Austin Public Library, Public library in downtown Austin, United States

Austin Public Library is a public library in downtown Austin featuring multiple floors with distinct functional areas designed for different activities. The facility contains spaces for events, meetings, and educational programs that serve visitors of various ages and interests.

The Austin Public Library opened on 16 February 1926 in a rented room at 819 Congress Avenue, holding 500 donated volumes gathered by the American Association of University Women. A permanent building designed by Hugo Kuehne opened at West 9th and Guadalupe in March 1933, with Texas Cordova cream limestone, wrought iron by Fortunat Weigl and woodcarving by Peter Mansbendel. Services were racially segregated from 1933 until the policy ended in late 1951. The Faulk Central Library replaced it in 1979, and the current Central Library opened on 28 October 2017.

The library hosts an art gallery and performance spaces where local artists display their work and community events happen regularly. Visitors can see how these spaces bring people together for exhibitions and gatherings throughout the year.

The Central Library stands at 710 West Cesar Chavez Street, east of the Lamar Boulevard intersection, overlooking Shoal Creek and Lady Bird Lake. A bicycle corral is on site, and the building is part of the former Seaholm Power Plant redevelopment. The rooftop garden and reading porches are outdoor spaces, so check conditions before heading up.

The 2017 Central Library building was awarded the American Institute of Architects' COTE Top Ten Award in 2020. A photovoltaic array on the roof generates 13% of the building's power while shading the rooftop garden, and rainwater harvesting with an in-ground cistern cuts water use; the building consumes 40% less energy than a comparable one.