Buy One For The Library

The Austin Public Library book budget is not nearly what is needed for a city of Austin's size and status. The Library Foundation's Buy One for the Library campaigns give you a way to help. Buy a book, CD, or periodicalfrom the Library's wish list, and people all over town will enjoy it now or for years to come.

NEW-Second Chance Books: Gardner-Betts Outreach Program

Second Chance Books: Bringing Literature to Incarcerated Kids is a partnership project between Austin Public Library and Gardner-Betts Juvenile Justice Center. The Second Chance Books project encourages the kids to improve their reading skills, learn to enjoy reading for pleasure, and to learn about options, library services, and library resources that can help them do better in school and stay out of trouble. Give to the Second Chance Books: Gardner-Betts Outreach Program.

Author program (Young Adult author Neal Shusterman) at
Gardner-Betts Juvenile Center with Austin Public Library librarians

Library's General Collection

The Keep Austin Reading campaign highlights recent titles andCDs/DVDs of great general interest. Go to our Keep Austin Reading secure page to make your selection and donation. Any difference between your donation and the title's list price will be used to purchase additional titles.

Periodical Collection

The Austin Public Library's periodicals budget was cut by 50% in recent years. This means that the library is falling behind in providing people with up-to-date news and event coverage. With a helpful donation to the Library Foundation periodicals campaign -- Keep Austin Current-- we will be able to replace titles such as New York Times, Dallas Morning News, The New Yorker, Men's Health, and National Geographic just to name a few.

Thanks to the people who gave to the Buy One for the Library campaigns:

Ann Morse purchased Hot Shots and Heavy Hits: Tales of an Undercover Drug Agent by Paul E. Doyle and The Raw Deal: How Myths and Misinformation about Deficits, Inflation, and Wealth Impoverish America by Ellen Frank. Suzanne E. Pickens purchased Humankind: A Brief History by Felipe Fernandez-Armesto, Itsy Bitsy Yoga by Helen Garabedian, How Congress Works and Why You Should Care by Lee H. Hamilton, and Sacred Places Around the World: 108 Destinations by Brad Olsen. Bonni Symington purchased 100 Best Books for Children by Anita Silvey. Thanks also to David Todd, Judith Hall, Dennis Jacobs for their contributions online. And thanks to those who chose to give Beautiful Shadow: A Life of Patricia Highsmith by Andrew Wilson, Red Card by Daniel Hale, Acceleration by Graham McNamee, and This Too Can Be Yours by Beth Lisick from the Giving Tree at BookPeople.