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Library Growth

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Written by Shannon Colletti Wednesday, 19 March 2008

There has been a boom of new libraries in the greater Austin area,” said Karen Ellis, Taylor Public Library director. “The new libraries speak to the growth in Central Texas. As the population grows, quality of life becomes an important factor, and libraries are a direct result.”

In the past year and a half, libraries have opened in Taylor, Georgetown and Leander. Hutto will be opening the doors of its first library this month.

“With the promotion of literacy at every stage in life, libraries have become almost like the hubs of every city,” said Yasmeen Jehangir, librarian at the Hutto Public Library. “They are turning into community centers where people read and get together.”

When Ken Love, now mayor, moved to Hutto in 2001, he was surprised there was no library.

“You had a growing community and people with small children,” he said. “They would have to go to Round Rock, Taylor or Pflugerville. Having one in our community would alleviate the difficulties in being able to access a library.”

With other residents, Love formed a committee and got the ball rolling to establish a city library.

This month the Hutto Public Library will open at 205 West St., previously home to a fire station. Renovations began in October. About one quarter of the building has seen improvements that include new paint, carpet, furniture and measures to become compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The library has free wireless Internet access and 4,000 items, many of which have been donated.

Also this month, Taylor will mark the first anniversary of its new 20,000 sq. ft. library. The library’s previous building was torn down because of mold. The new one at 801 Vance St. has 35,000 items and cost about $3.8 million.

Taylor’s new facility has a local-history archive room with a fire-suppression system and a 2,000 sq. ft. meeting room with state-of-the-art audio-visual equipment.

In January, Georgetown celebrated the first anniversary of relocating to its new location at 402 W. Eighth St. The library moved to accommodate growth.

Funded by about $9.5 million in bonds and $300,000 in donations, the new library is 48,000 sq. ft. and contains 90,000 items. The Red Poppy Coffee Co. within it allows patrons to buy coffee and snacks they can carry with them throughout the entire facility. Other features include a 400-capacity meeting room and a rainforest-themed children’s area.