| Winter Park Library | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | 1052 W. Morse Blvd., Winter Park, FL 32789 |
| Established | December 9, 1885 |
| Branches | 1 |
| Other information | |
| Director | Melissa Schneider (March 2023-Present) |
| Website | https://www.winterparklibrary.org |
The Winter Park Library is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit lending library in Winter Park, Florida.
The library was founded on December 9, 1885, by a group of nine women who came together to create a library for the community of Winter Park. [1] Books were previously circulated in an organized reading circle. The need for a library accompanied the town's growth following the construction of the South Florida Railroad and the opening of Rollins College. [2] With the intent of creating a lending library for the community, the group held a meeting at the Congregational Parsonage, now the location of the Rollins College campus, near the current site of the college's Archibald Granville Bush Science Center.
The first president of the library was Mrs. Elizabeth P. Hooker, the wife of a doctor and Congregational minister who was the president of Rollins College. She was raised by a professor at Middlebury College, where she received her education. Additional library board members included Mary McClure and Mary E. Brown, both retired teachers. Brown was remembered as "of a singularly acute and independent mind, a lover of the best books, a keen critic, and an unfailing source of intellectual stimulus to all who knew her." [3] Fellow board members Alice Guild and her sister Clara Guild had moved to Winter Park from Boston with their father in 1883. At age 25, Alice was elected as a fundraiser for the library. Clara, though not one of the library's noted founders, was a member of the first class at Rollins and later received the college's first degree conferred to a woman. Another member, Evaline Lamson, served several years as a librarian for both the town and for Rollins College.
The main concern of the founding women was not how to get the necessary books for the library, as they had been circulating books among themselves for some time, but to find a location to house them. [3] The first official site was the Lamson house at 503 Interlachen Avenue in Winter Park, initially operating only on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Records for 1887 list the most checked-out books as The Scarlet Letter , The Last Days of Pompeii , Jane Eyre , Ivanhoe , and The Rise of Silas Lapham . Biographies were also popular, such as those on Frederick the Great, along with religious titles, such as The Blood of Jesus, Thoughts on Personal Religion, and Scientific Theism. [3] Since the library shelves and inventory were limited, the rules for borrowing material were that members could take out one book on Wednesday and Saturday and keep it for two weeks, with a one-week renewal. The library imposed a 10-cent fine for non-renewals, and those who were not members would only be allowed to take out books if they paid a $1 deposit plus 10 cents each week.
One year after the library's founding, as recorded in the minutes of the annual meeting held on December 16, 1886, the officers accepted an offer to move its operations from the Lamson residence to a room in a building occupied by the Winter Park Company on the southwest corner of New England and Park Avenues. The Winter Park Circulating Library Association wrote its constitution in 1888. [3]
Economic troubles brought the library to the brink of closure in 1895. Much like today, Florida's two most significant commodities at the time were citrus fruits and tourism. Winter Park relied on winter visitors; however, according to The History of Orlando by Eve Bacon, "the temperature dropped to 24 degrees the Sunday after Christmas Day in 1894" [3] and dropped even lower to a frigid 17 degrees in February. This hard freeze killed citrus trees, and potential visitors to the area who heard news of the poor weather decided and not to visit. The blow to the area's economy was evident in the library's December 1895 annual meeting, where the treasurer's report revealed an existing balance of $8.60. [3] Despite the drop in profit, the overall bleak outlook of the time gave an unexpected boost in inventory, which may have been donated books by families moving from the area. The population of Winter Park fluctuated from the end of the nineteenth century to the beginning of the twentieth. However, the addition of some new wealthy residents brought donations, which enabled the library to buy more books in 1896.
In 1900, discussions on what should be included in a new, permanent building effectively set the library's policy for years to come, as the decision was made to include a children's department. The Winter Park Circulating Library Association president, Eleanora Comstock, called a meeting to propose plans and start fundraising efforts. [4] Pledges of $1,216 were received by February 1901, and the estate of Francis Knowles donated land to be used for a new facility. The new location opened in April 1902. [4] The new location also allowed the library to open every day. Fundraising consisted of outreach to the public and a financial commitment from the city government, which continues to this day. [3]
Indoor plumbing was not part of the original design of the new building in 1900. Additionally, there were complaints about heat in the summer and cold in the winter. [3]
The library eventually rebounded from its financial difficulty, due in part to a revitalized citrus industry and the construction of the new Seminole Hotel in 1912, following a period during which the original hotel – which had long been a great source of revenue for the library – had its building burned down. In addition, the town council agreed to provide free electricity to the library building in 1914. As a result of these developments and donations, the library added a kitchen wing the following year, which inspired the library's founders to begin a series of teas, fundraising socials, and other events of interest to potential patrons. [3] The library eventually doubled in size in 1924 when they added two new wings and a restroom. By 1945, the library had 12,269 books and a circulation of 33,214.
Despite the library's additions, it remained a somewhat exclusive group of patrons, which many residents chose not to join. Furthermore, the library historically only served white townspeople. A separate library was founded in the black residential community in mid-1937. Founded by Dr. Edwin O. Grover, the Hannibal Square Library was established for African-American residents. It was dedicated to his wife, who had been an activist for the cause of education in the black community. [3] Initially functioning as an independent library, it began receiving regular appropriations from the city in the 1950s, albeit on a smaller scale than that received by the Winter Park Library.
A children's room was added to the Winter Park Library in 1955. A popular place for children and local organizations to meet, neighbors maintained the grounds, donated to the organization, and planted shrubbery and flowers outside. The board of directors was composed of black and white residents. It was also around this time that the word "Public" was added to the title "Winter Park Public Library" to welcome more visitors. The Winter Park Public Library, integrated in 1962 and 1963, adopted a policy of library service to all residents of Winter Park, regardless of age, race, creed, color, or financial situation. In 1979, the Hannibal Square Library closed due to a decline in circulation, and the building and grounds were returned to the city's council. [3]
Although it was initially proposed to build on to the existing library site, the issue of insufficient parking was the inspiration for constructing a new building on a different site. In September 1976, the city bought some land at 460 East New England Avenue. In July 1977, the library received a grant for construction on the site. Soon after, the Winter Park Public Library opened with nearly twice the square footage and increased parking spaces from thirteen to sixty-five. [4] The facility was further expanded in 1994, adding a third floor to allow more space for services to patrons aged 12 to 18. [4]
Lack of space led to the 2016 initiative to construct a new library building. In March 2016, voters passed the issuance of a $30 million bond referendum to finance the cost of constructing this new facility. However, a public opposition group delayed the process for several years. In 2019, [4] the area was temporarily renamed 'the Canopy': a campus in Winter Park with a 35,690 square-foot library and a 13,456 square-foot events center that was originally set to open in May 2021. Set within the 23-acre block that includes Martin Luther King Jr. Park, the Winter Park Canopy was proposed to offer views of the water's edge and natural surroundings, 230-plus parking spaces, and an outdoor amphitheater. Community efforts continued to fund additional amenities, including a porte-cochère, a rooftop venue, an indoor raked auditorium, and project enhancement opportunities. The campus was renamed the Winter Park Library and Events Center, and it opened at the new location in December 2021. The library's website describes the new offerings as an education and performance space, with three collaborative and working rooms, a business center, social spaces near age-appropriate book collections, a computer lab, private study rooms, a "Dream Room Lab" with 3D printers, a studio with video and audio production, and a larger story room adjacent.
The Winter Park Library offers books, DVDs, CDs, audiobooks, video games, software, tablet computers, mobile hotspots, computer keyboards, and bicycles.
Winter Park Library also offers programs, classes, and services available to the community, including meeting rooms for rent, voter registration, and computers for library cardholders to use. It also sells boat decals (for motorboat owners), allowing access to the Winter Park Chain of Lakes. The library is an early voting polling place for the Orange County, Florida Supervisor of Elections. [5] The library's maker space, the Genius Lab, allows patrons to create various content, including 3D models, videos, audio recordings, and graphics.
Classes are available to cardholders, including language development, kids' programs, tutoring, storytelling, and entertainment, writing workshops, book clubs, financial education, web content creation, and coding. Youth programs include the Angel Paws to Read, which offers students age 5+ the opportunity to read to therapy and service dogs to earn "paw stamps" towards free books and T-shirts, and Wobbly Walkers for ages 13–24 months, which features activities and story time. [4]
Because the Winter Park Library is partially owned, operated, and funded by the city's taxpayers and is not part of the county-operated Orange County Library System (OCLS), residents of Winter Park are not automatically given privileges or access to the OCLS branches or services; instead, an agreement was reached between the city and the OCLS, whereas a city resident can go to any OCLS branch and request a "reciprocal borrower card," which is provided free of charge. [8] The reciprocal borrower card is valid for four years. [8] It can be used at any OCLS branch except the Melrose Center at the Orlando Public Library, which requires a separate Melrose Center-specific card to be issued after the user applies for it and goes through a mandatory orientation class. [9] Reciprocal borrowers are provided a free one-hour session on the OCLS library PCs every day with additional hours purchasable for $1. [10] The OCLS Wi-Fi network available at all branches remains free of charge to all users, including reciprocal borrowers and visitors who use their devices. [11] As part of the agreement, OCLS cardholders are also eligible for a reciprocal card at the Winter Park Library valid for one year. [12]
Orange County is a county located in the central part of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 1,429,908, making it the fifth-most populous county in Florida and the 28th-most populous county in the United States. Its county seat is Orlando, which, along with it being the county's largest city, is the core of the Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2.67 million in 2020.
Cuyahoga County Public Library (CCPL) has 27 branches that serve 47 communities in Cuyahoga County, Ohio. It was ranked the number one public library in the United States among libraries serving populations of more than 500,000 by the Hennen's American Public Library Ratings 2010. In 2022, more than 10 million items were borrowed by its 737,702 cardholders, and 2.99 million visits were made to branches.
The Iowa City Public Library (ICPL) was established in 1896 to serve the people of Iowa City, Iowa, USA. Currently located in a new facility at the intersection of college and Linn Streets on the downtown pedestrian mall, ICPL serves a population of 69,000 residents of Iowa City, and through contract, residents of unincorporated Johnson County, University Heights and Hills. ICPL has approximately 67,000 cardholders.
The Contra Costa County Library is the public library system in Contra Costa County, California, United States. There are 26 community libraries including the NRHP-listed Martinez Library, access to electronic information via a website, over 455,000 cardholders and more than 7 million items borrowed annually. Its headquarters are in Martinez.
The Orange County Library System (OCLS) is a public library system serving the Orlando area of Central Florida. It is headquartered in the Orlando Public Library in Downtown Orlando. The System consists of 15 total locations, one main library (Orlando Public Library) and 14 branch locations. In 2020, the library system employed over 350 staff throughout the system, serving more than one million Orange County residents. The Orange County Library System is a 501(c)3 organization. The library system is led by its chief executive officer, Steve Powell, and a five-member Library Board of Trustees.
The Marathon County Public Library (MCPL) is a consolidated county library with nine locations in Marathon County, Wisconsin, U.S.A. Its headquarters are in Wausau. The library has its origins in the Wausau Free Public Library, which was founded in April 1907.
The Westerville Public Library is a public library that serves the community of Westerville, Ohio, a suburb of Columbus, Ohio. As a school district library, its geographic boundaries are defined by the Westerville City School District which is located in both Franklin County and Delaware County. All Ohio residents can apply for a Westerville Public Library card.
The Jacksonville Public Library is the public library system of Jacksonville, Florida, United States. It primarily serves Jacksonville and Duval County merged areas, and is also used by the neighboring Baker, Nassau, Clay, and St. Johns counties. It is one of the largest library systems in Florida, with a collection of over three million items. A division of the city government, the library has the third largest group of city employees, after the city's fire department and sheriff's office. There are twenty-one branches and a main library in the system.
The Fullerton Public Library (FPL), is a public library system that serves the City of Fullerton, California and its surrounding communities.
The Indianapolis Public Library (IndyPL), formerly known as the Indianapolis–Marion County Public Library, is the public library system serving the citizens of Marion County, Indiana, United States and its largest city, Indianapolis. The library was founded in 1873 and has grown to include its flagship Central Library and 24 branch libraries located throughout the county. In 2021, the public library system circulated 7.1 million items and hosted more than 2,500 programs for its 282,000 cardholders.
The Bellingham Public Library is a public library system serving Bellingham, Washington, US. It maintains four libraries, one in the Civic Center of downtown Bellingham, one in Fairhaven, one in Barkley Village, and one in the Cordata neighborhood, inside Bellis Fair Mall. The system is independent of the Whatcom County Library System, serving the entire county, but has a reciprocal borrowing agreement.
Ocean County Library is a public library system that serves 32 municipalities out of the 33 municipalities of Ocean County, New Jersey. Beach Haven on Long Beach Island is not a member municipality. The Headquarters branch is in Toms River. It also offers Outreach services to life care centers, Books by Mail and Home Borrowers services for the homebound, and a volunteer program. There are active Friends of the Library groups associated with individual branches. There are approximately 380,000 registered borrowers, and 290,000 bibliographic records in the catalog. Annual circulation was near 4.4 million in 2014. All library locations have free wireless access to the Internet and internet terminals for public use.
The Provo City Library is a public library serving residents of Provo and Orem in the U.S. state of Utah. It occupies the building of the former Brigham Young Academy, which was built in 1892. In 1976, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places. After a remodeling process, it was rededicated as the Provo City Library on September 8, 2001.
Shaker Heights Public Library is a library district in eastern Cuyahoga County, Ohio serving the city of Shaker Heights and that portion of the City of Cleveland, known as Shaker Square, which falls within the Shaker Heights City School District. This service area encompasses 7.5 square miles (19 km2) with a population of approximately 33,000. Shaker Library consists of the Main Library, located at 16500 Van Aken Boulevard, and the Bertram Woods Branch Library, 20600 Fayette Road.
The Mandel Public Library of West Palm Beach is the public library of the City of West Palm Beach, Florida.
The Santa Monica Public Library (SMPL) is the public library serving residents of Santa Monica, California and surrounding areas. SMPL is directed by a City Librarian, who reports to the Santa Monica City Manager's Office and is overseen by a Library Board consisting of five members appointed by the Santa Monica City Council.
The Indian River County Library System is a public library system in Indian River County, Florida, which coordinates activities between its branch libraries and collectively serves Indian River County. It is funded by the Indian River County Board of County Commissioners as well as donations from the Friends of the Library.
Quatrefoil Library is a member-supported, 501(c)(3) non-profit library and community center for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community. It is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where it was founded by David Irwin and Dick Hewetson in 1983. It is the second LGBT lending library in the United States, and the oldest such library in the Upper Midwest. In the beginning, it was not only an educational resource center but also a safe space for LGBT people. The library houses over 15,000 books, 7,000 DVDs, a collection of first editions and rare books, and books in braille. It hosts poetry readings, panel discussions, book launches, and other events, open to all.
The North Miami Public Library is a public library in North Miami, Florida. The library has a diverse collection of over 60,000 items, which include fiction and non-fiction books, magazines, newspapers, videos, audio books and discs, compact discs, and DVDs for adults, teens, and children. A bilingual and multi-cultural staff provides a variety of services and programs.
The Lake County Public Library System (LCLS) is a library system located in Lake County, Florida.
