home | Foundation Dollars At Work 

The Library Foundation Puts Your Dollars to Work

Public funds just aren't enough to meet the needs of our Library system. The Austin Public Library Foundation works to strengthen and support Austin's libraries. When you give to the Library Foundation, your dollars are put to good use. Foundation dollars help the Library buy books, equipment, and enhance programs. This year, building a trust fund for the new downtown Central Library is an especially important priority. As the Austin Public Library begins writing its next chapter, we invite you to be a part of the story.

AMD Internet Training Lab

The Daniel E. Ruiz Branch Library in East Austin opened in January 2004. A grant from Advanced Micro Devices funded the equipment in the AMD Computer Lab at Ruiz. Their gift also supported the Internet training program there, which offers informal adult computer classes in the lab taught by a crew of dedicated volunteers.

The Michael & Susan Dell Wired for Youth Centers

In 2000, the Michael and Susan Dell Wired for Youth Centers (WFY) were established in ten library branches with grants secured by the Austin Public Library Foundation from the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation, the City of Austin and the Dell Foundation. WFY provides youth ages 8-18 in predominately low-income areas access to computers for schoolwork and research in a monitored environment. In a typical year, over 116,000 students and their parents rely on these WFY Centers as a safe and secure place for after school. In addition to accessibility to computers, Austin Public Library Staff, known as Cyberlifeguards, provides enriching activities and discussions moving students from computers to other areas in the library, thereby creating a lifelong love of the library.

AT&T Grant Funds Upgrades for APLF 

This year, a $10,000 AT&T grant helped fund the administrative staffing and support needed to run the Austin Public Library Foundation office.

In 2005, The Austin Public Library Foundation was able to update hardware at the John Henry Faulk Central Library in 2005, thanks to a $15,000 Excelerator Grant from the SBC (now AT&T)Foundation.

Forty-two staff members serve over 500,000 visitors to the Central Library each year. SBC's support allowed the Central Library to update essential networking systems to give staff faster access to the Internet, Intranet, and other shared resources. The hardware upgrades will provide the up-to-date technology necessary to ensure the Central Library meets the information and cultural needs of our community.

In 2004, the Library received $20,000 to fund training on the latest information technology to members of the Library technology support team. In 2003, the Library received $20,000 to fund part-time Wired for Youth Cyberlifeguards for summer programs at the Michael & Susan Dell Wired for Youth Centers. Thanks to SBC for their continued support of the Austin Public Library.

In 2002, the Austin Public Library launched Storytime Connection through a partnership with the Junior League of Austin. Through this program, trained volunteers deliver Storytime once a week to young children in childcare centers in South and East Austin who due to transportation restrictions cannot attend Storytime in the library. Last year over 3,500 preschool children were entertained through the engaging performances of these talented volunteers.

Youth Programs and Youth Collections

H-E-B renewed its $5,000 sponsorship of the Austin Public Library’s Summer Reading Program this year, and FrostBank joined us at the $1,500 level. 30,000 attended Summer Reading activities in 2004. Through a federal grant administered by the Austin Project, the Austin Public Library was able to expand the reach of Storytimes and other Eager to Learn family programs, both on and off-site. A grant of $3,500 from The Long Foundation helped expand the Terrazas Branch youth collection, with special emphasis on Spanish language materials; Terrazas underwent extensive renovation and expansion in 2005.

Austin is Reading with the Mayor’s Book Club!

2008 will mark the 6th anniversary of the Mayor’s Book Club, a citywide celebration of literacy! This past year over 1000 copies of the selected book, Around the Bloc: My life in Moscow, Beijing, and Havana bay Stephanie Elizondo Griest were circulated at area libraries, countless volumes were purchased at Austin bookstores and hundreds of people participated in discussions. What will be the selected novel next year? Find out this Spring! The Mayor’s Book Club is made possible by support from the APLF.

New Immigrants Project

The New Immigrants Project started in 1999 as Austin Public Library’s response to increasing diversity in the population. Four centers were created in neighborhoods with heavy concentrations of new immigrants. Clients study English with books, audiocassettes, videos, computer programs and access the Internet free of charge. A gift secured by the APLF from the Ben & Rachael Vaughan Foundation supported the New Immigrant Project Center at the Daniel E. Ruiz Branch of the Austin Public Library system.

VICTORY Tutorial

A gift of $2,000 from the H.H. Weinert Foundation supported VICTORY, which offers free tutoring to students in grades 1-12 at the Cepeda/Terrazas, Little Walnut Creek, Oak Springs, Riverside Drive, Southeast Austin Community, Twin Oaks, University Hills and Windsor Park Branches. Students are matched on a 1:1 basis with volunteers from the greater Austin community.

El dia de los ninos/El dia de los libros

Billed as Austin’s largest bilingual celebration of books, reading, culture and family learning since 1998, Dia has promoted family sharing of books, reading and learning; increased awareness of community resources; and celebrated culture and heritage. Each year more than 2,000 children and parents attend, and over 4,500 new books are given out. The APLF helps support the Austin Public Library’s multilingual library collections and programs.