AUSTIN, Texas — Austin Public Library is offering free library cards to every student in Travis County, even if the students live outside of Austin's city limits.
The offer is extended to all students enrolled in Travis County, including daycare, private, public and homeschool students.
Austin Public Library cards are free for everyone who lives in the city; however, anyone who does not live in Austin is usually able to receive an Austin library card for $120 per year, or a $30 quarterly fee. Starting Oct. 1, that fee is waived for all students enrolled in Travis County. The offer remains in place until the student finishes high school.
“We are very excited to be able to expand access to library materials to all students in Travis County,” stated Austin Public Library Director Roosevelt Weeks, in a press release. “One of the Austin Public Library’s six core priorities is ‘Literacy Advancement,’ and lifting a financial barrier to accessing the Library’s resources for tens of thousands of Travis County students will provide a significant boost to literacy and learning in the Greater Austin community.”
The change to APL's fee schedule is the result of an updated budget approved by the Austin City Council back in August. APL says they are already working with several private schools and Travis County school districts to provide cards to students.
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