Library History Roadshow Visits Thonotosassa Branch Library



Thonotosassa Branch Library, 2013, 10715 Main St.

The Thonotosassa Branch Library is a special place. It was dedicated in 1989 after more than seven years of arduous efforts and patience by its community who demanded that Thonotosassa have its own library.  Well worth a trip down Main Street, the library is an excellent place to experience the tranquility of the area. After attending one of the many different programs offered at the library, the adjacent park is an excellent place for a picnic or to read your latest checked-out book.

Thonotosassa's community is very proud of its historical roots. On June 22nd, the Library History Roadshow team collected the branch's historical files for the Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library's Florida History & Genealogy Collection, digitized its collection of Tampa Tribune newspaper clippings for inclusion in the library history archive, and recorded this interview about the library's beginnings with long-time Thonotosassa resident and library staff member, Ron Smith.

Many thanks to library branch manager Annamae Trypus and her staff, Ron Smith and Marti Marshall for their hospitality during our visit.

Thonotosassa Branch Library Seeks Revival of Friends Group

Although the Thonotosassa Branch Library's beginning in 1982 was spearheaded with strong support of the community's Friends of the Library group, the group's activities have waned over the years. The Thonotosassa Branch Library seeks members within their community who desire to strengthen the services and programs that the library offers by re-assembling a Friends of the Thonotosassa Branch Library organization. Participants should share a passionate commitment for a strong library system and would work together to help strengthen library collections and program offerings. Those interested in helping to construct a group to support their community library should contact the Friends of the Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library, Inc. at 813-273-3616.

Mark your calendars for these up-coming events: 

• The next roadshow will be July 20, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Seffner-Mango Branch Library.
• The Centennial Celebration of the Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library System will take place January 1st, 2013 at the West Tampa Branch Library!

Come to the Thonotosassa Library History Roadshow!



Thonotosassa Branch circa 1990



CELEBRATING...

Thonotosassa Branch Library

June 22, 2013

10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

10715 Main St.
Thonotosassa, FL 33592-2831

A look back... 

After years of library service from the bookmobile, the Thonotosassa Branch Library opened in July 1989, serving the Thonotosassa community and surrounding areas in northeastern Hillsborough County. 

  


Tampa Tribune photo of construction, 1988

This 8,000 square-foot library facility was the sixteenth branch of the Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library System, created with the close collaboration of the Friends of the Thonotosassa Library*, the Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library Board, the Board of County Commissioners and Hillsborough County staff. 

It was constructed, furnished and stocked with funding provided by the U.S. Government's Community Development Block Grant program and designed by the architectural firm Fletcher, Valenti & Chillura, Inc. 

Since its opening 24 years ago then it has served patrons living in this rural section of Hillsborough County with convenient access to books, magazines, DVDs, music and recorded books for all ages and interests. It also provides Internet access and a regular schedule of programs, including Story Time for preschoolers, a summer reading program for school-age children, after school homework help for students and computer classes for all ages. 

Do you have a library memory to share?

Tampa Tribune photo, 1989

Did you ever attend a special program, story time or a computer classes at the library? Have you had a positive experience with library staff or accessed information at the library that improved your quality of life? Did you ever use bookmobile service before the library was constructed? Even if you are new to the area and have just started using the library, we want to hear from  you!

We invite Thonotosassa Branch Library patrons, past and present, to come and share their library memories and memorabilia so that we may digitize them for the Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library archival collection. For more information about Library History Roadshow events call: 813-273-3652.

* There currently is no Friends of the Library chapter for the Thonotosassa Branch Library. Anyone interested in helping start a group to support the branch should contact the Friends of the Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library, Inc. at 273-3616.