Today’s Forecast

69º | Rainy | 87% chance of rain | Sunrise 7:28 a.m. | Sunset 5:42 p.m.

APL’s next chapter

The central atrium of the Central Library downtown, with a view of the staircase and several floors. To the left hangs a large red sculpture, modeled after a cuckoo clock.

Austin Public Library’s Central branch is noted as a “model” for new and expanding libraries. | Photo by ATXtoday

Good news, bookworms — Austin Public Library may soon open four more branches.

Last week, The Austin City Council approved the Austin Public Library Comprehensive Library Strategic and Facilities Plan. The 116-page document — which took a year to put together — outlines long-term and short-term goals for the system. Here’s what you need to know.

Need for expansion

In case you hadn’t heard, Austin’s population is growing — a lot. City officials predict the population could increase by ~25% in the next two decades, and that means many more residents will be looking for free books and services.

“APL’s branches do not provide enough space to meet community needs now and into the future,” the plan reads. “Over the next 10-15 years, Austin will need more than twice as much branch space as APL’s current branches provide.”

A graphic map of Austin, with colored dots showing existing and new library branches — The Austin Public Library Comprehensive Library Strategic and Facilities Plan calls for expanding or replacing more than half of the system’s existing libraries.
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Graphic via Austin Public Library Comprehensive Library Strategic and Facilities Plan

Building new libraries

The city plans to add four new branches in each “quadrant” of the city to serve populations without close access to an existing library. These new locations, which could be new construction or adapted from existing buildings, include:

New Far Northeast/Colony Park, near Ribelin Ranch
New Far Northwest Branch, near Jourdan Crossing
New Far Southeast Branch, near Pilot Knob
New Far Southwest Branch, near Menchaca Road and Davis Lane

Expanding existing libraries

The plan also calls for expanding existing libraries — targeting ~30,000 sqft per branch — to meet APL’s goal of having 0.3-0.4 sqft of library space per capita.

According to the plan, that would require expanding or relocating more than half of Austin’s existing libraries. The downtown Central Library is noted in the document as a “model” for the vision of these updated and new branches.

Further details about these efforts are not yet available, but you can learn more on Austin Public Library’s website.

Events

Friday, March 31

Round Rock Express vs. Albuquerque | Now-Sunday, Apr. 2 | Times vary | Dell Diamond, 3400 E. Palm Valley Blvd., Round Rock | $12-$46 | Kick off the season with some home games vs. the Albuquerque Isotopes.
Ain’t Too Proud-The Life and Times of The Temptations | Now-Sunday, April 2 | Times vary | Bass Concert Hall, 2350 Robert Dedman Dr., Austin | $35-$135 | Follow the Temptations’ journey from Detroit to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in this Broadway show.

Saturday, April 1

Easter Egg Hunt | Saturday, Apr. 1 | 10 a.m.-1 p.m. | H-E-B Center at Cedar Park, 2100 Ave. of the Stars, Cedar Park | Free | Hunt for 40,000+ eggs and enjoy petting zoos and bouncy houses at this event also featuring a helicopter egg drop.
Urban Cultural Festival | Saturday, Apr. 1 | 12-11 p.m. | Auditorium Shores, 920 E. Riverside Dr., Austin | $85-$150 | Headliners Stokley, Zapp, and Lyfe Jennings will perform at this family-friendly music festival.
Saturday Night Concert Series: Bob Schneider | Saturday, Apr. 1 | 7-9 p.m. | Hill Country Galleria, 12700 Hill Country Blvd., Bee Cave | Free | The Central Texas artist will perform for free as part of this seven-week concert series.

Sunday, April 2

Art of Kindness Community Celebration | Sunday, Apr. 2 | 10 a.m.-2 p.m. | Easy Tiger East, 1501 E. 7th St., Austin | $5-$25 | Enjoy live music, a mascot meet-and-greet, yoga, a petting zoo, and local vendors at this kindness-centered event.
Driftwood Heritage Festival at Vista Brewing | Sunday, Apr. 2 | 12-6 p.m. | Vista Brewing, 13551 FM 150 W., Driftwood | Free | Celebrate Driftwood’s history with a mini museum, face-painting, and live music.

Plan ahead with our community events calendar

100+ more events

Click here to have your event featured.

News Notes

Weather

90º | Partly cloudy | 11% chance of rain

Community

The Texas Observer isn’t going anywhere yet. Just three days after the board of the publication’s parent organization voted to shut it down, donors contributed more than $323,000 to keep the magazine up and running, prompting the board to reverse its decision. (Austin Business Journal)

Biz

Student loan financing nonprofit Trellis Company, which is based in Round Rock, announced plans to let go of 105 employees, almost one third of its staff. The company plans to implement the layoffs on Tuesday, April 4. (Austin Business Journal)

Environment

Austin is for the birds. ATX was officially named part of the state’s Bird City Texas program, a recognition of bird-friendly city practices and government programs. The Capital City will remain certified until 2026. (Austin American-Statesman)

State

Hays County was the No. 6 fastest-growing county in Texas from July 2021-July 2022, according to data released yesterday. In that one year time frame, the county’s population grew by 5.14%. (KXAN)

Now Open

Costco opened a new, 152,000-sqft warehouse at 19806 IH-35 in Kyle yesterday. The new location marks the first Costco in Hays County. (KXAN)

List

Spicewood’s Frontyard Brewing was featured on Men’s Journal’s list of breweries with the coolest on-site games in the US. The brewery, which shares a space with 5 Soul Wine Co., offers six pickleball courts, yard games, and Hill Country views.

Finance

Refinance rates are skyrocketing. But home equity rates remain relatively low — which means that now is a great time to borrow against your home. Calculate your payment.*

Drink

An electric wine opener is one of those inexpensive kitchen gadgets that you don’t know how you lived without once you get one. We especially love this one for its sleek design and ergonomic grip. To upgrade your wine even further, this set includes an automatic wine aerator and reusable vacuum stopper.

Eat and Drink

And the winner is...

A graphic reading "Meanwhile Brewing" as the winner of ATXtoday's brewery bracket.

Meanwhile Brewing clinched 52% of the votes to become ATXtoday’s reader’s favorite brewery. | Graphic by ATXtoday

The votes are in. After a close battle, Meanwhile Brewing clinched 52% of the vote to be named the best brewery in Austin by our readers.

Congrats, Meanwhile. 👏

See the full bracket

Highlighted

Penfold Theatre’s “Vincent”

A shot of an actor as Vincent Van Gogh onstage, holding a book next to a table and with a look of anguish on his face.

Learn about Vincent Van Gogh’s complex and heartwarming relationship with his brother Theo. | Photo by Kimberley Mead, provided by Penfold Theatre

City Editor Figi and I went to a performance of “Vincent” at the Ground Floor Theatre last night.

The play, which tells the story of painter Vincent Van Gogh through the eyes of his brother Theo, was written by Leonard Nimoy and is based on real letters between the two.

Check out the show yourself from now until Saturday, April 8 — tickets range from $16-$31.

If you can’t make it to this one, check out our list of 12+ other local productions hitting the stage in ATX this year.

Shoutout

Shoutout to my fiancé. You brighten up my world more than you’ll ever know. I love you today and always. — Lee H.

This could be your shoutout here, but you haven’t joined our ATXtoday membership program yet. We can change that. — ATXtoday team

Your voice is valuable, and so are the special moments in your life. Shoutouts allow us to celebrate job promotions, anniversaries, and exciting experiences right here in Austin. Become an ATXtoday member today to reserve your shoutout and celebrate with tens of thousands of locals.

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The Wrap

Today’s Edition By:
London

From the Editor

This Saturday will be my first time attending the ABC Kite Fest in a few years, and I’m pretty excited. If you’re also at Zilker Park this weekend and see a kite that looks like an alien spaceship trailing a purple tractor beam, you’ll know who it belongs to. 🛸

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