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 Branch Library: Pioneer memories

There was a great turnout to the Library History Roadshow at the Lutz Branch Library this last Saturday! Enjoy some photos from the event in this slide show:

Not only did we acquire the branch collection of documents and photos, which was donated from past librarians and library patrons for the Tampa-Hillsborough Library History Archive, but the Friends of the Lutz Branch Library came to have their library memories recorded.  They also provided lemonade and a delicious assortment of cookies.

Everyone was especially thrilled that our special guest, Dr. Susan McManus, PhD, who is a native of Lutz, came to share her extensive knowledge of the history of Lutz, as well as excerpts from her new book, Going, Going…Almost Gone: Lutz-Land O’Lakes Pioneers Share Their Precious Memories. We were so pleased that her book included a photo of the original Lutz Library (right) that we had been hoping to find.

Dr. McManus's presentation was very enlightening, personable, and entertaining, while the audience was a who's who of descendants of some notable Lutz pioneers.

In case you missed this event, we have the presentation recorded here. [video 57:44 min.] 



After the presentation, Mrs. Helen Swisshelm agreed to share her memories of the Lutz Branch Library.   Mrs. Swisshelm was a member of the Tampa-Hillsborough County Library Board from 1990 to 2005 and was its Chairwoman from 1992-1993. She was also the Founder of the Friends of the Lutz Library and its President from 2000 to 2007. The Lutz Branch Library's reading room is named in her honor for her on-going dedicated support of this library. 

Friend of the Lutz Branch Library, Barbara Bryan, talks about the benefits of getting involved with the Lutz Branch Library and she shares some examples of the contributions and commitments that the Friends of the Library provide to enrich library services for the local community.




Thanks to everyone who came to this event despite the rain, to Dr. Susan McManus for the informative presentation on the pioneers of the Lutz/Land O'Lakes region, and especially to the Friends of the Lutz Branch Library for their refreshments and unwavering support. 

Meanwhile, back at the archive headquarters, we continue to digitize library history documents in preparation of the centennial online exhibit of the history of the Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Libraries.

Next up... Brandon Regional Library -- September 15th from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

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/.

We will soon be at your neighborhood library to gather your library memories!

Up-Coming Roadshows: 

LUTZ BRANCH LIBRARY:  July 28th, 2012

BRANDON REGIONAL LIBRARY:  September 15, 2012

Is your Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative library not listed here yet? Don't fret, we are making plans to stop by in the near future. You can also check here for the latest Library History Roadshow updates.

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/