| Bruton Memorial Library | |
|---|---|
 Entrance to Bruton Memorial Library | |
 | |
| 28°1′7″N82°7′34″W / 28.01861°N 82.12611°W | |
| Location | Plant City, Florida |
| Type | Public library |
| Collection | |
| Size | 105,000 |
| Access and use | |
| Circulation | 468,000 (FY 2014-2015) |
| Population served | 35,000 (2015) |
| Members | 44,000 (2014) |
| Other information | |
| Budget | 850,000 (FY 2014-2015) |
| Director | Paul Shaver |
| Website | http://www.plantcitygov.com/library |
The Quintilla Geer Bruton Memorial Library is the public library of Plant City, Florida.
Plant City had an opportunity in 1917 to get a Carnegie library, but according to Quintilla Geer Bruton, “there was not enough local interest and the opportunity passed”. [1] In 1925, the city sold municipal bonds with the understanding that some of the funds would build a library, but the funding was put to other uses. [1]
At this point, the Woman’s Club of Plant City began to make their own plans for a library: “The club plans to develop, from a small start, a library which will eventually be the pride of Plant City.” [1] Bruton noted that “nearly forty years passed before the City…was persuaded to build a library.” [1] The Woman’s Club began operating a library in their club room in 1927 (Oberlin). Bruton wrote that “Mrs. [G. B.] (Veronica) Wells … has been acknowledged as the ‘mother’ of the Plant City Public Library.” [1] Members of the public were allowed to join the library by paying a fee, and could then check out books from the collection, which took up “a few shelves” in the club room of the Woman’s Club building. [2] “The library was formally opened as a public library Saturday afternoon, June 21, 1929, with 317 books”. [1] This building, which used to be the Central Grammar School, stood on the southwest corner of Baker Street and Wheeler Street. [3]
Mary F. Young, historian of the Woman’s Club, reported in 1932 that “the club accepted the responsibility and expense of remodeling the Miller building which the City Commissioners have dedicated as a Public Library” and that the collection now included over 2,000 books. [1] The building, an “old run-down tax-foreclosed residence”, [1] was located at 501 North Wheeler Street. [4] The building was on the northwest corner of Wheeler and McLendon, which is where the current library stands with a south-facing entrance on McLendon. [5] The Woman’s Club continued to operate the library there, and in 1940 the city began to provide a $25 per month contribution to the costs of running the library. [2] By 1941, the library owned 9,605 books and used funds from the Works Progress Administration to pay two clerks. [1]
In 1949, Bruton began campaigning for Plant City to begin operating its own public library. [6] Meanwhile, the chair of the library committee enrolled in library school at Florida Southern College and convinced the Woman’s Club to purchase a card catalog “and the tedious task of revising the catalog system began”. [1] In 1957, a $500,000 city bond included no support for a library, and civic organizations including the Chamber of Commerce, the Woman’s Club, and a local radio station were all raising awareness of the need for a city-owned public library. [1] Finally, in December 1958, the city held a special-purpose election in which an “unusually heavy [turnout] for a municipal election” approved a new tax to support a public library by a ratio of three to one. [1] The dedication ceremony for the new building inspired John Germany, for whom a downtown Tampa library would later be named, and he returned to Plant City to learn more about how to conduct a similar campaign there. [7]
The new Plant City Public Library, with a north wall made of glass, was hit by Hurricane Donna in September 1960 before it could even be dedicated, but while “the town was a shambles, not a window in the library was broken”. [7] By 1963 it had earned the Book-of-the-Month Club’s award for the best small library in the state. [1] Ten years after it opened, Plant City began construction that would double the size of its library building, [6] and in 1971 the addition was completed. [8] Mrs. Bruton died in 1989 and her husband donated $100,000 to purchase an adjacent piece of land to expand the library further. [6]
In 1990, Plant City Public Library was rededicated to the memory of Mrs. Bruton, taking her name as the Quintilla Geer Bruton Memorial Library. [6] Her plans to expand the library continued; the city commission dedicated $900,000 for the construction project, which was estimated to cost $1.1 million. [6] Mrs. Bruton’s husband donated another $200,000 for the expansion, which began construction in 1993. [6] Fundraising for the library became formalized the same year, when in February 1993 the Friends of the Library was incorporated. [9] When the library opened the new expansion in April 1994, staff had begun the process of putting barcodes on the items in preparation for replacing the card catalog with a computer-based integrated library system. [10] The new computer system began operating in 1995, and in 1996 the card catalog was removed from use. [11] By 1998, there was one computer available for Internet use, and the library added three more to help meet demand. [12]
In 2006, due to the projected doubling of the city's population in the upcoming decade, Plant City commissioned a library-building needs assessment by the local architectural consulting firm Harvard Jolly Architects and consultant Ruth O'Donnell. [13] The study recommended doubling the library’s size once again within the next four to six years. [13] The City Commission agreed to the expansion, but as of 2010, there were no specific plans or timetable for it. [2]
As part of the study, O’Donnell also made eleven recommendations on how to improve the current building, revolving around making more efficient use of the space, catering the collections to user needs, adding more computers, and creating an area for teens. Bruton Memorial Library staff and the Library Board agreed that changes were needed and put O’Donnell’s recommendations into action to address all eleven issues. [13]
The renovation cost approximately $100,000. 65% had come from donations, notable donations coming from what then-library director Anne Haywood called two “angels”-- patrons who had donated money to cover the rest of the cost when they were going over budget. The remainder was from State Aid and part of the Library’s annual budget. Starting in May 2006, there was an effort to weed and shift their collections. 22,000 items were weeded from the library’s collection, including half of the reference collection, which made way for the expanding audiovisual collection. Renovations began on May 7 and lasted 2 weeks, with the library reopening on May 21. [13]
Bruton Memorial Library offers programs for children, young adults, and adults. Children’s programs include Crafternoon: a biweekly arts and crafts project, Pre-K story time, and reading with a trained therapy dog. Young adult programs include a monthly book talk. Adult programs include Craft Night Out: a biweekly arts and crafts project, weekly Mahjong class, two book clubs and a monthly Master Gardener class. [14]
Bruton Memorial Library offers free access to multiple databases, such as JSTOR, Ancestry, Auto Repair Source, and MyHeritage. It also offers free access to tutoring websites like Lynda.com, Tutor.com, and Mango Languages. [15]
Access to e-books, e-magazines, e-audiobooks, and movie streaming is provided free through the library and runs on the following platforms: Overdrive, Libby, Hoopla, myON, axis360, RBDigital, Tumblebooks, and Flipster. [16]
Free computer access is also provided through the library. Printing in black and white costs $.05 per page. Color printing costs $.10 per page. A one-day guest pass can be provided to out-of-county visitors who wish to use the computer upon showing their photo ID. Library cards are free for Hillsborough County residents with photo ID. If the photo ID does not have a Hillsborough County address on it, a piece of mail that shows the Hillsborough County address must be shown. [17]
Study rooms are available on a first-come-first served basis. Meeting room reservations can be made for non-profit groups upon the receipt and approval of the meeting room application available on the City of Plant City Website. [18]
Hillsborough County is located in the west-central portion of the U.S. state of Florida. In the 2020 census, the population was 1,459,762, making it the fourth-most populous county in Florida and the most populous county outside the Miami metropolitan area. A 2021 estimate has the population of Hillsborough County at 1,512,070 people with a yearly growth rate of 1.34%, which itself is greater than the populations of 12 states according to their 2019 population estimates. Its county seat and largest city is Tampa. Hillsborough County is part of the Tampa–St. Petersburg–Clearwater Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Plant City is an incorporated city in Hillsborough County, Florida, United States, approximately midway between Brandon and Lakeland along Interstate 4. It is part of the Tampa Bay area. The population was 39,764 at the 2020 census.
Temple Terrace is an incorporated city in northeastern Hillsborough County, Florida, United States, adjacent to Tampa. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 26,690. It is the third and smallest incorporated municipality in Hillsborough County, after Tampa and Plant City. Incorporated in 1925, the community is known for its rolling landscape, bucolic Hillsborough River views, and sand live oak trees; it is a Tree City USA. Originally planned in the 1920s as a Mediterranean-Revival golf course community, it is one of the first such communities in the United States.
For other Carnegie Libraries, see Carnegie library (disambiguation)
The Tampa–Hillsborough County Public Library System (THPL) is a public library system based in Hillsborough County, Florida. THPL is part of two larger library networks, the Tampa Bay Library Consortium, and the Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative which includes Temple Terrace Public Library in Temple Terrace, Florida, and Bruton Memorial Library in Plant City, Florida. There are 33 branches of the Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative. Services provided by the THPL include internet access, public meeting room spaces, interlibrary loans, a Bookmobile, a Cybermobile for Spanish speakers, technology classes, adult literacy programs, and downloadable eBooks. Drive-thru windows for returns and hold pick-ups are located at the Jimmie B. Keel and the Jan Kaminis Platt Regional Libraries. In 2017, THPL introduced the new HAAL Pass, which gives access to certain library resources to all students in the Hillsborough County Public Schools System. Students use their student ID number to use different online databases, borrow up to three physical items and read eBooks. The Tampa–Hillsborough County Public Library System is also a part of Hillsborough County government. On January 1, 2018, the library cooperative became one of the largest in the country to go fine free. Overdue fees for borrowed materials were eliminated with the implementation of the "Just Bring It Back" initiative. In 2019 the cooperative received the FLA Library of the Year Award. Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library was recognized for its community focused initiatives as it "reorganized its staffing model and eliminated overdue fines, yielding $1 million in savings while increasing access to library resources and expanding opportunities for community engagement through unique, scalable programs."
For other Carnegie Libraries, see Carnegie library (disambiguation)
John F. Germany Public Library is the flagship library of the Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library System (THPL). It is part of the Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative and the Tampa Bay Library Consortium.
The Temple Terrace Public Library serves 250,000 patrons a year with a selection of more than 100,000 volumes and 52 computers. It is the only library in the city of Temple Terrace, FL, and it is part of the Hillsborough County Library Cooperative, along with branches in Tampa, Florida and Plant City, Florida. It is located near several colleges, including the University of South Florida and Florida College, as well as the Museum of Science & Industry in Tampa.
The Bloomingdale Regional Library was originally designed to lessen patron usage at the Brandon Regional Library, which was the busiest library in the Hillsborough County System, at the beginning of the 21st century. In the early stages of development, the Bloomingdale Library was often referred to as the South Brandon Library because it was expected to serve people in the FishHawk, Bloomingdale, Valrico, and Lithia areas. Though there were several discussed sites for the creation of the library, the Hillsborough County Commissioners narrowed down their selection to two locations. One of the locations was across the street from Lithia Springs Elementary School on Lithia Pinecrest Road, while the other locality was next to Bloomingdale High School on Bloomingdale Avenue. Though there were concerns regarding possible traffic congestion on Bloomingdale Avenue, the Commissioners ultimately decided to accept the latter option. This site was attractive for cost-saving reasons, as a member of the McLean family, offered to discount the acreage with an additional free acre.
The Port Tampa City Library is a library located in a historic bank building in the Port Tampa section of Tampa, Florida, at 4902 W. Commerce Street. It is a neighborhood branch in the Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library System.
The Robert W. Saunders Sr. Public Library is a member of the Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library System (THPL) and the Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative (HCPLC).
The James J. Lunsford Law Library is a member of the Tampa–Hillsborough County Public Library System (THPL) and the Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative (HCPLC).
The Seminole Heights Branch Library is a member of the Tampa–Hillsborough County Public Library System.
The Jan Kaminis Platt Regional Library is part of the Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library System (THPL), as well as a member of the Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative (HCPLC). The library is a 25,000 sq. ft. facility located at 3910 S. Manhattan Ave. in Tampa, Florida. The library provides books, magazines, DVDs, music, and internet access, as well as programs and activities, and a drive-thru window for check out and return of materials. In December 2018 the library underwent an extensive renovation which enclosed the children's area and expanded the number of meeting and study rooms to eight.
The C. Blythe Andrews Jr. Public Library, formerly known as the College Hill Branch Library, is in Tampa, Florida. The 8,500 sq. foot facility was renamed in 2011 for Florida Sentinel Bulletin owner and publisher C. Blythe Andrews. The library is located at 2607 E. Dr. MLK Jr. Blvd. It is part of the Tampa–Hillsborough County Public Library System (THPL), as well as a member of the Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative (HCPLC).
The New Tampa Regional Library is a 25,000 square foot public library located in the Hunter's Green area in north central Hillsborough County, Florida. It is a single-story building and the 19th facility in the Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library System. New Tampa Regional Library is located directly between Hunter's Green Elementary School and Benito Middle School.
Helen Virginia Stelle was the first director of the Tampa Free Library and one of the founders of the Florida Library Association.
The Burgert Brothers were early photographers, most prominently known for documenting the growth of Tampa, Florida. Their photos span the late 1800s until the early 1960s. They depict times of war, natural disasters such as the 1921 Tampa Bay hurricane, economic booms, economic busts, transportation, building projects, bungalows, African American life, cigar factories, sponge docks, strawberry fields, mercantile businesses, banks, and service stations. They also feature Florida leisure activities at parks and beaches including golf, shuffleboard, checkers, and tennis. Thanks to the prolific Burgert Brothers local events and traditions like the Gasparilla Pirate Festival and Florida State Fair have been well-documented.
Perry G. Wall II was an American businessman and politician in Tampa, Florida.
Emma Quintilla Geer Bruton (1907-1989) was a philanthropist, author, library advocate, the namesake for the Bruton Memorial Library in Plant City, Florida, as well as that for Bruton-Geer Hall at the University of Florida Levin College of Law in Gainesville, Florida.
