More Austinites will be eligible for free library cards in 2024

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Austin residents who currently pay more than $100 annually for a public library card will soon be eligible to waive that fee.

Currently people who live within the city limits are able to obtain an Austin public library card for free, but that benefit does not extend to everyone with an Austin address. Those who live in a limited-purpose or extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ) have to pay a non-resident fee to get a library card.

The ETJ is "the unincorporated land within five miles of Austin’s boundary that is not within the city limits or ETJ of another city. It is the territory where Austin alone is authorized to annex land," according to the city of Austin.

"Any barrier to access is not great in my eyes when it comes to libraries," Sarah Cypher, a writer who is moving to Austin soon. She learned that her house was located in an ETJ through a neighborhood Facebook group and reached out to city council to express her concern for the limited access for her and her neighbors.

"I really believe in what libraries do for a community in connecting that cultural, intellectual, and social aspects of a place," Cypher said.

Library Commission makes recommendation

The city's Library Commission researched removing the non-resident fee for residents in Austin's limited-purpose district and ETJ. It reasoned that people who work and contribute to the culture of Austin have been forced to move further away because of unaffordability issues.

"This nonresident fee creates an economic barrier to all individuals who may work in Austin and have been forced to relocate to surrounding areas due to gentrification and increased costs of housing that commute into Austin for work," the commission's letter to council read.

During the last city council meeting of the year, council members approved the resolution to waive the nonresident fee.

What's next?

The City Manager will come back to council in March with an ordinance to officially waive the nonresident fee.