Austin History Center, Austin Public Library

05/15/2026

Why paper crafts?
Honoring the many forms of paper in the archive, we’ll be offering different kinds of paper crafting activities.

Paper is the #1 material you’ll find in the Archive. Books, letters, diaries, government reports, maps, academic essays, newspapers, magazines, facsimile coversheets, invoices, receipts, bills, sketchbooks, drawing, memos sketched on paper napkins, etc.

Paper is also the #1 material used to preserve historic records. Archival boxes are constructed with pressure treated cardboard to protect them from humidity and bugs. Thick folders 📂 are made from acid-free paper. Acid-free tissue paper is used to wrap fragile 3D objects.

Craft and Craft of Art have been a common media for people to preserve and share their stories. We have invited three artists to share their craft of art:

Sarah Doan (author / illustrator)
“Draw Kawaii Food”


Rumah Budaya Indonesia di Austin
“Dances from Indonesia”


Purple Rice Korean Grab & Go
Light snacks from Korea


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Preserving Y(our) Stories: Crafts from AANHPI Communities will be on May 16th, Saturday at the Austin History Center!

Join us for fun paper crafting activities at AHC! Through crafting, let’s think about telling YOUR stories to help with preserving all of OUR stories.

Light snacks will be provided by Purple Rice Korean Grab and Go () while supplies last.

Paper Craft Activities include:
Year of the Horse craft 🐴
Lei making 🌺
Decorating Koi-nobori 🎏
Rangoli art🪷
Wayang Kulit puppet

🗓️Saturday, May 16
⏰2:00 PM to 4:00 PM
📍Austin History Center, Faulk Building
📍800 Guadalupe St.

Free and open to the public | Gratis y abierto al público

For accessibility accommodations: 512-974-7400

🚰 Please bring your own reusable water bottle. Water refill station and water fountains are available.

🚙Arriving by car: There is no free parking on site. Please use the metered parking on a nearby street.

🚏🚎Arriving by Bus: The Austin History Center is on the 1, 3, 801, and 803 bus lines.

05/02/2026

Preserving Y(our) Stories: Crafts from AANHPI Communities will be on May 16th, Saturday at the Austin History Center!

Join us for fun paper crafting activities at AHC! Through crafting, let’s think about telling YOUR stories to help with preserving all of OUR stories.

Special Guest:
⏰2:00-4:00pm Sarah Doan (author/illustrator, ) presents “Draw Kawaii Food”

⏱️3:15pm Rumah Budaya Indonesia di Austin (rumahbudayadiaustin) presents Dances from Indonesia with time for Q & A

📄Paper Craft Activities include:

Year of the Horse 🐎 craft:
Learn your sign in the Chinese Zodiac. Draw the face of your horse and decorate their mane.

Lei making:
Share your “Aloha” with your own paper lei and learn a little about Hawaiian storytelling traditions. Weave paper Ti leaves into a bracelet lei.

Decorating Koi-nobori 🎏:
In Japan, koi-nobori is a decoration for Children’s Day—praying for a bright future for children. Decorate a Koi fish, the symbol of strength, courage, and hope.

Rangoli 🪷 art:
Rangoli is floor art placed outside of the front door for festivals and celebrations. Arrange different shapes to create geometric and flower-like Indian-style Rangoli.

Wayang Kulit puppet:
Wayang is a shadow puppet performance. Wayang Kulit is an Indonesian puppet which has long arms to tell stories. Color, cut out, and build up your own wayang kulit.

Light snacks will be provided by Purple Rice Korean Grab and Go () while supplies last.

🗓️Saturday, May 16
⏰2:00 PM to 4:00 PM
📍Austin History Center, Faulk Building
🗺️800 Guadalupe St.
Free and open to the public | Gratis y abierto al público

For accessibility accommodations: 512-974-7400

Arriving by car: There is no free parking on site. Please use the metered parking on a nearby street.

🚎Arriving by Bus: The Austin History Center is on the 1, 3, 801, and 803 bus lines. 🚏

04/14/2026

Curious how archives shape our stories?

Join the Austin History Center Association for a guided tour of “Unboxing Our Archives” and uncover the stories behind our archival work.

We are thrilled to feature the Austin History Center’s wonderful volunteer docent, Soleil Parks, who will lead an exclusive walkthrough of the exhibit. Soleil has worked closely with staff to curate a narrative that brings these archives to life, offering insights you won’t find on the placards alone.

Unboxing the Archives: Docent Tour with Soleil Parks

Friday, April 17 | 12:30pm

Austin History Center | 800 Guadalupe St.

RSVP: https://givebutter.com/tour-b231tv

04/11/2026

Passionate about archives and legacy audiovisual materials? 🎞️🎥📼

Do sticky-she’s syndrome, U-mastics, and DATs spark equal parts curiosity and joy?

The Austin History Center is hiring an Audiovisual Archivist! 🎧✨

You’ll work hands-on with Austin’s recorded memory— film, video, sound, metadata wrangling, digitization workflows, and the beautifully nerdy preservation challenges that come with AV history. 💿🛠️

If AV formats, preservation puzzles, and reference services make your heart beat at 29.97 fps, we’d love to hear from you! 💛

Apply at: https://tinyurl.com/AHC-AvArchivist

Help us keep Austin’s audiovisual history alive (and properly rehoused). 🗃️🎛️🎚️

04/10/2026

Preserving your history is not like preserving your green beans!!! 🫛🥫

It’s actually pretty simple! We can teach you how to preserve your documents, photos, and digital archives.

Join us for our next workshop and learn easy tips for keeping your history safe for future generations.

Preserving Y(our) Stories: How to Start and Preserve Your Archives
🗓️ Thursday, April 16 | ⏰ 6-7pm
📍Austin History Center | 800 Guadalupe St

Photo credits: PICA-18234 Beans canned from the City’s Victory Garden, 1943
PICA-17169 Sweet potatoes gathered from the City’s Victory Garden, 1943

04/05/2026

Help document Spicewood Springs Branch History!

🥳Celebrate Austin Public Library’s Centennial by shaping the historical record!

Do you have old photos or handouts from an event or program that you attended at Spicewood Springs Branch Library?

Do you have a story to share about how Spicewood Springs impacted your life?

Maybe you met your bff at a Crafty Adult program or your child took their first steps during storytime?

We want to hear all about it! Your patronage at Spicewood Springs Branch Library means you are part of its history. Whatever your timeframe is doesn’t matter, your history matters!

Join us for the Spicewood Springs Branch History Harvest:
🗓️Tuesday, April 7
🕐1:00-3:00p.m.
📍8637 Spicewood Springs Rd. Austin, TX 78759

Share 2-3 photos or items to scan or record your memories about Spicewood Springs Branch Library and receive a free APL Centennial coffee mug! ☕️

Photo 2: PICA-24013 [Spicewood Springs Branch] undated

02/12/2026

🎉Celebrate APL’s Centennial!

Share your favorite memories of Twin Oaks Library Branch with the Austin History Center.

📸 Bring 2-3 photos or items to scan
🎤 Record your stories
📒 Help identify folks in scrapbooks
📝 Share your memories

🗓️Saturday, February 21, 2026
1-3 P.M.
📍Twin Oaks Branch Library
1800 S. 5th St
Austin, TX 78704

Photos: PICA-01545, PICA-13665, PICA-28179

01/27/2026

Sweeten up your 2026 Valentine’s Day with stories about one of Austin’s most beloved community spaces, the Carver Branch Library. Celebrate with us during our community panel featuring current and former Carver Branch Library leaders: Ms. Doreen Boyd, Dr. Cynthia Charles, Mr. Clifton Griffin, and Ms. Deborah Orr.

Learn something new about Austin history and enjoy fellowship, community, and tasty brunch bites courtesy of Lucille’s Catering!

What: Panel featuring former Carver Branch Library employees sharing their memories and experiences.

Where: Carver Branch Library, 1161 Angelina Street

When: Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026,11: 30 am - 1:30 pm

Photos: Austin Files | Libraries Austin Public | PICA 13997, PICA 01522

01/24/2026

Join us in person for a fun and interactive session on how to kickstart and keep your archives safe for years to come. Whether you’ve got old photos, letters, or digital memories, learn easy tips to preserve your unique stories.

Perfect for beginners and anyone excited to protect their personal history!

Participants will receive a free family archival kit which includes an archival box, acid-free folders, protective sleeves, and more!

When: Saturday, January 31 - 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM

Where: Carver Branch Library
1161 Angelina St

12/31/2025

Check out the cool cover story about our big move and reopening!
Austin Chronicle Austin Public Library Austin History Center Association

While leaders of the Austin Public Library prepared to kick off the ceremony for the reopening of the Austin History Center, the automatic door that serves as the entrance to the facility continued to slide open, letting in more and more attendees. It was clear this event was a big deal for a lot of...