governments, businesses, residents, institutions, and neighborhoods so that generations to come will have access to our history. 

The Austin History Center's rich collections and expert staff support exhibits, programs, and research by the public in our Reading Room.

On our website you can:

We are always ready to answer your questions and help you find the information you are looking for. Contact us here.

What to Expect When You Visit

What to Expect When You Visit link

If you will be conducting research in the AHC Reading Room, please be aware of what you can expect.  You can also get a head start on some research from home.

Our parking lot is unavailable due to construction. So for now, when you visit the AHC, you'll need to pay to park in a metered spot on a nearby street. Metered parking is free on Sundays.

To ensure the security and preservation of our materials, when you arrive at the Austin History Center we will ask that you:

  • Sign in at the front desk.
  • Place all bags and personal belongings in the lockers provided. Exceptions are provided for cameras, phones, and laptops, as long as you lock up the case.  You may also bring in up to five (5) loose sheets of your own notes.
  • Use pencils, not pens, while in the Reading Room. We provide pencils and note paper.
  • Fill out a call slip to request materials and staff will retrieve materials for you.
  • Use all of our materials in the Reading Room. Items may not be checked out.
  • Archival research can be time-consuming; please plan accordingly and provide yourself sufficient time to do your research. 

Also available in our Reading Room:

  • Photocopier.  The rate is $.20 per page, payable by cash, check or credit cards when you are ready to leave.
  • Four microform reader-printers. Two of our machines can scan microforms to a PC. The image files can then be either e-mailed via webmail or transferred to a flash drive. Unfortunately, the current computers cannot burn files to a CD.
  • Two computers to access Austin History Center and Austin Public Library reference databases.
  • Televisions, VCRs, DVD players, record and audiocassette players for accessing items from our Audio-Video collections.
  • Adaptive equipment: Kurzweil reader, Jaws and Magic.

Videos about the Austin History Center

Videos about the Austin History Center link

The Austin History Center Archive

An introduction to archives produced in-house by Austin History Center staff.

 

Saving Austin's History

An Alpheus Media film for the Austin History Center/Austin History Center Association, 2014

 

Austin History Center - Behind the Scenes from Alpheus Media on Vimeo.

An Alpheus Media film for the Austin History Center/Austin History Center Association, 2015

 

Video Collections

To learn more about our video collections visit our Collections page. You can allso subscribe to our YouTube channel to see clips of videos from some of our collections

Holiday Schedule

Holiday Schedule link

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2025

New Year’s Day:
Wednesday, January 1*

Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday:
Sunday and Monday, January 19 & 20*

Presidents Day:
Sunday and Monday, February 16 & 17*

Easter:
Sunday, April 20

Memorial Day:
Sunday and Monday, May 25 & 26*

Juneteenth:
Thursday, June 19*

Independence Day:
Friday, July 4*

Labor Day:
Sunday & Monday, August 31 & September 1*

Veterans Day:
Tuesday, November 11*

Thanksgiving Day:
Wednesday, November 26 (close at 6 PM); Thursday and Friday, November 27* & 28*

Staff Development Day:
Friday, December 12

Christmas:
Wednesday & Thursday, December 24* & 25*

New Years Eve (all locations close at 5 PM):
Wednesday, December 31

2026

New Year’s Day:
Thursday, January 1*

* Dates are official City of Austin holidays.

Preserving Your History

Preserving Your History link

Preserving family photographs, personal papers, and other precious materials provides a valuable legacy for future generations. Many of the methods and materials traditionally used to store and display these heirlooms, however, can cause them to deteriorate and fade before their time. Follow these guidelines to keep your family memories vivid.

Do

  • Store precious materials in a stable environment, below 75 degrees Fahrenheit and 50% humidity. Keep the temperature and humidity constant.
  • Protect materials with acid-free boxes, sleeves, and folders.
  • Mount items on acid-free paper using archivally safe mounts.
  • Copy newspaper articles onto acid-free paper.
  • Interleave acidic items, such as newsprint, with buffered tissue.
  • Use only PVC-free page protectors such as polypropylene or polyester.
  • Use adhesives such as wheat starch paste or methyl cellulose.
  • Identify and date each item directly on the item itself; identify each person in photographs.
  • Use soft pencils and use only acid-free matting material and a window mat to hold photos and drawings away from glass.
  • Provide acid-free supports behind large or brittle photos.
  • Unfold or unroll items flat for storage (generally).

Don't

  • Don't expose materials to unnecessary light.
  • Don't store precious materials in the attic, the basement, or hot or damp spaces.
  • Don't store precious materials in wood boxes or cabinets or cardboard shoe boxes.
  • Don't use 'magnetic' pages in albums.
  • Don't use tape of any kind (masking, transparent, or removable) or rubber cement.
  • Don't use staples, ordinary paper clips, straight pins, or rubber bands.
  • Don't use ballpoint pens for marking.
  • Don't write on paper that rests on top of precious books, photos, or documents.
  • Don't press a book's spine to force it completely open when reading or copying.
  • Don't touch the image side of a photo or the emulsion (dull) side of a negative.

Take a look at these handouts for more detailed advice on preservation:

For more information consult the Austin History Center's links to preservation sites or get involved with a local preservation group.