The Austin Public Library (APL) has been around for a long 100 years — or a short 100 years, depending what you're comparing it to. Either way, that deserves a celebration, and APL has a multifaceted one in mind that will keep Austinites busy for the rest of the year.

The initiative is called the Austin Public Library Centennial Celebrations, and it kicks off February 16, with events and community projects through December 23. History won't just be celebrated; it'll also be recorded as long as community members are willing to share their stories.

There will be one big celebration at the Central Library (710 W. Cesar Chavez St.) on October 17. The all-ages event will activate every floor of the six-story library, but consider it a surprise party: details about the activities in store haven't been announced yet.

Austinites can participate in the celebrations at all the system's libraries. Those include:

• Library programs with the theme “Roaring 20’s,” pointing to APL's first decade (including a book club conversation on The Great Gatsby on February 17)
• History and genealogy programs that help visitors connect with the city's past
• Branch-specific birthday celebrations marking other, smaller anniversaries
• The “History Harvest,” a community initiative to collect "memories, photos, and stories about APL" — these will be preserved by the Austin History Center
• A Centennial “Adventure Book,” a guide to activities at different locations with prizes

Finally, one city-wide initiative will change how people experience APL going forward. The Centennial Library Card Design Contest will collect submissions from people of all ages (with different categories for children, teens, and adults) and reveal the winning designs in September 2026. A release from APL says the reveal will celebrate National Library Card Sign-Up Month, but it does not specify whether the new design will be permanent or a special edition. More information will come in the spring.

“For 100 years, Austin Public Library has grown alongside this city, supporting readers, learners, creators, and families in every generation,” said APL director Hannah Terrell in the release. “This Centennial is both a celebration of where we’ve been and a springboard into our next century of innovation, inclusion, and service to the communities we serve.”

Public library fans in Austin have a woman to thank for this public service. In 1925, suffragist and publicist Grace Delano Clark "persuaded" the Austin Branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) to establish Austin's first public library, the release says. It opened at 819 Congress Ave. on February 16, 1926. Clark was the volunteer librarian and presided over 500 donated books.

For most of the year, the library operated out of a rented space, but on December 23 it moved to a permanent 1,800-square-foot space at West 9th and Guadalupe. It cost $4,190 to build.

Now APL has 20 neighborhood branches in addition to its Central Library, which opened in 2017. By 2019, about 685,000 people had a card with APL. Perhaps it's time for a recount.