Q. I am an author. How can I get the library to add a title to the collection?

Authors with an active Austin Public Library card who would like the Library to carry their work have the following options: 

• Submit a suggestion through the account holder’s MyAPL Dashboard. 
  • Authorship of the title being suggested may be mentioned in the Notes text field of the submission form.  
  • Suggestions will typically be reviewed and given a response within three weeks. Suggestions for certain formats and languages may require additional time due to unique ordering logistics.  
  • The status of a submitted suggestion may be monitored in the MyAPL Dashboard. Notifications will not be sent via email. 
• Review OverDrive's Guide for Publishers to request for a title to be made available through OverDrive.  

Authors without an active Austin Public Library card may suggest their work for possible collection consideration through Ask a Librarian. Please provide identifying information, such as ISBN or UPC, along with any notable reviews. Suggestions will be forwarded to the Collections team, but suggestions made outside of an active library account’s MyAPL Dashboard will not receive a response regarding selection decisions. If a suggestion is approved and ordered, it will appear in the catalog.  

For all suggestions, the decision to purchase an item or specific format is based on the Library’s Materials Selection Policy, budget constraints, and availability from contracted vendors. 

Authors may also donate a copy of their work to the Library. Please review the Library’s Gift Policy for terms and information prior to making a donation. All donations are accepted with the understanding that the Library selectively adds donations to its collection and that ownership passes to the Library. Items not selected for the collection will be sent to the Library’s used bookstore, Recycled Reads, or other suitable agency and will not be returned back to the donor.