| Sarasota County Library System | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | Sarasota County, Florida, United States |
| Established | 1907 |
| Branches | 10 |
| Other information | |
| Budget | $15.2 million (FY 2020) |
| Director | Renee Di Pilato |
| Employees | 158.5 FTE |
| Website | scgov.net/library |
| References: FY 2020 Adopted Budget [1] | |
The Sarasota County Library System is the public library system that serves Sarasota County in the U.S. state of Florida. It consists of 10 locations, including a central library located in the city of Sarasota.
The Sarasota Town Improvement Society established its first library in 1907. [2] Over the years the system increased in size, and today there are ten library branches associated with Sarasota County Public Library System.
Every library provides patrons with adult, teen, and children's materials, along with computers for public use and Wi-Fi access. Sarasota County residents have access to Book-By-Mail, a convenient and free service to send library materials through the U.S. Postal Service to people who are unable to access the library collection due to temporary or long-term physical or visual disability, [3] and Pinellas Talking Book Library. Through the latter, "residents of all ages who are unable to read standard print material due to visual, physical, or learning disabilities are provided recorded, Braille, and large-print books and magazines as well as a collection of descriptive videos and Playaways." [4]
Sarasota County library patrons also have access to interlibrary loans (ILL), which allows patrons to borrow items from other library systems in Florida when the Sarasota County libraries do not own the material. They participate in the Florida Library Information Network (FLIN) to borrow materials from other participating Florida libraries through the SHAREit service. Sarasota County residents with a library card in good standing can request interlibrary loans. Individuals who purchase a visitor card (aka "non-resident card") will also have access to ILL if their cards are in good standing. Library accounts must have fines below $10 and the card cannot be expired. [5]
The Sarasota County Library System has a range of materials chosen based on the Collection Development Policy. [6] These materials are selected by librarians using professional review sources. The system also takes recommendations from patrons.
In addition to digital resources, Sarasota County Libraries also has Pop-Up Library Services that make scheduled stops (also available by request), to "public parks, childcare facilities, condominium complexes, retirement communities, senior centers, recreational facilities and more." [7] Services include tech assistance, borrowing materials, returning materials, and other inquiries.
The mission statement of the Sarasota County Libraries is "to offer equal access to information, foster lifelong learning and inspire community engagement." [8]
In 2012, Sarasota was named "Florida Library of the Year" by the Florida Library Association. [9]
The Elsie Quirk Library was established on June 15, 1962. The 1,400 square feet (130 m2) library was established by Elsie Quirk after she visited a small community library while on vacation in North Carolina in 1961. When Quirk returned from vacation, she donated land at 101 Cocoanut Avenue in Englewood, along with $10,000. In 1961 the Friends of the Library was established headed by Leah Lasbury, Josephine Cortes and President Lois Potter. This library is the oldest in the library system of Sarasota county. Elsie Quirk's first librarian was Harriet Ives, a graduate of the University of Syracuse, with a Master's degree in Library Science, with a salary of $1 an hour. The library currently houses a selection on genealogy. [10]
The Friends of the Library was established in 1961, headed by Leah Lasbury, Josephine Cortez and President Lois Potter. [11] The Lemon Bay Women's Club donated 3600 books to the Elsie Quirk Library. It was staffed by many volunteers, including Quirk herself.
This library became a major part of the Englewood Community. In 2001 it was upgraded, and has become the Elsie Quirk Public Library.
The Jacaranda Library was established on January 25, 1994, in Venice. In 1995, it changed its name to the Frances T. Bourne Jacaranda Library, dedicated to the former archivist in the U.S. State Department who helped raise funds to create the library. [12]
In 2004, the library received an addition to the building that doubled its size. The architect who designed the addition aimed to incorporate the natural world with the building by emphasizing the buildings natural surroundings (the campus features a pond filled with lilies and is adjacent to a walking trail). The interior walls also feature many murals and paintings that reflect the Florida environment. [13]
The Fruitville Public Library was established in 2001 and serves Sarasota County and Lakewood Ranch residents. In 2003, a reading garden was opened to the public, along with a bookstore. The bookstore is run by the Friends of the Fruitville Public Library. [14]
The Gulf Gate Library opened in 1977, originally located in a storefront on Gateway Avenue. [15] On December 5, 1983, the library opened its doors. [16]
After much wear and tear over the years, the Friends of the Gulf Gate Library raised funds to build a new library. The library shut down in 2013 and temporarily relocated for two years to the Sarasota Square Mall. [17]
The new library re-opened to the public on January 24, 2015, at its original location. Upon its re-opening, the library received Reader's Digest's "Most Impressive" award for the state of Florida in their "The Most Impressive Library in Every State" article. [18] In 2016, the library was nominated as "the most beautiful library in Florida" by Tech Insider. [19]
In 1975, funds were raised to purchase a two-bedroom house was purchased on Tamiami Trail, which was enlarged to serve as a library. It was a free library, staffed only by volunteers, and operating with 5,000 donated books. [20] In 1992, the library outgrew the house and a new library building was built. The library now has a used book store.
The Shannon Staub Library opened on October 17, 2017. The 23,321-square-foot facility serves as both a public library and the library for the technical college. [21] The namesake of the library, Shannon Staub, stays very active within the Sarasota County Public Library System as a retiree. [22] Staub was a 14-year Sarasota County commissioner who represented North Port, Englewood, and Venice. She was a significant proponent for public libraries, becoming a founding chair of the Library Foundation of Sarasota County in 2012. [23]
The North Sarasota Library once offered a program that allows patrons to check out a person, just like checking out a library book. Through this program, local community members sit and talk with patrons for 20 minutes. [24] In 2019 the North Sarasota Library was renamed as the Betty J. Johnson North Sarasota Library in honor of a county employee who had worked for the library system for over four decades. Betty Johnson was an advocate for youth literacy and in 1979 had, along with the help of a not-for-profit library organization (the Friends of the Library), secured a grant of $10,000 to start a mobile library that eventually grew to become the North Sarasota Library in 2003. [25]
This small library is located inside the main building at Historic Spanish Point in Osprey, which also used to be the Osprey School. [26] With an archaeological record that encompasses approximately 5,000 years of Florida prehistory, this National Register of Historic Places living history museum is referred to as one of the largest intact actively preserved archaeological sites of the prehistoric period on the Gulf Coast of Florida. [27]
The Selby Library was established in 1907, as the first library built in Sarasota County. It remains the county's largest. Started in 1907 using a small donation from the Sarasota Town Improvement Society, it began as a single room housing books mostly donated by John Hamilton Gillespie, Sarasota's first mayor. [28] It was located in the Stone Block Building on the southwest corner of Main Street and Pineapple Avenue.
In 1913, the Women's Club assumed operations. The library was moved to the club's headquarters, today the site of Florida Studio Theatre, where it remained from 1915 to 1931. [29] The Sarasota County School Board then donated a wing of a school building on Main Street when more space was needed to accommodate the library's growing collections. In 1940, the city assumed control of the library, and one year later moved it to the Chidsey Library on Tamiami Trail. [30]
In 1976, a new library was built on the bayfront and named the Selby Library in honor of the William G. and Marie Selby Foundation, whose donated funds made the new library possible. This permanent endowment was established by William Selby before his death in 1956. [31]
The library moved from its bay front location to its new downtown location at Five Points Park in 1998, keeping its Selby name. [32]
The library includes an extensive music collection and archive of sheet music. [33]
The original Venice Library was built in 1965. In 2012, mold was discovered in one of the library's meeting rooms in which the county underwent efforts to clean the building. [34] However, the problem persisted, and in 2014 mold returned to the meeting room. As a result, county officials closed down the meeting room as mold continued to spread throughout the library. [35]
In spring 2017, the Venice Library was demolished and construction began in the fall for a new library. The William H. Jervey Jr. Venice Public Library opened on December 15, 2018. [36] This new building is a 24,000 square feet (2,200 m2) structure with 19,000 square feet (1,800 m2) of usable space with the implementation of glass to allow for natural light. [34]
The building is named after William H. Jervey, Jr. who donated $1 million towards the project. He frequented the library often, and worked with Sweet Sparksman to construct the 19,428-square-foot building. [37] He was initially critical of the closing of the original library. Jervey also donated $250,000 as an estate gift to the entire Sarasota Public Library System. [38] The library invested in computers, charging stations, as well as a Creation Station that also makes 3D printing possible. [37]
Charlotte County is a U.S. county located in southwestern Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 186,847. Its county seat is Punta Gorda.
Manatee County is a county in the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 US Census, the population was 399,710. Manatee County is part of the Bradenton-Sarasota-Venice, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. Its county seat and largest city is Bradenton. The county was created in 1855 and named for the Florida manatee, Florida's official marine mammal. Features of Manatee County include access to the southern part of the Tampa Bay estuary, the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, and the Manatee River.
Sarasota County is a county located in Southwest Florida. At the 2020 US census, the population was 434,006. Its county seat is Sarasota and its largest city is North Port. Sarasota County is part of the North Port–Sarasota–Bradenton, FL metropolitan statistical area.
Englewood is a census-designated place (CDP) in Charlotte and Sarasota counties in the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 20,800. It is part of the Sarasota-Bradenton-Punta Gorda Combined Statistical Area.
Fruitville is a census-designated place (CDP) in Sarasota County, Florida, United States. The population was 15,484 at the 2020 census. It is part of the North Port–Sarasota–Bradenton Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Sarasota is a city in and the county seat of Sarasota County, Florida, United States. It is located in Southwest Florida, the southern end of the Greater Tampa Bay Area, and north of Fort Myers and Punta Gorda. Its official limits include Sarasota Bay and several barrier islands between the bay and the Gulf of Mexico. Sarasota is a principal city of the Sarasota metropolitan area. According to the 2020 U.S. census, Sarasota had a population of 54,842.
Venice is a city in Sarasota County, Florida, United States. The city includes what locals call "Venice Island", a portion of the mainland that is accessed via bridges over the artificially created Intracoastal Waterway. The city is located in Southwest Florida. As of the 2020 Census, the city had a population of 25,463. Venice is part of the North Port–Sarasota–Bradenton metropolitan statistical area.
The Marie Selby Botanical Gardens is a 15-acre (6.1 ha) botanical garden located at 900 South Palm Avenue in Sarasota, Florida. The Gardens are located on the grounds of the former home of Marie and William Selby. The Gardens acquired the Historic Spanish Point campus on May 1, 2020.
The Marie Selby Botanical Gardens is a Smithsonian affiliate, and is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums.
State College of Florida, Manatee–Sarasota (SCF) is a public college with campuses in the Manatee and Sarasota counties of Florida. Part of the Florida College System, it is designated a "state college" because it offers a greater number of bachelor's degrees than community colleges. SCF is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Founded in 1957 as Manatee Junior College, it was known as Manatee Community College from 1985 to 2009.
The Lemon Bay Woman's Club is a historic woman's club in Englewood, Florida, United States. It is located at 51 North Maple Street. On August 11, 1988, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.
The Lemon Bay Woman's club was organized by Dr. Mary Green who was a school teacher in Englewood. Originally named the Lemon Bay Mother's Club, a name retained until April 1924, the club played an important role in the development of the religious, educational, civic and political life of Englewood. Construction on the prairie style clubhouse was begun in September 1925 on two lots donated in Lampp subdivision by A. Stanley and Winifred E. Lampp. Englewood, incorporated in 1925, and the surrounding area then boasted 300 residents.
Sarasota architects Thomas Reed Martin and Clare C, Hosmer, formerly of Chicago, donated their design services for the building. Carpenters Pat Lampp, Fred Clark, and Leroy Bastedo were responsible for the clubhouse construction. The building originally consisted of a screened veranda and one large meeting room featuring a brick fireplace and a semi-circular stage, for which total construction cost was 3,120. A housewarming held on February 19, 1926, attracted 200 persons. Official incorporation, a year later, occurred under the direction of Charlotte Wellington, president.
In 1922, under the leadership of Mrs. Hallie Green, members started a school library and maintained a lending library at the club until 1962. Surviving the depression and the loss of its $37 treasury when banks failed, the club continued to hold fish fries, nature study classes, dances, card parties, plays, musical programs, travelogues and lectures. The club retired its mortgage on February 24, 1938. The note was burned at a gala meeting on March 4, 1938
Between 1926 and 1970, the club served as a sanctuary for many Englewood churches and as a meeting place for various organizations. The Englewood Community Church was the first congregation to meet at the club. Others included the Community Presbyterian Church, First Baptist Church, St. Raphael's Catholic Church, St. David's Episcopal Church, Evangelical Free Church, Church of God, Church of Christ, First Methodist Church, and Calvary Baptist Church. During World War II the building was turned over to the American Red Cross. The club was the first building in Englewood to be listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
The Sarasota Municipal Auditorium, listed in the National Register as Municipal Auditorium-Recreation Club, is a historic multi-purpose facility built-in 1938. It is located at 801 Tamiami Trail North and is owned/operated by the municipal government of Sarasota, Florida. The auditorium has 10,000 square feet (930 m2) of exhibit space on its main floor and also contains an Art Deco style stage measuring 1,500 square feet (140 m2).
Historic Spanish Point is a 33-acre (13 ha) museum and environmental complex located in Osprey, Florida at 337 North Tamiami Trail. The museum includes an archeological exhibit of a prehistoric shell mound known as a midden, a turn-of-the-century pioneer homestead historic house museum, a citrus packing house, a chapel, boatyard, gardens, and nature trails.
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."
The Legacy Trail is an 18.5-mile (29.8 km) multi-use recreational rail trail connecting Sarasota and Venice, Florida. It runs along a former portion of the Seminole Gulf Railway corridor. The trail runs from the Historic Venice Train Depot to Fruitville Road in Sarasota. The original segment of the trail from Venice to Palmer Ranch opened in 2008 and it was extended to central Sarasota in 2022.
Harvard Jolly is a St. Petersburg, Florida based architectural firm known for its work on school, healthcare and public buildings. It was founded as a solo practice in 1938 by William B. Harvard Sr. With the addition of Blanchard E. Jolly as partner, the firm became Harvard Jolly in 1961. In the 1970s Enrique M. Marcet, R. John Clees, John Toppe, and William B. Harvard Jr. joined the firm, which became known as Harvard Jolly Clees Toppe Architecture for some time. Harvard Jolly has offices in St. Petersburg, West Palm Beach, Tampa, Sarasota, Jacksonville, Tallahassee, Orlando, and Ft. Myers.
The Selby Public Library was the first library in Sarasota County, Florida and was established in 1907. The current building is the largest public library in Sarasota County and serves the downtown district of Sarasota, Florida.
The Lee County Library System was founded in 1964 and is composed of 13 branches which serve Lee County, Florida, United States. Olive Stout, who arrived in Fort Myers in 1886, started the town's first reading room and was pivotal in founding its first library. Around 1955, the city moved the library into a small one-room building. The Lee County Library System's mission is to strengthen the community by informing and enriching individuals.
The Manatee County Public Library is a public library that provides services and resources to the communities and visitors of Manatee County. It is a division of the Manatee County Government's Community and Veterans Services Department located in Manatee County, Florida. The library system provides patrons with in-person resources such as books, movies, and music, as well as online databases to access e-books, e-audiobooks, journal articles, magazines, and other resources. Library services include free events for the public, one-on-one learning sessions, and computers and other technological equipment available for public use. Library cards are provided at no charge to those who reside, own property, attend school, or work in Manatee County.
The Chidsey Library or Chidsey Building is a historic building located in Sarasota, Florida at 701 North Tamiami Trail. The building was home to the city's first public library from 1941 to 1976.
The Gulfcoast Wonder & Imagination Zone, referred to as G.WIZ or GWIZ, was a science museum located in Sarasota, Florida neighboring the Sarasota Bay. The museum was in operation from August 2000 to September 2012. The museum was home to the Blivas Science & Technology Center.
