Austin Public Library cards now available without fees to city's extraterritorial jurisdictions

The City of Austin expanded its library access to residents of the Austin Limited Purpose and Extraterritorial Jurisdictions, according to a memo.

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The City of Austin expanded its library access to residents of the Austin Limited Purpose and Extraterritorial Jurisdictions, according to a memo.

The memo, sent Monday, explained there would no longer be a non‐resident library card fee for the residents within the jurisdictions.

“Many residents of these areas have Austin mailing addresses and live in close proximity to Austin Public Library branches,” the memo said.

An amendment was made to the fee and fine ordinance and was passed by the Austin City Council on Feb. 29.

“Previously, individuals who did not reside within the full‐purpose jurisdiction of the City of Austin or attend school in Travis County were required to pay up to $120 annually for a non‐resident library card,” the memo said.

The amended ordinance went into effect March 11, according to the memo.

“The removal of this financial barrier represents a significant advancement in enhancing access to library resources and collections for these residents,” the memo said.