The Yarborough and North Village branch libraries are valuable resources for our neighborhood, funded by everyone’s tax dollars. In addition to lending books, movies, and CDs, these branches offer a variety of services to our community—ranging from story times for kids to free wireless internet access to an air-conditioned place to lounge on a hot summer day.
The Yarborough library branch (2200 Hancock Dr., 454-7208) has a few developments of particular note:
• A winter holiday party on Saturday, December 13, will include music, food, and crafts for kids.
• The branch encourages artistic expression by exhibiting local artists’ work. Anyone who paints, draws, does photography, or creates other types of art is welcome to contact the branch’s managing librarian, Bonita Snyder-Jones.
• Many community groups use the branch’s meeting rooms for a variety of purposes. If a group plans to use the meeting facilities, it should be aware that the branch’s scheduling process has changed. As a result, applications for 2009 meeting space should be filled out this November.
The North Village branch (currently at 2139 W. Anderson Ln., 458-2239) is planning to move to a larger location in January 2009. The new building, which is under construction at 2505 Steck Ave., will roughly double the branch’s square footage. It will include a number of green construction features, such as recycled building materials, solar panels, natural lighting, rainwater collection, and native plant landscaping. It also will offer several technologically advanced features, including some 20 public computers, wired carrels for use of personal laptop computers, and dedicated computer centers for young people. In addition, a “living room” section will provide a lounge area stocked with periodicals and a coffee machine.
Because of city budget cuts, the Yarborough branch is now closed on Fridays, and the North Village branch is now closed on Thursdays. Both branches are also closed on Sundays.
Check out the Austin Public Library website (www.ci.austin.tx.us/library) for more information about these branches and other library offerings, including an online catalog of library holdings.
