Austin Public Library's Recycled Reads to officially close in January

Austin Public Library’s Recycled Reads Bookstore, July 18, 2025. The bookseller, which served as a place to get inexpensive books and other library items as well as keep old books out of the landfill, will be closing this year.

The City of Austin has announced a timeline for the closure of Recycled Reads, the beloved used bookstore run by Austin Public Library.

The bookstore at 5335 Burnet Road will officially close on Jan. 17 with used book sales shifting to all APL locations in February.

The closure is intended to mitigate the city's $33 million budget deficit, saving money on Recycled Reads' $107,000 lease.

Starting Monday, APL announced it will only accept donations in the form of books, Blu-rays, DVDs and CDs. Dec. 31 is the final day for the public to drop off donations at the Recycled Reads location on Burnet Road. On Jan. 2, maximum donations at all APL libraries will be capped at two grocery bags or standard-size boxes, like those used for copy paper. Then, roughly two weeks later, the bookstore itself will close.

The lease on the Burnet Road location expires in March 2026. The city also intends to partner with Better World Books, an online bookseller that specializes in used books.

Recycled Reads was founded in 2009 with a core mission of keeping retired library materials out of landfills. Its shelves are stacked with books (many in Spanish), CDs, DVDs, VHS tapes, vinyl, sheet music and board games — mostly sold for $2 or less. The store also hosted clubs and events, contained a passport office, distributed tax documents and maintained quiet spaces to read. The passport office was relocated to the Yarborough library branch in October.

The choice to offer up Recycled Reads came after City Manager T.C. Broadnax directed city departments to find savings that wouldn’t affect core services, according to Johnson. Broadnax’s budget proposal would chip away at the deficit with a handful of cuts and reorganizations, including reducing Austin Fire Department staffing, limiting overtime pay for Austin police and ending building leases like Recycled Reads.

In a July 31 budget meeting, Austin resident Pranshu Adhikari urged the council not to close the store, citing one of Broadnax’s three stated budget priorities: "Prioritizing engagement with our people, community and staff alike."

Austin Public Library maintains the new structure will make things more equitable, giving more Austinites access to used book sales by spreading them across all branches instead of keeping them in a single location.