Central Library (APL)
🏢 Austin Public Library · Austin, Texas
Central Library (APL)
Austin's flagship public library — opened October 28, 2017 in the Seaholm District — is a LEED-certified, six-story building designed by Lake Flato and Shepley Bulfinch, recognized by the AIA and TIME Magazine for its living rooftop garden, reading porches, and ambitious commitment to sustainable design.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 9am–8pm |
| Tuesday | 9am–8pm |
| Wednesday | 9am–8pm |
| Thursday | 9am–8pm |
| Friday | 9am–5pm |
| Saturday | 10am–5pm |
| Sunday | 12pm–5pm |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 710 W. César Chávez Street, Austin, TX 78701
Phone: (512) 974-7400
Website: library.austintexas.gov
Plus Code: 8624768X+C8 (Austin, TX)
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👋 Use the Library Online
📖 About Central Library (APL)
Austin Public Library's Central Library opened on October 28, 2017, replacing the 1979 John Henry Faulk Central Library and delivering the downtown flagship that the city had long envisioned. The six-story building at 710 W. César Chávez Street was co-designed by San Antonio's Lake Flato Architects and Boston's Shepley Bulfinch, and it uses 40% less energy than a comparable structure — powered in part by photovoltaic cells that generate 13% of the building's electricity, a rainwater harvesting cistern, and a vegetated roof that doubles as a living rooftop garden open to patrons. The design earned the American Institute of Architects' COTE Top Ten Award for sustainable design excellence in 2020, and in 2026 TIME Magazine featured the building in its "A Portrait of America in 25 Buildings and Monuments." The library is the anchor of the Seaholm redevelopment, a former power plant district along Lady Bird Lake, and connects directly to the Ann and Roy Butler Hike and Bike Trail. Austin Public Library traces its roots to February 1926, when a reading room opened at 819 Congress Avenue; today the system operates the Central Library, the Austin History Center, and 20 neighborhood branches serving more than one million Travis County residents.
⭐ What makes this library special
- Opened October 28, 2017 — designed by Lake Flato Architects and Shepley Bulfinch; uses 40% less energy than a comparable building, with rooftop photovoltaic cells generating 13% of its power
- AIA COTE Top Ten Award winner (2020) for sustainable design; featured by TIME Magazine in 'A Portrait of America in 25 Buildings and Monuments' (2026)
- Living rooftop garden and reading porches open to the public, plus a rainwater-harvesting cistern and vegetated roof — all free to explore
- Innovation Lab with 3D printing, Apple and Windows workstations, Adobe Creative Cloud, Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, Ableton Live, and game-development platforms (Unity, Unreal Engine) — free with a library card
- On-site Passport Acceptance Facility (2nd floor, Room 207) serving first-time applicants and renewals; Seed Library for borrowing and returning locally adapted plant seeds
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
Austin cardholders access thousands of eBooks, films, research databases, and learning tools free through APL's digital collection and TexShare:
📚 Services
- Public computers (Mac and Windows), free printing ($0.20/page B&W), scanning, and copying
- Innovation Lab: 3D printing, Apple M1 iMacs, Mac Pro towers, Adobe Creative Cloud, Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, Ableton Live, Unity, and Unreal Engine
- Passport Acceptance Facility — 2nd floor, Room 207 (appointments required, online booking only)
- Shared Learning Rooms (meeting rooms) available for groups by reservation
- Seed Library: borrow locally adapted vegetable, herb, and flower seeds — return seeds at harvest to keep the collection growing
- Art Gallery with rotating exhibitions and docent tours
- Underground parking: 140 public spaces accessible from West Avenue (first hour often free; pay-to-park thereafter)
- Bike corral and direct trailhead access to Ann and Roy Butler Hike and Bike Trail
- Interlibrary loan and holds via APL system (20 branches + Austin History Center)
🎸 Programs
- Books and Babies — storytime for infants and caregivers
- Toddler and Preschool Storytime — stories, songs, and crafts for young children
- LEGO Lab — building challenges for preschoolers through tweens
- 3D Printing Programs — monthly hands-on sessions in the Innovation Lab (free, registration may be required)
- Yoga, brain games, and wellness programs for adults
- Field Trips for school and youth groups — advance scheduling required
- Gallery Tours — guided tours of rotating art exhibitions by appointment
📍 Nearby Libraries in Austin
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
When did Austin's new Central Library open, and what happened to the old one?
The current Central Library opened on October 28, 2017, in the Seaholm District along Lady Bird Lake. It replaced the John Henry Faulk Central Library, which had served Austin since 1979. The new building — co-designed by Lake Flato Architects of San Antonio and Shepley Bulfinch of Boston — is six stories tall, uses 40% less energy than a comparable structure, and features a living rooftop garden, photovoltaic panels, and a rainwater-harvesting cistern.
What is the Innovation Lab, and do I need to reserve a spot to use it?
The Innovation Lab is a free makerspace on the upper floors of the Central Library. It houses Apple M1 iMacs, Apple Mac Pro towers, and Dell Windows desktops loaded with professional software: Adobe Creative Cloud (Photoshop, Premiere, After Effects, Illustrator, InDesign), Final Cut Pro, DaVinci Resolve, Logic Pro, Ableton Live, GarageBand, Unity, Unreal Engine, and Blender. The lab also offers free 3D printing through monthly programs and patron requests. A valid library card is required; check the APL website for current reservation and drop-in policies.
Can I apply for a passport at the Central Library?
Yes. The Central Library houses an official Passport Acceptance Facility on the 2nd floor (Room 207), handling first-time passport applications (Form DS-11) and renewals processed as new applications. Hours are Monday–Thursday 10am–6:30pm, Friday 9am–noon and 1–4:30pm, and Saturday 10am–noon and 1–4:30pm. Appointments are required and must be booked online (not by phone or email). For questions, call (512) 974-9639 or email APLpassport@austintexas.gov.
What is the Seed Library, and how does it work?
The Seed Library lets patrons check out packets of locally adapted vegetable, herb, and flower seeds — free with an Austin Public Library card. At the end of the growing season, gardeners are encouraged to save seeds from their plants and return them to replenish the collection, creating a community-maintained, regenerative resource. The Seed Library is located inside the Central Library; ask at the desk for current seed availability and return guidelines.
🛂 This library offers U.S. passport services. See how library passport acceptance works — requirements, fees and appointments — and find other passport acceptance libraries by state.
📜 This library has genealogy & local-history resources. See how library family-history research works and find other libraries with genealogy collections genealogy libraries by state.
🔨 This library has a makerspace / 3D printing. See how library makerspaces and 3D printing work and find other libraries with a makerspace makerspaces by state.
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