John F. Germany Public Library's Roadshow is a party!

On Sunday, January 13th, the history of the John F. Germany Public Library (formerly the Tampa Public Library's Central Branch) was celebrated, coinciding with the 90th birthday of its namesake, Mr. John Germany. 

We were honored by the presence of past library directors' families, as well as retired librarians and other notable citizens that were integral in the creation of public libraries in our city and county. They all had memories to share of the challenges and successes about the formation of this library branch and the evolution of the the Tampa-Hillsborough County Library system as it developed over the years. We collected a variety of library memories to share.

Check out the slideshow, which begins with an images from the 1965 groundbreaking and construction in 1967:



Director of Libraries, Mr. Joe Stines, kicked off the event by welcoming attendees and Mr. Germany had a few thoughts to share with a party crowd, who were eager to listen.  After everyone had a slice of birthday cake and folks had a chance to visit with one another, we encouraged attendees to record their library memories.  

With anticipation, we recorded Mr. Cecil Beach, Director of Libraries from 1965-1972, who has a life-time repertoire of experience in developing libraries and library services at the public, state and national level.

Architect James Jennewein, who designed the library was in attendance.  This is the original model of the Central Branch Library that he designed, courtesy of the City of Tampa Archives.

We were so glad that Leo Meirose, Jr., son of past library director, Leo Meirose, Sr. (1972-1982), came to share his memories of this father's work for the Tampa Public Library system. Leo describes well (below) the challenges his father dealt with during an era when public libraries collections were heatedly contested by censorship. Meirose Sr.'s legacy is known for standing strong for intellectual freedom and free speech, which he was for honored by the Florida Library Association.

 


Retired Librarian, Bunny Pearce, who also donated a video memory at the Hyde Park Branch roadshow, also had spent time working at the Central Branch library. 

Frank Lakus, creating in 1970.

The weaving today, on YA/1-west floor

Frank Lakus, shared with us his memory of working at the Central Library in the mid-1960s-1970s.   He was commissioned to create a multi-media sculptural-weaving for the young adult wing in 1970, that still hangs in the window to this day. For decades since, Frank has been active with  puppeteering with the Hillsborough Storytelling Festival, in addition to working as an artist. Frank tells us his story:

 

YA, Main Library on 7th Ave. ca. 1964

Thanks to retired librarian Priscilla Lakus for bringing her photo albums spanning the 1960s through the 2000s. These photos are just a sampling of more to come...

We were absolutely thrilled with the turnout of roadshow guests.  Many THANKS to the Friends of the John F. Germany Public Library for contributing the refreshments, flowers and balloons -- it really made the event more special for everyone who attended the roadshow festivities.

You can look forward to seeing more Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library history when we unveil the Tampa-Hillsborough County Treasures site for the Centennial Celebration of the Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library system on January 1, 2014 at the West Tampa Public Library, Tampa's first library. Save the date!

Next stop: Town 'N Country Regional Library, December 1st!

The Library History Roadshow crew is ready to record your Tampa/Hillsborough County library memories and memoriabilia at the...

Town 'N County Regional Library

December 1st, 2012

10 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Do you recall when the Town N' Country was serviced by the Bookmobile? 

  

In January, 1969, the first library opened in the Town N' County region in the West Gate shopping center on the 7000 block of West Hillsborough Avenue.  Do you remember this storefront location?

Soon after, it was evident that the location would be temporary as library patronage exploded.  After a successful community letter writting campaign, the West Gate Branch Library became a reality and the new facility was dedicated at 7606 Paula Drive on April 20th 1975 (below).

Over the next twenty years, the location became an important hub within the community. So, in November, 1995, the branch library was renamed as the West Gate Regional Library to reflect its prominence in the area and its necessity for providing extended hours and services.

10 years later, the need to expand the library was necessary again. Therefore, in 2007, the library was temporarily relocated to a space at the Thompson Center during construction of a new facility (below).

December 3rd, 2008 marks the day that the new 30,000 sq. ft. building opened to the public and was named the Town N' County Regional Library. What were your first impressions of the new library facility?

Whether you recently began using the library or you a long-time patron , we want to hear from you if you have a memory to share about your experience with this regional library!

We are seeking your library memories, memorabilia and photos to gather, which will be recorded/digitized for the Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library History Collection.

We look forward to seeing you at the Roadshow on December 1st!

Brandon Library History Explored!

On Saturday, September 15th from 10 am to 3 pm, the Library History Roadshow team had the pleasure of collecting library memorabilia and memories at the Brandon Regional Library.  It was a lovely day out and the event was visited by library patrons of all ages who shared their library memories.  Check out the slide show of the event:



Library experiences touch every patron in different ways throughout their lives as interests and needs develop and change.  For these youth, getting their first library card opened up a new avenues and led them to explore new topics and tales.



Their impressions of visiting the library have already made a positive impact...



...with lasting memories that are priceless! Listen to this girl talk about her experience:



Dwayne tells us what it was like taking the his daughters to get their first library card and how coming to the Brandon library has become a regular family event.



Yvonne also enjoys the regular family excursions to the Brandon Regional Library and she talks about what keeps her coming back again and again.

We were so pleased that retired librarian, Jane Schwamberger visited the roadshow and brought some photos and ephemera from her scrapbook. Jane was the children's librarian in the late 1970s, while the Brandon Library was located on Robertson Drive. We scanned and returned her memorabilia and also offered to record her memories. Here is an image of a childrens' watercolor painting workshop in 1978 (right).

There were some photos contributed from another librarian, who worked at the Brandon Library from the late 1980s/early 1990s.  This Halloween-time staff photo is such an endearing image, demonstrating the enthusiasm and fun that staff have had working at this regional library branch (below).

Although not every who attended the roadshow wanted their memories recorded, we were well received by Brandon patrons, who expressed to us the immensely important role that this public library has held for the community since services became available in 1960s. There was also a Burgert Brother photograph display in the main lobby with selected images of the Brandon region, as well as images from the branch archive collection.

Brandon's growth has been exponential since the library began as a reading room within the Brandon Women's Club, located on Moon Avenue in 1960. Library services have since rapidly grown along with population growth and industrial expansion, quickly becoming one of the largest and busiest branch library within the Hillsborough County Public Library system. 

The next roadshow will be December 1st at the Town 'N County from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m.  See you there!

Brandon Library History Roadshow: September 15th

The next Library History Roadshow will be...

The Brandon Regional Library

619 Vonderburg Drive,

Brandon, FL  33511

Saturday, September 15th

10:00 a.m - 3:00 p.m.

Library service in the community began in 1960 when the Brandon Women's Club opened a corner of its club building (above), at 129 North Moon Street, to house the 1,000 "Brandon Area Library" books.

In 1968, the Brandon Branch Library, operated by the Tampa Public Library System, opened at 135 West Robertson Street (right). An expansion to that facility was completed in 1975 but the need for a larger building became apparent as the community continued to grow.

The library opened at its current 25,000 sq. ft. location, on Vonderburg Dr (below), on March 10, 1991 with a new name -- Brandon Regional Library -- one of the original two regional libraries in the Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library System. 

Do you have a memory, photographs or memorabilia from the Brandon library to share?  If so, please come bring them to the Brandon Regional Library history Roadshow so that they can go down in history!

Lutz Roadshow this Saturday, July 28th!

Lutz Branch Library History Roadshow:

July 28th from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. with guest speaker, Dr. Susan MacManus, at 1:00 p.m.

Did you know that library service in Lutz started as a bookmobile stop in 1961?  A more substantial library was created later that decade in a wood frame building.  Staffed by volunteers, it provided one thousand volumes to the public on home-made bookcases. Do you have a memory of this library?  Gather your information and artifacts to share and head over to the Lutz Branch Library for the latest stop of the Library History Roadshow, this Saturday, July 28, from 10am-3pm.

Lutz Branch Library c.1972

About the Event

Library History Roadshow staff will scan photos or memorabilia that residents bring and attendees will have an opportunity to record, as a video or audio, a brief story about their library experiences.  In addition, the Library History Roadshow will include information on local history, the preservation of historical items and a custom exhibit of Burgert Brothers photographs of the Lutz area.

About the Guest Speaker

Dr. Susan MacManus, PhD, Distinguished Professor, Political Analyst and noted Lutz historian, will be the guest speaker at the Lutz Branch Library History Roadshow.

Dr. MacManus and her mother, Elizabeth Riegler MacManus, have written two books on the Lutz/Land O’Lakes area. Her latest book, Going, Going…Almost Gone: Lutz-Land O’Lakes Pioneers Share Their Precious Memories, will be subject of her presentation. Copies of the book are available for checkout at the Lutz Branch Library and will be on sale after the presentation; a book signing will follow. The Friends of the Lutz Branch Library will provide light refreshments.

Come and bring your library memories! We look forward to seeing you at the Lutz Branch Library on July 28th!

The Library History Roadshow is a county-wide program of the Tampa-Hillsborough County Library System in partnership with the Tampa Bay History Center.

The program is free and open to the public.

For more information, call 813-273-3652 or visit: http://www.hcplc.org/hcplc/events/libraryroadshow/.

Robert W. Saunders, Sr. Public Library Event Update!

Although we are still processing the videos and audio memories recorded from the Robert W Saunders, Sr. Public Library Roadshow on June 23rd,  we can say that the event was a success!

Despite the rainy weekend, people from the community came out to support their local library.  We gathered some interesting and unique historical items to add to the archive. Enjoy some photos from the event!

We would like to extend a special thanks to the Ada T. Payne Friends of the Urban Libraries for supplying refreshments for the event, as well as allowing us to digitize their Robert W. Saunders, Sr. Public Library collection of photos and ephemera. Mary James (left), President, and Brenda Staton (right), Treasurer and Library Board member, spoke to us about their Friends group involvement with this library. 



Fred Hearns, President of the Saunder Library Foundation, Inc., recall his insightful memories associated with the Ybor City Branch Library's historical past and what lead up to renaming the library the Robert W. Saunders, Sr., Public Library.

Also, thanks to Joe Stines, the Director of the Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library System, for attending the event and for donating his personal collection from when he worked as a Youth Services Librarian at the Robert W. Saunders, Sr. Public Library (back when it was called the Ybor City Branch Library) in the 1980s. This news clipping (left) accompanied many fabulous children's programming event  photographs and fliers. He did well to document in his scrapbooks so many successful youth programs that brought the community together. [Article source:  Peninsula Tribune, February 19, 1986]

Stay tuned for more video memories that we gathered from this roadshow!

Roadshow this Saturday -- Ybor Branch/Saunders Public Library

Bring your memories of the Ybor Branch Library and Saunders Library this Saturday!

Listen to a message from Fred Hearns, President of the Saunders Library Foundation, for all current and former users of the Ybor City Branch Library, originally located at 1729 Broadway from 1933 to 1968, (later renamed in 2003 to the Robert W. Saunders, Sr. Public Library) and then 1505 Nebraska Avenue since 1969.

Last week, Fred Hearns visited the Robert W. Saunders, Sr. Public Library and recorded his memories. Now it is your turn! Take advantage of this opportunity and come to the Library History Roadshow!

When:  June 23, 2012 from 10 am to 3 pm

Where: 1505 Nebraska Ave., Tampa, FL 33602-2849

For more information, call 813-273-3652 or visit:  http://www.hcplc.org/hcplc/events/libraryroadshow/

Temple Terrace Library History Roadshow, 4/13/2012

It was a beautiful day at Temple Terrace Public Library with a good turn out --  former staff and folks from community came out to share their photos, news clippings and memories.  In addition, the Library History Roadshow dove-tailed perfectly with the 50th Anniversary Celebration of the Temple Terrace Public Library, so there was a buzz of enthusiasm surrounding these historical events.  Enjoy a photo slide show of the day's happenings!


Eleanor Howland, former Director of the Temple Terrace Public Library, worked for the library for 31 years. She's has so much of the library's history to share...



Daniel Morton, President of the Friends of the Temple Terrace Public Library, provides insight to how the Woman's Club was the driving force in the creation of Temple Terrace Public Library.



Diana McCumber was a library employee in the late 1970s/early 1980's and remembers the impact devastating fire in February, 1982.



Madelynne Johnson, who is also a former employee, is now Chair of the Temple Terrace Library Board. She shares her unique perspective into what it takes to keep the library going.



Bruce McCullough moved to Temple Terrace when he was a boy and has lived there since.  He holds a life time of memories of the community as it has grown, and especially of his fondness for the library. 



Armand Ternak, Director of the Temple Terrace Public Library, also had some words to share!



This library has a very interesting past and it has grown from modest beginnings to an impressive, dynamic resource for its community. It speaks volumes that the people of Temple Terrace voted to raise taxes so that they could keep extended library hours during the week -- there is no doubt that they love their public library!

A special thanks to everyone who came out to support this event, and especially to the Temple Terrace Public Library staff who made our visit fun!