Willie Mae Kirk Branch — Austin Public Library
🏢 Austin Public Library · East Austin, Texas
Willie Mae Kirk Branch — Austin Public Library
Named in 2012 for Willie Mae 'Ankie' Kirk — lifelong East Austin educator, civil rights advocate, Library Commissioner, and mother of Dallas's first Black mayor — this branch at Oak Springs and Tillery serves Council District 3 and is currently closed for a major bond-funded renovation with a new teen makerspace and innovation lab, scheduled to reopen later in 2026.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 10am–9pm |
| Tuesday | 10am–9pm |
| Wednesday | 10am–9pm |
| Thursday | 10am–9pm |
| Friday | 10am–6pm |
| Saturday | 10am–5pm |
| Sunday | Closed |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 3101 Oak Springs Drive, Austin, TX 78702
Phone: (512) 974-9920
Website: library.austintexas.gov
Plus Code: 862478F2+32 (Austin, TX)
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📖 About Willie Mae Kirk Branch — Austin Public Library
The Willie Mae Kirk Branch traces its history to the old Oak Springs Branch, a neighborhood anchor in East Austin long serving the area's African American and Hispanic communities. In October 2012 the City of Austin dedicated the newly renamed branch to honor Willie Mae 'Ankie' Jones Kirk (February 4, 1921 – September 28, 2013), one of Austin's most consequential educators and community advocates. Born in Manor, Travis County, Kirk graduated from Anderson High School, earned a bachelor's degree in social science from Samuel Huston College (now Huston-Tillotson University) on a music scholarship in 1947, and taught elementary school for 35 years while fighting for racial justice — leading Mothers' Action Council protests, organizing voter registration, and serving on Austin's first Human Rights Commission (1968). Appointed to the Austin Library Commission in 1971, she served 12 years and successfully led the campaign to save the original George Washington Carver Branch from demolition, later reopened as Texas's first African American neighborhood museum. At the 2012 dedication, attended by some 200 community members, Kirk — then 91 — declared: 'Kids need to have a place where they can get any of the knowledge they need.' The branch is currently undergoing a comprehensive 2018 Library Bond-funded renovation that will add a teen makerspace, innovation lab, updated technology, ADA restrooms, new HVAC and roof, and a modernized interior; it is scheduled to reopen later in 2026.
⭐ What makes this library special
- Named in October 2012 for Willie Mae 'Ankie' Kirk (1921-2013) — 35-year Austin educator, civil rights leader, Library Commissioner from 1971 to 1983, and co-champion of the George Washington Carver Branch's preservation
- Kirk's son, Ron Kirk, became Dallas's first Black mayor and later served as U.S. Trade Representative under President Obama — the family's legacy of public service spans generations
- Inducted into the National Women of Achievement Hall of Fame in 1994 alongside Barbara Jordan — the renaming honors a civic giant who shaped East Austin for six decades
- Serves Council District 3 in East Austin, a historically significant African American and Hispanic neighborhood; hosted the city's Juneteenth Jubilee celebration in 2023 with community quilt-making and author events
- Undergoing a full 2018 Library Bond renovation (closed July 13, 2024; reopening later in 2026) — scope includes a new teen makerspace, innovation lab, ADA upgrades, sustainable flooring, LED lighting, and HVAC/roof replacement
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
Willie Mae Kirk Branch cardholders access books, films, and research databases free through Austin Public Library and the statewide TexShare network:
📚 Services
- Public computers with internet access and word-processing software
- Wi-Fi throughout the branch
- Self-checkout kiosks
- Printing services (black-and-white, letter-sized, $0.20/side)
- One meeting room (reservations available)
- Free library card for Travis County residents (apply online or in person)
- Interlibrary loan through the Austin Public Library system and TexShare member network
- Holds pickups (currently redirected to Carver Branch during renovation)
🎸 Programs
- Storytime — weekly sessions for preschool-age children (stories, songs, and rhymes)
- Juneteenth Jubilee — annual community celebration featuring author visits, book raffles, hands-on activities, and community quilt-making
- Youth computer programs for ages 10-18
- Teen makerspace and innovation lab (coming with the 2026 renovation)
- Community events honoring East Austin's historic African American and Hispanic residents
📍 Nearby Austin Public Library Branches
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Willie Mae 'Ankie' Kirk, and why is the branch named after her?
Willie Mae 'Ankie' Jones Kirk (February 4, 1921 – September 28, 2013) was a Manor-born educator and civil rights leader who taught Austin elementary school students for 35 years and spent decades fighting for racial justice — leading Mothers' Action Council protests against a segregated skating rink, organizing voter registration drives before the 1965 Voting Rights Act, and serving on Austin's first Human Rights Commission in 1968. From 1971 to 1983 she served on the Austin Library Commission, where she investigated racial inequities in the library system and successfully led the campaign to save the historic George Washington Carver Branch from demolition. In 2012 the City of Austin renamed the Oak Springs Branch in her honor; about 200 community members attended the dedication ceremony, where the 91-year-old Kirk said, 'Kids need to have a place where they can get any of the knowledge they need.' She was inducted into the National Women of Achievement Hall of Fame in 1994 alongside Barbara Jordan.
Is the Willie Mae Kirk Branch currently open?
No — the branch closed July 13, 2024 for a comprehensive renovation funded by Austin's 2018 Library Bond. The project includes a new teen makerspace, innovation lab, ADA restroom upgrades, sustainable flooring, LED lighting, new HVAC and roof, technology overhaul, and a modernized interior. The branch is scheduled to reopen later in 2026. During the closure, holds and pickups are being redirected to the Carver Branch at 1161 Angelina Street. Check library.austintexas.gov/closures for the latest updates.
What neighborhood does the Willie Mae Kirk Branch serve, and what is its history?
The branch sits at Oak Springs Drive and Tillery Street in East Austin — Council District 3 — a neighborhood historically home to Austin's African American and Hispanic communities. It served as the Oak Springs Branch for decades before being renamed in 2012 to honor Willie Mae Kirk's 60-plus years of civic engagement in that same community. In June 2023 the branch hosted the city's Juneteenth Jubilee, bringing together longtime East Austin residents and newer arrivals for author visits, community quilt-making, and celebrations that reflected the neighborhood's evolving but deeply rooted identity.
What digital resources can I access with an Austin Public Library card?
Austin Public Library cardholders access a wide range of free digital resources: eBooks and audiobooks through Libby (OverDrive) and cloudLibrary, streaming films and documentaries on Kanopy, digital magazines via Flipster, live tutoring through Brainfuse HelpNow (2–11 PM daily), genealogy research on Ancestry Library Edition, and the full TexShare database suite — magazine articles, encyclopedias, and subject databases administered by the Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC). You can apply for a card online at library.austintexas.gov/mylibrarycard.
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