Doesn’t it feel like a little oasis of calm right here at the Austin Public Library – Howson Branch? This library serves the City of Austin and Travis County. It supports over 974000 residents. The Austin Public Library – Howson Branch is more than just a place for books. It is a community hub that offers many services.
The Austin Public Library system boasts 1.1 million books. It also has DVDs music and digital resources. The system circulates 2.6 million items yearly. That is a lot of reading and listening.
The Howson Branch Library is located in Council District 10. It is open from 9 AM Monday through Friday. Saturdays it opens at 10 AM. Here at the Howson Branch, you can find a meeting room and a Lego Lab. There is even a book club. For those with a green thumb, there are gardening lessons. Summer programs keep kids engaged. Of course, printing services are also available here at the Howson Branch.
Printing at the Austin Public Library – Howson Branch is easy. You can print from a public computer. You can also print from your own device. The cost is $0.20 per side for black and white. Only letter-size paper is available. You cannot bring your own paper to the Howson Branch.
To print from your laptop, choose the Howson Branch. Then upload your file. You can also email it as an attachment. Pay for your prints at the Self Service Print Station. You can use a credit or debit card. Cash is also accepted up to $5. For cash payments over $5 go to the Circulation Desk at the Howson Branch.
Once upon a time the lawn at the Howson Branch was just grass. There were a few shrubs and trees. It was not the garden it is today. Now, numerous perennials decorate the area around the Howson Branch. It is a lovely place to sit and read.
The inside of the Howson Branch has also changed a lot over the years. The library used a camera-based checkout system in the old days. They would photo the patron’s card with the book pockets. They also photographed the numbered date cards. If a card did not return, the microfilm would be checked. Months later, a notice would be mailed.
There was no online catalog then. There might not have even been a card catalog. Every six months, the main library sent a newly printed paperbound book catalog. There was one volume for authors. One was for titles. Another was for subjects. The covers were gray, pale blue, or pastel pink. These were at the Howson Branch.
The Howson Branch once had a small collection of vinyl records. CDs and DVDs did not exist. Now, there are many CDs and DVDs. You can even download items from the website. There were no public computers back then. The library had the red version of The Reader’s Guide to Periodical Literature. The Howson Branch had many large-print books and mysteries.
One librarian fondly remembers helping with a puppet show production of Strega Nona. Children laughed as the yarn flew everywhere. The librarian also recalls that the Howson Branch had a big meeting room. The library trustees sometimes met there.
The Howson Branch even has an electric auto recharging station in the parking lot. You can recharge your mind and your electric car. How about that? The Austin Public Library – Howson Branch is truly a place for everyone.