Gulf Beaches Public Library
History
The idea of a library to serve the residents of the mid-beach communities began at a September 1949 meeting of the Gulf Beach Woman's Club. Under the leadership of the first club president, Mrs. Polly Van Dyke, a committee of six women began collecting books. These efforts culminated in 1952 when a one-room building was constructed on 140th Avenue in Madeira Beach to house the collection.
Over the next 15 years, the library grew significantly. In 1969, a new building was dedicated at the library's current location. Edyth Mariani, one of the original committee members, served as the head librarian until her retirement on December 31, 1979.
In 1988, the library expanded to house its ever-growing collection. An additional 3,600 square feet was added to the existing structure, providing more shelving and reading space, and bringing the total area of the library to 10,000 square feet.
In 1989, the library became a member of the Pinellas Public Library Cooperative, allowing the community to benefit from the sharing of resources with the other public libraries in Pinellas County. In 2008, the library board fired the director of the library. More recently, in 2016, the library began work on updating its long range plan.
References
- ^ "About". Gulf Beaches Public Library. Retrieved 2024-06-13.
- ^ Jasper, Catherine; McCook, Kathleen de la Pena (31 July 1998). "The Florida Library History Project". ERIC. Retrieved 28 June 2024.
- ^ "About". Gulf Beaches Public Library. Retrieved 2024-06-13.
- ^ Jasper, Catherine; McCook, Kathleen de la Pena (31 July 1998). "The Florida Library History Project". ERIC. Retrieved 28 June 2024.
- ^ "Board fires director of Gulf Beaches Public Library". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved 2016-08-26.
- ^ "Gulf Beaches Public Library Plans on Change | Mad Beach Events | Madeira Beach Florida". madbeachevents.com. 23 March 2016. Retrieved 2016-08-26.