Located within the Austin Public Library, the Austin History Center is intended to provide the public with information about the history, current events, and activities of the city and environs. The Center contains over one million items, most of which can be located through the online search engine on their Web site. Along with brief synopses of their specialized collections (such as maps, newspapers clippings, and architectural archives), the site also includes some research guides developed by staff members. One search tool that may be of particular interest is a 54-page African-American bibliography. The highlight of this site would have to be the dozen online exhibits that feature various printed materials held by the Center. The online exhibits featured here include Capitol Views, which deals with the construction and evolution of the Texas state capitol, and Lost Victorian Austin, which recounts the rise and fall of the Victorian architectural idiom within the city.
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