🏢 Austin Public Library — Austin, Texas

Willie Mae Kirk Branch

The Willie Mae Kirk Branch honors an Austin educator and civil rights leader who spent decades fighting to integrate the city and improve its libraries, anchoring the Oak Springs neighborhood of East Austin.

📖 About Willie Mae Kirk Branch

Formerly known as the Oak Springs Branch, this East Austin library was renamed and dedicated in October 2012 to honor Willie Mae "Ankie" Kirk (1921–2013). A graduate of the old Anderson High School and Samuel Huston College, Kirk taught elementary school in Austin from 1947 until her retirement in 1982. She co-founded the 1963–1964 Mothers' Action Council, which led demonstrations to integrate public facilities in Austin, and in 1968 was appointed to the city's first Human Rights Commission. During her twelve years as a Library Commissioner she was described as a champion for every APL branch, working to improve library facilities across the system. The branch sits in Council District 3 on Oak Springs Drive and has become a gathering place for the community, hosting events such as an annual Juneteenth jubilee. The branch is currently closed for renovation and is scheduled to reopen later in 2026, with holds and pickups redirected to the nearby Carver Branch.

⭐ What makes this branch special

• Named for Willie Mae "Ankie" Kirk (1921–2013), Austin educator, civil rights leader, and longtime Library Commissioner
• Renamed from the Oak Springs Branch and dedicated in October 2012
• A neighborhood gathering place known for community events, including an annual Juneteenth jubilee
• Currently closed for renovation; scheduled to reopen later in 2026 (holds redirected to Carver Branch)

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