Austin Public Library could waive library card fees for even more residents

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Public Library system could soon expand its library services to a wider margin of area residents.

Austin City Council will consider Thursday removing the non-resident library card fee for those who live in Austin's limited purpose and extraterritorial jurisdictions (ETJs). Currently, those residents pay up to $120 annually for a non-resident library card, per council documents.

Christina Nelson, APL's customer access division manager, told KXAN Monday the fee removal, if approved, could expand access to up to 190,000 qualifying residents.

"With the expansion that's possibly in the works, it would then allow more residents to be able to check out physical print materials, and then access our wealth of digital resources online," she said.

Nelson added non-city residents don't have to pay anything to access APL's programming or to use resources like computers at its branches. However, she said this does open up a wider network of digital and print materials, including online entertainment and streaming.

This effort has been years in the making, Nelson said. From 2008 to 2015, APL received grant funding from the Texas State Library and Archives Commission that had previously removed the non-resident fee for Austin's ETJ and limited purpose residents.

When that grant funding ran out, the fee was reinstated.

"Since that time, it has been the goal for Austin Public Library to be able to broaden our access points," she said.

Other ongoing APL efforts include its enhanced library card initiative, launched at three pilot locations in May 2023. That alternate form of identification — while not an authorized form of identification from the state — is accepted by various community organizations as a "stepping stone" to identification.

To date, approximately 3,100 enhanced library cards have been issued since last May. Nelson added possible expansion efforts for the enhanced cards linger on the horizon.

"The potential is that more folks can benefit from not only the library, but other services that the community provides," she said.

Austin City Council's Thursday meeting begins at 10 a.m. Those interested can watch the meeting online and track council action here.