The Tampa–Hillsborough County Public Library System (THPL) is a public library system based in Hillsborough County, Florida, United States. The THPL is a department of the Hillsborough County government.
There are 33 branches of the Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative. The library system circulates 3.5 million physical items and 2.3 million virtual items annually. It 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, and Bruton Memorial Library in Plant City.
History
Tampa Public Library System (1912–1925) The Old Tampa Free Public Library was the first library in Hillsborough County. It was funded by a grant given to the city on October 29, 1912. The library originally opened on April 27, 1917. That same year, the city of West Tampa also expressed interest in establishing a public library and was awarded a grant of $17,500 to fund the construction. West Tampa opened their library at 1718 North Howard Avenue. The main entrance is now located at 2312 West Union Street.
By 1925, Tampa's public library network had four branches. The City of Tampa annexed West Tampa that year and absorbed their library, the West Tampa Free Public Library (previously a stand-alone entity), into the library system.
Tampa–Hillsborough County Public Library System (1925–present) As Hillsborough County continued to grow throughout the 20th century, the need for libraries further away increased. In 1961, the City of Tampa and Hillsborough County contractually consolidated their libraries and (with the exception of Temple Terrace and Bruton Memorial, which remain separate agencies) the Tampa–Hillsborough County Public Library System was born. On September 1, 1999, the Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative (HCPLC) was first introduced as a way for patrons to access materials and programs from other libraries in the library system.
A 2013 study done by the Florida Department of State's Division of Library and Information Services determined that Florida libraries return $10.18 in value to the community for every dollar it spends.
Prior to the 1984 fiscal year, control of the Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library system was a contentious split between the County and the City of Tampa. In 1981 a controversy arose surrounding sex education books that were housed in the children's section. The City Council, not the county, decided the solution was to move the books to the adult section. This led to the creation of a committee that aimed to devise a plan to clearly define which entity, city or county, would have control of the libraries. Two plans came about, one proposed by the City Council that "recommended the creation of a seven member council under control of the mayor." The other recommendation was from the County Commission, which called for a "14-member library board of directors with eight members appointed by the County Commission and six members appointed by the city." Neither plan was adopted, as arguments from each side led to an impasse; some of the strongest objections against full county control came from Mayor Martinez, who stated that such an idea was "unacceptable to the citizens of Tampa who have invested millions of dollars over many years to develop the system. The county had no library system, the city did." However, 56 percent of the funding for the libraries' budget was provided by the County Commission and 44 percent by the City Council.
Finally, on October 1, 1984, Florida House Bill Number 1022 was adopted. This bill officially enlarged the county library system to include the City of Tampa, and created the Public Library Board, and provided funding for the system. Section 4 of House Bill 1022 designated that the Public Library Board would be composed of "twelve residents of Hillsborough County, three from each of the four county single-member districts appointed by the Board of County Commissioners of Hillsborough County for staggered terms of three years; and they shall serve at the pleasure of the County Commission. A majority of the membership of the Public Library Board shall constitute a quorum. This Board may make and adopt such by-laws, rules and regulations for its own guidance and for the government of the Public Library System as it may deem expedient and not inconsistent with law."
Services 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-through windows for returns and hold pick-ups are located at the Jimmie B. Keel and the Jan Kaminis Platt Regional Libraries.THCPL Library Locations. http://www.hcplc.org/hcplc/locations/
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.
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.
The Hive The Hive is a makerspace which offers a variety of services to the patrons of the Tampa-Hillsborough library system. A library card from Hillsborough County is needed to make use of the services. Services for The Hive can be found at John F. Germany Public Library, Bloomingdale Regional Public Library, Jan Kaminis Platt Regional Library, Jimmie B. Keel Regional Library, New Tampa Regional Library, Seminole Heights Branch Library, SouthShore Regional Library, Town 'N Country Regional Public Library, and Upper Tampa Bay Regional Public Library.
Cybermobile Cybermobile is a bus offering Spanish library materials, access to the Internet, and other library programs. The Cybermobile of the Tampa–Hillsborough County Public Library System was dedicated on May 11, 2006.
Library2Go Library2Go (formerly the Bookmobile) is a part of the Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative. It provides library services to residents who may not be able to visit a library branch. The mobile program provides a variety of services, including library card registration, placing holds on library material, picking up requested materials, checking out a selection of material formats, returning items, and accessing computers and the internet. Library2Go makes stops at 33 different locations across the Tampa area on Mondays-Thursdays.
Special collections The Hillsborough County Public Library System possesses many collections unique to the cultural heritage of Tampa Bay. The Burgert Brothers Photographic Collection shows the social and residential growth of Florida from the late 1800s to the early 1960s. The images highlight the unique parts of Tampa, from the sponge fisherman and cigar cities to the strawberry farms and tourists. The physical collection is located at the John F. Germany branch, but the images are available online.
Along with the Burgert Brothers Photographic Collection, the library system also possesses the Hillsborough Remembers Oral Collection, which strives to foster communication between generations in the Tampa Bay community.
In honor of the library's 100th anniversary, special digital collections were made available to the public in 2014. These collections include the Burgert Brothers Photographic Collection, Library History Collection, Tampa–Hillsborough County Public Library Art and Artifact Collection, and the History & Genealogy Records of Hillsborough County.
The Port Tampa City Library houses the library's Maritime Reading Room, a collection of books, maps, and maritime artifacts. It includes memorabilia and paintings that are on display as well as material that can be checked out by library patrons.
Recognitions 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."
Directors There have been a total of seven directors of the Tampa–Hillsborough County Public Library System since it was founded in 1917. Most recently, Andrew S. Breidenbaugh was named director in February 2015.
Andrew S. Breidenbaugh (2015–present) Joe Stines (1991–2015) John M. Adams (1983–1991) Leo H. Melrose Sr. (1972–1982) Cecil P. Beach (1965–1972) William S. Frieze (1947–1965) Helen V. Stelle (1917–1947)
Friends of the Library The Friends of the Library of Tampa-Hillsborough County Inc. is a nonprofit organization incorporated under the 501(c), whose goal is to support the 25 different libraries throughout Hillsborough County's diverse communities. The organization is composed of over 1,000 volunteers in 21 different chapters.
The mission statement of the organization is to strengthen, support and advocate for superior free public libraries in Tampa-Hillsborough County. The vision statement is to connect library users to their community and to the world and ensure that all residents have the freedom to read, watch, listen, play, learn, and discover at Tampa-Hillsborough Public Libraries.
The Friends of the Library began in 1967 when a group of individuals came with a vision to support public libraries in this community. The individual friends groups came together under one organizational umbrella, with the last group joining in December 2011.
The Friends of the Library work to raise money for programming and services at each of the public libraries. One of the ways the organization fundraises is by membership dues. Individuals can pledge their support to the Friends of the Library by contributing yearly. The Friends of the Library host book sales at the different branches. Several of the branches have a used book store, hosted by the organization, in which donated books are sold at a discounted price. All proceeds go back to the Friends of the Library to support library programs. Several times a year, the Friends of the Library hosts large one-day-only book sales to bring out community partners and members and increase community engagement.
Events and programs The Tampa-Hillsborough Public Libraries support and engage the community by hosting special programs, events, and classes to meet the needs of the community. Each branch has a calendar of events for children, teenagers, and adults.
Throughout Hillsborough County, events involve the community in the libraries. Some events are baby time, story time, crochet, puzzle zone, and children's theater. Baby time is where patrons can bond with their babies through books, bouncy rhymes, and songs in a lap-sit program that introduces early literacy skills and encourages language development. Crochet buddies is where children come to learn the basics of crochet. The puzzle zone is where the library puts out puzzles that the whole family can come work on together. Children’s theater is where the library chooses a play for children to work on.
The Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative offers its patrons ukulele kits. Donated by the Tampa Bay Ukulele Society, the library allows patrons to check out these 20 instruments so they can learn to play for free.
The Tampa-Hillsborough Public Library holds special programs at different times of the year. The 2018 "Summer Libraries Rock" included events for children and adults with a rock theme. It also included reading lists for different age groups and a reading challenge hosted by the Tampa Rays.
Historical libraries in Tampa Harlem Branch Library