Still Closed. Period.

Austin libraries plot to remain closed during novel coronavirus pandemic

Austin libraries are still closed for now.

Austin Public Library/Flickr

As Texas businesses head into the next chapter in the COVID-19 pandemic, Austin Public Library will not be joining them.

On May 1, libraries will be among the businesses that are allowed to open after the statewide stay-in-place order expires on April 30. However APL, which oversees more than 20 libraries, including the Central Austin Library, the Recycled Reads Bookstore, and the Austin History Center, has announced it will not be among those reopening.

"The Library will reopen when it can do so in a manner that does not jeopardize the health and safety of its employees and the community it serves," said an APL spokesperson via email. "With the help of the City of Austin and Austin Public Health and its partner agencies, Austin Public Library will continue to monitor public health recommendations as they pertain to reopening City facilities and develop its reopening plan."

This includes physical buildings and material drop-off boxes, both of which have been closed since March.

Book lovers should not despair, however. APL is still offering its Virtual Library, complete with e-books and streaming media available for use with a library card. And those retro book lovers who prefer physical copies can order books for delivery through shops like BookPeople and Malvern Books or curbside through Half Price Books.

Earlier this week, Gov. Greg Abbott announced that certain businesses, including restaurants, movie theaters, retail shops, and libraries, may reopen at 25 percent capacity and with certain hygiene restrictions in place. If Texas sees a slowdown in COVID-19 during this initial reopening, additional businesses such as bars, hair salons, and gyms may be allowed to reopen in the coming weeks.

"My executive order to stay at home is set to expire on April 30 and that executive stay-at-home order has done its job to slow the growth of COVID-19, so I will let it expire as scheduled and set a new course," Abbott said during an April 27 press conference. "We want to responsibly reopen using safe standards for businesses and their employees, as well as their customers."

books

Longhorn report card

UT Austin books top-10 spot among best public universities in America

UT Austin, University of Texas at Austin, top Texas schools, best public universities, best colleges

Photo by Alexander Williams on Unsplash

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The new academic year may have just gotten started, but there's already a report card for Longhorns to write home about. This time their school is being graded — and don't worry, Mom and Dad, UT makes the high honor roll. The University of Texas at Austin ranks as the No. 9 top public university in the United States for 2025 by Niche.

Among all 1,517 U.S. schools evaluated by the education review and ranking website, UT Austin shines at No. 41 nationally, and as No. 2 in Texas (more in that on a bit). It's also the 14th best "big college" in America.

Niche deems UT Austin among the top 25 schools in these specific categories:

No. 2 Best Hispanic-Serving Institutions in America
No. 6 Colleges with the Best Student Life in America
No. 11 Best Colleges for Student Athletes in America
No. 12 Best College Athletics in America
No. 14 Top Party Schools in America
No. 19 Best College Food in America
No. 24 Best College Campuses in America

It also ranks among the top 25 schools nationally for communications, kinesiology and physical therapy, accounting and finance, sports management, design, public health, physics, education, environmental science, engineering, music, and architecture.

UT's full rankings can be found here.

Bevo, University of Texas, UT Austin Bevo knows UT athletics rule. Bevo XV/Instagram

"College is what you make it, but the University of Texas at Austin was truly an unforgettable and formative experience and it was largely due to the community and staff creating excellent environment to do carry out its mission statement: What starts here changes the world," reads one five-star student review on Niche's UT rankings page.

The university actually fell a few places from its spot as No. 6 public university in Niche's 2024 rankings, and No. 8 in 2023.

Still, UT receives an overall grade of A+, earning an A+ in four of the 12 ranking categories — academics, athletics, student life, and party scene. It gets an A for diversity, professors, value, campus, location, and campus food; a B for dorms; and a B- for safety.

Of course, the university is no stranger to ranking highly on lists of the best colleges and universities in the country, including those published by WalletHub, SmartAsset, U.S. News & World Report, and more national publications. Austin itself was just ranked the seventh most educated city in the country.

Yale University tops Niche’s national list for 2025, followed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, Columbia University, Harvard University, University of Pennsylvania, Dartmouth College, Brown University, Vanderbilt University, and Johns Hopkins University.

Rice University in Houston ranks first among the best colleges in Texas (just edging out UT), and No. 15 nationally. The top 10 Texas schools for 2025 are:

No. 1 Rice University
No. 2 University of Texas at Austin
No. 3 Texas A&M University
No. 4 Trinity University
No. 5 Southern Methodist University
No. 6 University of Houston
No. 7 Texas Tech University
No. 8 Texas Christian University
No. 9 University of North Texas
No. 10 University of Texas at Arlington

Find Niche's complete 2025 college rankings here.

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